City Weekly January 11, 2024 by Copperfield Publishing

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UTAH' S INDEPENDENT NE WSPAPER

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall weighs in on her reelection victory, working with the Utah Legislature and the ‘unrivaled’ opportunities of the next decade. BY BENJAMIN WOOD

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CONTENTS

Cover Story

Steady as She Goes

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall weighs in on her reelection victory, working with the Utah Legislature and the ‘unrivaled’ opportunities of the next decade. By Benjamin Wood

Cover photo by Ashley Detrick

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STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor JERRE WROBLE Music Editor EMILEE ATKINSON Listings Desk WES LONG

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Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 16,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,000 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

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The topic of cell phone bans in schools has been popping up over and over again in the news. There are articles from USA Today, Ed Week and The 74 Million. Governments around the world are banning their use in schools. Even Utah politicians are talking about creating a policy to ban them in schools. Advocates say that banning cell phones will improve student achievement, decrease student misbehavior and improve the overall climate of the school. But do these bans work?

They do if the ban comes from the parents, teachers and students at the school. A recent Salt Lake Tribune article highlighted one instance where students helped create their no-cell-phone policy. This policy is working and the students are not complaining. What does this mean? We don’t need top-down solutions for local problems. As well intentioned as all of the laws, policies and rules are, they are less effective if they are forced from on high. Instead, we need local solutions that are created by the people who are affected by the problem. JON ENGLAND

Libertas Institute

‘No Smoking,’ Jan. 4 Private Eye

Oh my gosh, I love this article! Certainly speaks to all of us at that certain age. Thanks, John Saltas! TERRI LEDDING

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Too Little, Too Late

After three months of indiscriminate, illegal, immoral bombing, Joe Biden is finally showing a little concern for civilian casualties in Gaza. Mr. Biden, you are 10,000 children’s dead bodies too late. You have made Americans feel like stakeholders in the most visible and egregious ethno-religious pogrom known in the West since the Holocaust in Germany. You swallowed without conscience Netanyahu’s propaganda that says it does not matter how many dead civilians he creates with American equipment and ordnance because Palestinians in Gaza are not actually human beings, but just inanimate metallic shields that must be blasted through to get at Hamas. Your calculation from the beginning has been a political calculation for personal gain in an election year and an economic calculation to enrich war industries. You have done as much to debauch America’s ethical, legal and humanitarian urges in three months as it took Donald Trump eight years to do. Do you really

think the blood of 10,000 children stacks up that well against his 10,000 lies? KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY

Woods Cross

‘Shipping and Handling,’ Jan. 4 Hits & Misses

The greedy capitalist will drain the Great Salt Lake. Go red team! DENNIS OGDEN

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‘Standing By for Your Call,’ Dec. 21 Opinion

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THE WATER

COOLER What book genres do you read? Has a book ever changed your life?

Benjamin Wood

I mostly bounce between the classics and urban/transportation planning books. I just finished the new Mitt Romney biography and now I’m re-reading Walkable City Rules, which absolutely changed my life. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Chelsea Neider

Horror, LOL. Usually Stephen King—I’m always looking for a good scare. But Tuesdays With Morrie made a big impact on me. I read it in high school and didn’t realize the life lessons I’d learned until later.

Scott Renshaw

I stick mostly to the genre of “about to be made into a movie.” But yes, I’ve had my life changed by a book, specifically Harlan Ellison’s essay collection An Edge in My Voice, which made me think about being a critic for the first time.

Kayla Dreher

The popular romantic ones, but I’m currently trying out a fantasy. A book has changed my life. I read a self-help book by one of my favorite artists when I was 15. It taught me to push myself out of my comfort zone and think positively, which I needed at the time.

Carolyn Campbell

it’s a mystery to me why anyone reads anything but mysteries. They’re the best.

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PRIVATE BY JOHN SALTAS

EYE @johnsaltas

Dropping the Ball

here may never have been a truer line in all of cinema than the mysterious, whispered proclamation made to Ray Kinsella in the movie Field of Dreams. Kinsella (played by the actor Kevin Costner) was searching for the source of the mystical ballplayers who led him into his Iowa cornfield when he heard the words, “If you build it, he will come.” “Huh, build what?” he asked. Well, a ball field of course, build a ball field. So, he did. The rest is the stuff of cinema history. Few grown men ever admit that they cried like babies during the scene when Kinsella understands that the “he” who will come (after building a ball field) is none other than Kinsella’s long dead father. Oh, my, God. United again, father and son “have a catch” and, at that moment, anyone who ever swung a bat, caught a fly ball or tore his pants sliding into second base began to sniffle. Or so they tell you. (They actually sobbed but won’t admit it. If you still have trouble admitting it, watch the scene on YouTube). I admit it, I cried. I still cry thinking about it. Who wouldn’t want to play catch again with their father—or symbolically anything else they could do one more time with any lost loved one? My first public cry, though, was in 1991, when I was walking down Decatur Street in New Orleans during the filming of JFK. I was there for a convention of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN), and the film crew kept following another car around our hotel. Kevin Costner, (playing the role of New Orleans District Attorney

Jim Garrison, known for his investigations regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy), was in the car that the film crew was filming. At one point, production halted near me, and I spotted Costner. I mouthed the words, “Do you want a catch?” and he nodded. So, I tossed him a fake baseball, and he fakecaught it. He still has my fake baseball since the cars were soon off again on another lap, and he didn’t toss back. That was it. I then quickly headed off in the opposite direction to the Central Grocery Store for a muffaletta—not for the giant, famous, juicy sandwich, but for some giant napkins to wipe my eyes. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play catch—even fake-catch—with Kevin Costner? I’d ride a horse up to wherever Costner is filming in Utah these days (he’s always filming in Utah, it seems) to see if he remembers that fake catch, but I can’t even ride a fake horse nowadays. Ahh, he wouldn’t remember, anyway. I’m not even a memory glint in his eye all these years later, and if he has any pain at all, I’m the last one who could ease it. Besides, it’s likely that only teary-eyed little boys like me remember that the original line was, “If you build it, he will come” and not, “If you build it, they will come.” That second usage of the quote is slightly incorrect because the character Terence Mann (played by James Earl Jones) does indeed tell Ray that if he builds the ball field, “they will come.” Yeah, a sniggling point, but Mann doesn’t connect the building thought with the coming thought in a single sentence. Yet, people are prone to say, “If you build it, they will come” as if it were Field of Dreams gospel. The quote has taken on its own life as a result. This is especially true when it comes to developers and Realtors—most of whom will experience a triple bypass before ever catching a glimpse of a triple play. You also hear it when new highways are being built. And just like magic, new roadways are indeed built and subsequently filled with angry commuters, bisecting ar-

eas once home to jack rabbits and the bones of unsolved murder victims. Last night, I turned on the news right when a segment aired featuring City Weekly news editor Benjamin Wood. Wood was speaking on behalf of the nonprofit Sweet Streets that he volunteers with, expressing dismay over the endless sprawl and road construction just north of Salt Lake City and elsewhere. Wood is an expert on sensible community development that includes workable partitions for pedestrians, cyclists and mass transit that benefit residents and business owners. He’s not a fan of the West Davis Corridor and the traffic and pollution it will generate. The primary support for the corridor comes from state legislators and the Realtors, developers and builders who have them in their pockets. I won’t see Wood today, but I’d tell him to keep speaking out, because few others are. I remember the Interstate 15 segments being built in the 1960s. In the 1970s, I watched the I-215 Belt Route being built—the name inferring that it circled most of the Salt Lake Valley’s residents, and it did at the time. Later came the Bangerter Highway and also a fully rebuilt I-15 with an even wider torso. To the north came the Legacy Parkway and so much road mayhem that the area around Lagoon is taking on the look of Los Angeles’ Bill Keene Memorial Interchange. To the south, Utah County just kept making I-15 wider and deadlier. Their cherry orchards are gone, too. Salt Lake City, theoretically a prime benefactor of more highways, is on edge as certain high-profile businesses are threatening to leave town, for—you guessed it—the former beet, corn and hay fields that are now home to over half the population in Salt Lake County. Yes, “they came,” all right, but in the opposite direction. When it comes to development in Utah, nostalgia and preservation are not invited to have a catch at all. The ball is always dropped. Trouble is, nobody sheds a tear. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

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HITS & MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE |

@kathybiele

HIT: Raise a Glass

Maybe you see it as just a romp about town, checking out the bars. But City Cast Salt Lake’s Ali Vallarta discovered the dark, not-so-secret sauce of Utah’s liquor laws by visiting every watering hole in the county. Because the story was in The Salt Lake Tribune and not wanting to offend, you have to read to the very end for the zinger. While it would be nice to walk to a neighborhood bar and avoid the drunk driving issues, you can’t. “State regulations prohibit bars from being near churches, schools, libraries, parks and playgrounds, they tend to be pushed to unusual places, or bigger retail developments—ironically, farther away from where people are likely to live.” Also, there’s a limit to the number of new bars, which can only open if they’re basically ready to open. Too bad if you spend upfront and don’t get the license. She found that bars are communities—safe and tight communities that the state discourages.

MISS: A Woman’s Place

ProPublica is another outlet that sees the dark underbelly of Utah politics. It’s called the “family friendly” ruse. In a state that’s all about babies—mostly the unborn—there are scant resources for families balancing work and home. Utahns like to believe that the nuclear family is one with a stay-at-home mom pushing out those kids and a patriarch with enough money in the bank to care for the whole lot. Single-parent homes just have to fend for themselves, trying to find a limited number of affordable childcare options, especially now that federal childcare subsidies have ended. But it’s not just the single moms who are having trouble. And businesses are facing closure because there’s not enough money to keep them open. The blame could go to the 74% male and predominately Republican Legislature, which is also largely Mormon. Women, they think, should be staying home, baking and birthing.

HIT: Think of the Children

On the other hand, Utah can be kind— if a bit incongruous. This otherwise red state has joined others offering taxpayer-funded health care to undocumented immigrant children. Sure, there are other states that offer the same to adults, but let’s just call this a win for kids. Keeping people healthy no matter their immigrant status should be a priority for the wellbeing of the country, especially as we’ve just come out of a pandemic. Utah has a history of welcoming refugees, ranking 25th among states accepting them. While the nation debates how to handle the immigrant surge at the border, Utah can be proud that we put personal dignity ahead of partisan bickering. “These are kids, and we have a heart,” state Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, told The Salt Lake Tribune. He pushed the bill forward once lawmakers agreed to cap enrollment. At least, for now, the state is helping some children.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD

Doubling Down

very time I travel, I’m newly reminded how badly the Utah Department of Transportation has failed this state. Readers may recall a piece I wrote in this space about driving to Scout camp and wishing, instead, that I could have taken a train. At the time, Utah was exploring restored passenger rail service to Boise and Las Vegas and as I burned gasoline through mile after mile of congested highway, I could see a line of decommissioned tracks taunting me outside the window. A train to Boise might be a tougher sell, for some, but a train to Vegas is a no-brainer. Plenty of Utahns make that trip regularly; in fact, my wife and I drove there for New Year’s Eve and, again, I wish I could have taken a train. We hit congestion in Utah, we hit congestion in Arizona and we hit congestion in Nevada. We belched untold quantities of carbon and other pollutants into the air, poisoning ourselves and our neighbors in three states. We left the car parked in the casino garage for the entirety of our stay, wasting space and paying for its storage. And while we made it home unscathed, our safety at every moment on the road was contingent on the responsibility of strangers around us, each piloting a 3,000-pound missile at high speeds. The federal government just announced a historic round of passenger rail investments. Across the country, existing routes will be improved, abandoned routes will be restored and new routes will be created. Every person who opts for that rail service will, in effect, be opting out of traffic, easing congestion for those who drive. Not in Utah. Our state’s request for money to merely study rail expansion failed to make the cut, and rail activists suggest a lack of governmental enthusiasm is to blame. While that speculation is unconfirmed, state leaders have done little to disabuse the notion. Utah has simply put all of its chips on driving, and it’s a bad bet. I’m not just saying all this because of my personal interest in the nonprofit Sweet Streets. In recent years, Denver has transformed itself by restoring its downtown Union Station, a project analogous to Salt Lake’s Rio Grande Plan. California is (slowly) making headway on its high-speed rail corridor and a separate, private project will add an express train between Los Angeles and Las Vegas with the help of a $3 billion grant from the federal government. By contrast, UDOT’s best idea is one more lane on I-15. And then another. And then another. When horizontal expansion can no longer be justified, UDOT likely dreams of adding lanes vertically, building decks on top of the freeway until the endless walls of interstate blot out the sun—plus a gondola in the canyon that doesn’t even run during Oktoberfest. CW

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Mountain Glory Permanent and temporary artistic creations bring beauty to the local mountains. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Lee Mingwei: The Gifts of Connection @ Park City Kimball Art Center While art in general is about connecting people to the experiences of others, that doesn’t always take on as concrete a form as it does in the work of Lee Mingwei. The Gifts of Connection showcases three different interactive installations by Lee, each one focused on the idea of encouraging direct interaction with strangers to learn about their experience. The Mending Project, launched in 2009, invites visitors to bring a damaged textile project that will be repaired by a mender at a table. The process encourages conversation between the visitor and the mender, about the significance of the item in need of repair, and simultaneously promotes the creation of something entirely new, as the mending process is meant to leave evidence of the repair. The Tourist documents Lee’s experience as a guest in several cities around the world—including Park City, which has been added for this installation—following a tour guide who shared a unique, individual perspective on their home city based on locations significant to them. In The Living Room, one of the Kimball gallery spaces becomes a living room, to which a local host has brought objects of personal significance. The hosts are then available to share with guests the meaning behind those objects, allowing for a significant one-on-one encounter. The Gifts of Connection runs through Feb. 25 at the Park City Kimball Art Center (1251 Kearns Blvd., Park City). Gallery operating hours are Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; visit kimballartcenter.org for additional event information.

Relay (Powder Mountain) @ Powder Mountain Resort For many Utah locals and visitors, outdoor recreation in the winter is in part a chance to connect with the state’s natural beauty. Yet there’s also a rich “land art” tradition in Utah that calls attention to that beauty in unique and powerful ways. Such a new addition comes to Powder Mountain Resort, with the addition of Relay (Powder Mountain) by Paris-based American artists Brennan Gerard and Ryan Kelly.

Located over the Sun Tunnel “magic carpet” by the resort’s ski school, Relay consists of a rainbow pattern of spiraling colored light on tinted vinyl strips covering the canopy, providing a dazzling view as skiers are pulled up the hill. The work is designed to offer a distinctive experience based on light and weather conditions, as well as being illuminated from inside at night. The artists acknowledge being influenced in part by Nancy Holt’s landmark Sun Tunnels in the Great Basin Desert, turning art into a kind of solar observatory. In a press statement, the artists jointly shared, “We were thrilled by the invitation to create Relay (Powder Mountain). … It is so rare to have an opportunity to think about an artwork integrated into the daily activity of a site like a ski mountain. This, plus working in the vicinity of some of the most important projects in the history of Land Art, made the experience unique and memorable.” Relay (Powder Mountain) opened Jan. 2, and is available now at Powder Mountain Resort (6965 E. Powder Mountain Road, Eden). Visit powdermountain.com for resort operating hours, and ski school information.

Lee Mingwei: The Gifts of Connection

Prehistoric Whispers: Jylian Gustlin and Siri Hollander @ Gallery MAR The distinctive perspectives of individual artists can make it challenging to present joint shows that offer a thematic connection—particularly when those artists work in such divergent media as mixed-media sculptor Siri Hollander and painter Jylian Gustlin. But Prehistoric Whispers finds in their work a common interest in looking to the past for inspiration, whether it’s in the human form, the natural world or the developments of science. Hollander, currently based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, begins her life-size sculptures of horses with welding together a steel armature, over which a mixture of cement and sand is applied to create something that can endure in harsh weather conditions. While there is an abstract quality to her creations, they are still recognizable in evoking the spirit of the plains, successfully achieving the artist’s expressed desire “to make something grand.” Gustlin, meanwhile, has consistently been inspired by the intersection between mathematics, technology and visual art, in part due to growing up with a visual artist and a computer scientist as parents. A mixed-media series inspired by the Fibonacci sequence (“Fibonacci 434” is pictured) captures this notion, as Gustlin notes, “I just try to create suggestions; I’m more interested in helping people see what they can see.” Prehistoric Whispers opens at Gallery MAR (436 Main St., Park City) with a reception on Jan. 12, 6 – 9 p.m., featuring live music and light refreshments, and will run through Feb. 2. Gallery operating hours are Monday – Wednesday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Thursday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit gallerymar.com for additional event information. CW

Relay (Powder Mountain)

Prehistoric Whispers: Jylian Gustlin and Siri Hollander

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ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, JANUARY 11-17, 2023 Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

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Wasatch Theatre Company: JQA

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JIM MARTIN

Suffice it to say, there’s no such thing as a culture clash when arts open doors to enlightenment and experiences. Consequently, credit Step Afrika! with sharing tradition by integrating those sounds and styles into a contemporary context. Theirs is an artistic form of expression that integrates songs, storytelling, humor and even audience participation. Through energy and agility, those qualities have marked their mission since its founding 30 years ago. The goal was to promote teamwork, achievement and cross-cultural understanding and, since then, Step Afrika! has performed for thousands of people nationwide and toured more than 60 countries, making them one of the top African American dance companies. Their honors include several Mayor’s Arts Awards and induction into the National Association of Campus Activities Hall of Fame, the first dance company to achieve that distinction. They also contributed the world’s first interactive stepping exhibition to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, and headlined President Barack Obama’s Black History Month Reception at the inaugural White House Juneteenth Celebration. In addition to presenting their self-titled work during a Martin Luther King Jr. week of celebration, they will also visit Logan’s Ellen Eccles Theater on Jan. 11. Either way, consider them enlightening, educational and genuinely entertaining. Step Afrika! performs following the march and rally for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, on Monday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. at Kingsbury Hall (1395 E. Presidents Circle). Tickets cost $10 - $45, including $5 for University of Utah students and $10 for other university students, purchased in-person with student ID. Call 801-5817100 or go to artstickets.utah.edu. (LZ)

JANUARY 11, 2024 | 11

What little there is that elementary school students absorb about American history between the Revolutionary War and the present, it generally doesn’t include much about the individual presidents beyond memorizing them as a sequential lump. So it might not be common knowledge to most folks that exactly 200 years ago, there was a controversial presidential election in which the individual who was elected took office while his primary opponent claimed corruption and a “stolen” election. The loser was Andrew Jackson, and the winner was John Quincy Adams—the subject of Aaron Posner’s 2019 play JQA JQA approaches Adams fils’ public and personal life throughout various stages, with four different actors— Yoah Kristine, Kallie Fillanda, Alex Smith and Jon Turner—playing John Quincy Adams at various points in his life. Structured as a serious of dialogues between Adams and his many political colleagues and adversaries, JQA digs into the nature of American democracy, both as we idealize it and as it actually exists, and perhaps has always existed. Posner’s Stupid F—king Bird—produced by Salt Lake Acting Company in 2016—provided a unique contemporary spin on Chekhov’s The Seagull, so it’s clear that this is a writer with a unique perspective on classical ideas. Wasatch Theatre Company presents its production of JQA at the Eccles Theater’s Regent Street Black Box (144 Regent Street) for four performances only: Monday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for students with ID. Visit arttix.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Step Afrika! @ Kingsbury Hall

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If Brian Posehn looks familiar, it’s understandable. His nerdy, deadpan persona seems omnipresent, given parts he’s played on The Mandalorian, the Netflix series Lady Dynamite and FX’s You’re the Worst, in addition to roles on The Big Bang Theory, Just Shoot Me and New Girl. He’s also made regular appearances on Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program and guested on such classic sitcoms as Seinfeld, NewsRadio, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends and The Neighborhood. On top of his successful from acting and stand-up careers, he’s a writer and producer, with credits on an upcoming Nickelodeon cartoon series and creative contributions to the HBO series Mr. Show. As if that wasn’t enough—and it should be—he’s scored roles in feature films and done voice-overs for various animated series like Scooby Doo, The Simpsons, Adventure Time, American Dad, Bob’s Burgers, Steven Universe and Captain Underpants. His résumé also includes several Comedy Central specials and four comedy albums, including Grandpa Metal, featuring reigning metal gods from Anthrax, Slayer and Soundgarden. That might be enough for most entertainers, but Posen is obviously a manic multi-tasker. On top of everything else, he’s hosted and produced a popular comedy podcast Nerd Poker and co-written several issues of the popular Marvel comic book series Deadpool. And he’s also written a book, Forever Nerdy. Suffice it to say it must pay to be a nerd. Brian Posehn performs a 21+ show at Wiseguys Jordan Landing (3763 West Center Park Drive, West Jordan) at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 12-13 Tickets cost $30. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com for tickets and for additional event information. (Lee Zimmerman)

STEP AFRIKA

Brian Posehn

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SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall weighs in on her reelection victory, working with the Utah Legislature and the ‘unrivaled’ opportunities of the next decade.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

rin Mendenhall began her second term as Salt Lake City mayor on Jan. 2, ringing in the new year with a swearing-in ceremony at downtown’s Main Library. While her first term was punctuated by a pandemic, a deepening housing crisis and the occasional force majeure, her second promises to be no less eventful, with new investments in parks and public transportation, with the departure of the Salt Lake Bees baseball to Daybreak and the potential departure of the Utah Jazz to Draper (really? … Draper?) and with the state of Utah staring down the barrel of a second Winter Olympic Games in 2034. On top of all that, lawmakers are once again convening on Capitol Hill at the end of January, poised for election-year grandstanding and ever wary of letting the capital city step too far out of line. City Weekly caught up with Mendenhall to get her lay of the land on those topics, her goals for a second term and her vision for the future of Salt Lake City. Her responses, received via email, were edited for length and clarity.

City Weekly: You won reelection with a comfortable majority against a well-known opponent. Did the vote align with your expectations for the race? Mayor Erin Mendenhall: Every day, I get to interact with Salt Lakers, the owners of our small businesses and community leaders. They care deeply about this city. They love living and working in our community. Like all cities, we have areas we can and must improve and grow—but that doesn’t discount the beautiful and caring community we live in. I think the election was proof that many residents feel this way and want us to continue working with them—with partners—on solutions rather than fighting and trading insults. CW: What did you learn during your first term that will help you navigate your second? EM: I learned Salt Lakers and this city are incredibly resilient; we navigated a pandemic, earthquakes, a windstorm, protests and flooding. Each brought us different challenges, insights and opportunities to grow stronger than ever before. Time and time again, I saw people come together in tough circumstances to support, listen and learn from one another. Seeing this level of connection was inspiring, and it’s stayed with me. I know we can achieve more when we work together and when we stay at the table, genuinely hungry to find solutions to our greatest challenges. We don’t have to always agree—we can disagree in productive ways and learn a lot from each other. We’ve made this our approach with the community, the state and other partners we need to work with to get real results. CW: You’ve spoken about the potential for burying rail lines and redeveloping land in and around the Depot District. Have the new cost projections ($3 billion to $5 billion) changed your thinking and/or attitudes toward that proposal?

EM: Our west side residents are too familiar with the physical infrastructure barriers—including the rail lines and interstate—that have physically divided our city for generations. The city is working to increase east-west connectivity through different policies and planning. We received a $1.9 million grant from USDOT through Reconnecting Communities. We’ve updated our city wide transportation plan, Connect SLC, with a strategy to help heal the east-west divide. In 2023, the 300 North Pedestrian Bridge officially opened, creating more safe and accessible walkways and bikeways for Salt Lakers. That street crosses five rail lines, which has disproportionately impacted west side residents, especially our youth crossing to West High School. The pedestrian bridge is only the start of our journey to increase connectivity, equity and safety. The execution of a project of this size and complexity, like burying the rails and redeveloping the land, will require significant investment from state, federal and private sector partners. Like residents, my administration wants to determine realistic avenues and funding mechanisms to remove these barriers that divide our city. CW: What are your administration’s priorities heading into the legislative session? EM: Gov. Spencer Cox’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 could provide significant investment in affordable housing, mental and behavioral health, emergency shelter services and additional resources for people experiencing homelessness. The proposals he outlined could positively impact Salt Lake City and our overall quality of life for generations to come. These issues are important to my administration and critical to solving our regional issues related to the housing crisis and the rise of unsheltered Utahns. In addition to housing and homelessness, I hope to see the Legislature advance family-centric policies, including childcare and legislation that supports environmental quality and the stewardship of our scarce resources.

COURTESY PHOTO

One block of 200 East became a linear park in the summer of 2023 to demonstrate the potential of a green loop around downtown.

COURTESY PHOTO

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, center, and Glendale youth break ground on a new regional park in October 2023.

keep conserving water and looking for new ways to reduce consumption. We’ll keep working to protect our annual 13-billion-gallon contribution to the lake. We’ll be proactive in sharing our best practices and also take every opportunity to advocate for statewide solutions.

nations right to our city and allow our youth a rare opportunity to experience an unmatched level of competition, diverse cultures and unity. The Olympics and Paralympics will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of leaders in Salt Lake City.

CW: What will it take and what is being done to turn the corner on homelessness?

CW: Most of the state’s leadership live outside of Salt Lake County, let alone Salt Lake City. What would you want the typical Utah lawmaker to understand about Salt Lake City?

CW: What were some of your favorite SLC events in 2023 and what are you looking forward to in 2024?

EM: In so many ways, we’re ready now. Across the state, facilities have been maintained since the 2002 Winter Games and will likely need very little retrofitting. It’s part of what’s made our bid so unique and strong. I’ve been working on this since my first two months in office, when we created the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games. What we’ll create and prioritize in the next 10 years is all about building a community-centered experience. And what we decide to build in the next four years will set the stage for the legacy of the 2034 Games: more parks and open space; public art; public transit; and more places where the community can come together and thrive. While 80% of Utahns support us hosting the Games, I’ll say to those still skeptical: venture to volunteer. Maybe you didn’t live in Utah in 2002—maybe you weren’t born yet! But for those of us who did, it was the most powerful experience of community. I want you to get to feel that, too. Especially our kids. This global event will bring people from hundreds of

CW: What does Salt Lake City look like one decade from now, and how is your administration working toward that vision? EM: This time right now is unrivaled in our city’s history. There are four historic threads intersecting with breathtaking complexity: the preparations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; the determination of the long-term future of the Utah Jazz and the pursuit of Major League Baseball and National Hockey League franchises; the construction of Glendale Regional Park and the momentum behind a downtown green loop; and the ongoing record investments in housing construction in our city with massive city investments in wealth building for renters and homeowners. My administration is working together with residents, with partners and with other levels of government so that our future doesn’t happen to us, but rather it happens with us and because of us. Tune in to State of the City on Jan. 30 to hear more. CW

JANUARY 11, 2024 | 13

EM: I’ll be the first to say that I wish it all were happening faster. But I also see firsthand that change is happening. Our city cannot save the Great Salt Lake on our own any more than we can single-handedly clean all of Salt Lake Valley’s air. Saving the Great Salt Lake is going to take all of our work, but especially the state. We will take the same approach on the Great Salt Lake and air quality—do everything we can as a city, do more, and then work with our partners instead of against them. Salt Lake City has redoubled our commitment to cleaning the air and protecting our namesake. We will

CW: What still needs to be done for the city and state to be ready to host the 2034 Olympics? And what do you say to residents who remain skeptical of hosting the event?

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CW: Is the state taking the threat of air quality and a declining Great Salt Lake seriously enough?

EM: We’re proud to be Utah’s capital city and the hub of business, entertainment and sport. A strong capital city is good for the entire state of Utah. We’ve made it part of our city’s fabric to be welcoming to the many diverse people who call this place home or are passing through. We are creative. We are collaborators. And we’re using these parts of our identity to further the well-being of both our economy and environment. At the end of the day, I believe the capital city and other municipalities in Utah do have a great deal in common. Many people want to live in safe, welcoming communities that provide realistic avenues to housing, economic opportunity and connections to their neighbors and loved ones. We’re here to work and find common roadways to move forward, together.

EM: It felt like Salt Lake City was truly buzzing, from entertainment events to sports to music to festivals, all year long. I really enjoyed the new drone shows at our parks for the Fourth of July and Pioneer Day; I think it was just the beginning of creating new and exciting ways to celebrate our history with our families while looking to the future. I hope you didn’t miss out, but if you didn’t catch them, be on the lookout this year. I also loved getting to experience Outdoor Retailer back in action in Salt Lake City in 2023 and what small businesses are doing to innovate in sustainable ways that I think will push bigger retailers to adapt. It’s exciting to see that unfold right here in our downtown. There’s so much to look forward to this year. I hope more Salt Lakers will join me for bike rides to work on new paths across the city. The group rides are so much fun, whether you’re a regular or just acquired your first bike at the Bicycle Collective’s new shop. I think one of the biggest events I’m looking forward to, though, in 2024 will coincide with the Paris Summer Olympics—that’s when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will officially name the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games.

EM: We know at the root of this nationwide increase in people experiencing homelessness is a lack of affordable and deeply affordable housing. We need more affordable units and more resources for our most vulnerable communities experiencing homelessness, not just in Salt Lake City, but all across Utah. In the past two years, there have been more coordination and early planning for winter shelters and resources than have been seen in recent years. Sandy is home to a new medically vulnerable population (MVP) facility that will house up to 165 individuals experiencing homelessness. West Valley City is hosting a winter overflow shelter for the first time ever. In partnership with the Utah Office of Homeless Services, a temporary micro-shelter community is up and running for the first time, providing support to 50 individuals in a non-congregant shelter setting. This temporary pilot will inform the state’s operation of a permanent micro-shelter site to come in 2024. We know that Salt Lake City alone cannot turn the corner on homelessness. It will take all levels of government, partners and providers continuously coming together to provide solutions that meet people’s complex needs so that homelessness becomes rare, brief and nonrecurring. I want to build on the solutions and partner-based initiatives that we helped bring to life this past year so we can continue to safely shelter and house more people in need.

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We are far from out of the woods when it comes to securing a healthy Great Salt Lake ecosystem, and I am hopeful that state leaders will continue to move forward on statewide conservation efforts and decisions to support future generations of Utahns.

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14 | JANUARY 11, 2024

Rewind Vo l u m e 2 1: 200 4 t o 2 0 0 5 years of

salt lake

CITY WEEKLY BY WES LONG wlong@cityweekly.net

n the midst of his Feb. 3 column in 2005, City Weekly poobah-turnedflightmaster John Saltas was finding it wise to “let the column just write itself.” “Each week,” he revealed, “I fold myself into a paper airplane and take flight, not knowing how many turns I’ll take, how long I’ll stay aloft or what manner of landing I’ll make. I’ve crashed plenty of times.” Saltas found this process a welcome respite from the two decades he spent beating people over the head with anger and ink regarding the vexing issues and events of modern Utah living. “Man, we knew everything,” he mused. “If it wasn’t me, it was Richard BarnumReece, Ron Yengich or John Harrington, all taking turns bashing away.” City Weekly still took “rightful hits at the notorious or the powerful,” Saltas added, but with some exceptions, there was less anger throughout the paper. “That’s due to equal parts growing up a bit, having Ben Fulton as editor (who quietly makes his points while still being a nice guy) and to the simple fact that it’s hard to get excited about writing about the same topics over and over.” Saltas’ appraisal of the paper in its 21st year seems apropos, for one would indeed require a dose of maturity and something like the versatility of an aeronaut to navigate the events unfolding in Utah and around the world.

The big box behemoths were continuing their strip-mall takeover of the Salt Lake Valley. National and state constitutional amendments were placed on the ballot to outlaw gay marriage—with Utah’s Amendment 3 ultimately passing. Private schools were making early forays in their endless quest to divert public education funds into their own coffers. State-sanctioned torture at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay and Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prisons repulsed the world through leaked images, as did the infamous “torture memos” penned by Brigham Young University grad Jay Bybee. These were far from the only troubling shifts of atmospheric pressure during City Weekly’s 21st flight. There was the despicable killing of 1,800 turkeys at a Sanpete County farm by a group of young adults and the tragic premature death of Wankie the elephant at Hogle Zoo. There were the scandals of Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman (1940-2020) over her hiring practices and use of public funds. There was conservative outcry over a speaking engagement by filmmaker Michael Moore at Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University) and the bitterly divisive presidential election of 2004. And at the Legislature, measures were passed against a living wage while undocumented workers were required to hold “driving privilege cards.” But hey, at

least they passed resolutions recognizing “Ronald Reagan Day” and the birthday of Scruff McGruff, the crime dog! Not all was tumultuous and nasty, though, for the late state senator and civil rights champion Eliud “Pete” Suazo (1951-2001) was honored through Gladys Gonzalez’s west-side Suazo Business Center. A Major League Soccer stadium was in the works, ultimately finding its home in Sandy. Students from East and West high schools walked out of their classes to rally for peace in Iraq and to protest issues like No Child Left Behind and Utah’s Amendment 3. There were other memorable stories in the mix, too, like Dave Hollander’s cover on the legacy of former Jazz basketball star Adrian Dantley; Don Merrill’s report of the differences in vision among members of Salt Lake’s branch of the NAACP; Miriam Axel-Lute on New York adherents of the Catholic Worker movement; and Ann Poore’s profile of rare-book trader Ken Sanders. For City Weekly’s onboard flight—when the whole venture wasn’t being banned from the Provo Library over supposedly “objectionable” material—there were new features for passengers to enjoy, such as the comic book and video game beats by writers like Charlie Deitch and Trevor Hale, as well as DVD reviews from Jeremy Mathews. And to commemorate the Summer Olympics in Athens, the

staff credits in the Aug. 26 issue were Hellenized by “Zeus Saltas.” With so much in the air, the material really does write itself.

Remembering Vol. 21: In the wind

“Preston J. Truman grew up in Enterprise, Utah, at the height of the aboveground nuclear testing during the 1950s and ’60s,” began Mary Dickson’s cover story on July 22, 2004. “Like countless others, he lived downwind, under the clouds of radioactive fallout. He doesn’t like to talk about the lymphoma he suffered as a result of that fallout, even though it qualifies him to receive compensation from the federal government under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).” Then the head of Downwinders Incorporated, Truman (1951-2021) had devoted his life to helping his fellow downwinders receive compensation, and yet he refused to accept compensation for himself. “As long as compensation isn’t applied equally for all downwinders,” he told Dickson, “I won’t take it.” In 2004, the federal government only compensated those who lived in one of 21 rural counties in Arizona, Nevada, and southern Utah during specified time periods, and only if they suffered specific maladies like leukemia, multiple myelomas, lymphomas or primary cancer of the thyroid, breast and esophagus

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In review

In the governor’s chair

Succeeding Mike Leavitt as governor after the latter’s departure for the Bush administration in the fall of 2003, Olene

Walker (1930-2015) proved to be well-regarded by Utahns for her support of public education and affordable housing as well as her opposition to all gifts for lawmakers. With her term nearing its close at the start of 2005, many Utahns were dismayed to learn of the Utah Republican Party’s rejection of Walker for candidates like Jon Huntsman, Jr. “Walker was burdened by the baggage of the Leavitt administration and was tagged as a ‘liberal’ Republican, especially for her stands on public education,” commented Katharine Biele on June 3, 2004. “All this, and an 80 percent approval rating.” Despite clamor for a write-in candidacy, Walker acceded to her party’s convention decision. At the very least, she won “Best Utahn” for her troubles in the April 7, 2005, Best of Utah issue. “If Best of Utah voters—or any voters for that matter—had a say during last year’s Republican primary, Utah might be a very different place,” City Weekly editors wrote. “Utah’s GOP kicked Walker back to the curb before the popular election, but she went out with a bang. Never content just to be cute, the lame duck governor pressed for doomed, but sensible initiatives, including a tax-reform plan slightly more nuanced than refunding money to her wealthy campaign contributors. Olene, we hardly knew ye.” CW

JANUARY 11, 2024 | 15

As a longtime contributor to City Weekly’s music and TV beats, Bill Frost had much to write about, from his warm reception of the debuts for Lost and The Office to his lamenting the absence of viewership for the comedy-drama Wonderfalls. One notable program to catch Frost’s fancy was the comedy ensemble Arrested Development. “Yes,” Frost wrote in the Nov. 4, 2004,

issue, “Fox’s critically-acclaimed-tothe-point-of-oppression Arrested Development, the sitcom with no laugh track, [no] obvious linear direction nor business existing outside of cable, has actually managed to return for a second season. Quite a trick, considering Fox’s notoriously low tolerance for shows with no viewers.” But TV reporting was not Frost’s only specialty, for he had long been a contributor to the music scene as well. During this year, when he wasn’t treating According to Jim as his personal punchingbag, Frost even revealed his poetic side with a number of CD reviews in haiku format. From the March 31, 2005, issue, we find these stanzas on assorted releases: Julie De Azevedo, Home: “Mormon pop gets hip, / Almost sensual, my heck! / Soccer moms rejoice.” Purr Bats, Bionic Fresh Moves: “So good it hurts, yo / Electro-swing tunes, smart words. / They rule their own world.” The Body, Call off the Search: “Hip-hop, live ’n’ hard, / Tight band rockin’ the backbeat. / Comfy as Converse.” Eat your heart out, Robert—there’s a new Frost in town.

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affected by fallout in this country don’t even know they’re downwinders.” Dickson contrasted this situation with the sobering irony that at the same time government hearings were taking place about expanding RECA coverage for the victims of earlier nuclear testing, the Bush administration was pushing for new weapons research and additional nuclear tests. Today, roughly 20 years since this story was published, Dickson reports that “we are still fighting” for the expansion of RECA. “I think a lot of people just forgot all about it,” she said of the government’s inaction. A downwinder herself, Dickson observed that all of the people with whom she labored 20 years ago on expanding RECA coverage have since died. She continues with this fight and collaborates with allied downwinders across the United States.

(among others). Only 10 counties in Utah fell within possible compensation under RECA, which Truman found to be egregiously paltry. “The rest of Utah got as much radiation as southern Utah,” he attested. “And there are parts of Colorado, Iowa and New York that got levels of fallout as hot as, or hotter than, some of the politically acceptable counties. But none of them are covered.” At the time of Dickson’s report, the National Academies’ National Research Council was looking into whether Congress should expand RECA to additional areas and additional types of cancers, and public hearings were being scheduled in Utah to consider the matter. The downwinders she spoke to were eager to provide testimony that fallout had indeed affected far more people than just those in southern Utah. To this assertion, Dickson provided a thorough historical backdrop of aboveground and underground nuclear testing that was conducted in Utah through the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, which affected countless residents. “The majority of Americans, and even most Utahns, mistakenly assume that fallout affected only residents of southern Utah,” Dickson noted. “But radiation doesn’t stop at county or state lines. That’s one of the hardest assumptions activists fight: The vast majority of those

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16 | JANUARY 11, 2024

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Protect Your Loved Ones

El Cholo brings its hundred-year legacy to Utah.

30 east Broadway, SLC

801.355.0667

Richsburgersngrub.com

JANUARY 11, 2024 | 17

EL CHOLO 2166 S. 900 East 385-426-2166 elcholo.com

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hen I really started to get into the altrock bands of my time, I inevitably took to the internet to learn everything I could about the bands who influenced my favorites. The conclusion of these rabbithole dives always led me to the 1970s garage rock pioneers known as Television. So, dutiful rock and roll student that I was, I purchased their debut album Marquee Moon, and gave that sucker a listen. As great as it was, I still found myself struggling to see why this band was so influential; it felt like I’d heard these same chords and these same shoegazing vocals for years. But then it hit me: The reason I was so familiar with this band was because there was a part of their sound in all the music that brought me to their door in the first place. I was reminded of this experience during my first visit to El Cholo (2166 S. 900 East, 385-426-2166, elcholo.com). If you’ve enjoyed a Mexican restaurant in America, you’ve already gotten a taste of El Cholo’s influence. El Cholo first came to be when Alejandro and Rosa Borquez opened the first location in Los Angeles, Calif. back in 1923. Their concept was popular enough to finance five more locations all over Southern California. After a century in operation, their seventh location came to

mered chicken are a wonderful blank canvas for the salsa verde and salsa roja to play with. The verde wonderfully contrasts with the roja—nothing overly spicy here, so it’s a win for all palates—and the fried egg on top adds just the right amount of buttery richness to the dish. I personally would have liked a bit more heat, but overall, you can’t really lose with this enormous and tasty plate of food. If you’re after more of a build-yourown taco situation, but want something other than fajitas, I’d recommend the Chile con Carne ($22.95). The star of this dish is the chili itself; it’s a deep, rich stew that comes with beautifully tender medallions of beef. Add a little bit of that along with some guacamole and pickled onion to the accompanying tortillas, and you’ve got yourself a rocket of a taco. One bummer of the evening was having the Green Corn Tamales ($20.75) be out of season—they’re only available from May through October—but I can’t complain too hard about missing a seasonal item; I’ll just mosey on back during tamale season. I also couldn’t help but notice the prices were definitely on the California side of things. You do get a decent amount of food with each plate, but be prepared to shell out a little extra. Small gripes aside, it’s great to get the El Cholo experience right here in Sugar House. The menu is excellent, the margaritas are near-perfect, and the twostory dining room with some kick-ass rooftop patio seating on the way makes it one of the coolest dining spots Sugar House has to offer. CW

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

downtown Sugar House last fall. This is thanks to current owner Ron Salisbury, who is the Borquez’s grandson. Salisbury’s Utah connection came from attending Brigham Young University, and he has spent plenty of time in the Beehive State. Since ownership has remained in the Borquez family, the recipes haven’t changed since El Cholo originally opened. I was honestly a bit awestruck to try food with a hundred-year legacy behind it. It helps that each menu item includes the date of its arrival in the restaurant next to the description, so if you want a snapshot of what put El Cholo on the map back in the 1920s, you go with the Sonora Style Enchilada ($20.95). This is a pair of chicken enchiladas, doused in half salsa roja and half salsa verde, then topped with a pristine, sunny-side-up egg. The reason you get this is because it’s billed as the first enchilada to be sold at El Cholo, so you’re time-traveling in a sense—how many silver-age movie stars dined on this same dish? Hell, how many current movie stars have enjoyed a big plate of Sonoran enchiladas? If you’re a food nerd of any stripe, El Cholo’s mystique and Hollywood ambiance will suck you right in with hypotheticals of this nature. After I was able to stop my brain from thinking about the probabilities that connected me, these enchiladas and Bela Lugosi, I was able to ponder the dish’s composition. Just as one recognizes Tom Verlaine’s precise guitar riffs in the work of Albert Hammond, Jr., it’s easy to spot the Borquez family’s melty, comforting combo of cheddar cheese and piquant salsa in your favorite restaurant enchilada. When you try these Sonoran enchiladas for the first time, you understand why this particular mix of flavors became the legacy we enjoy today. The fresh corn tortillas and the sim-

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SoCal Savory in Sugar House

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

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

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com On Tap: Midnight Especial- Dark Mexican Lager

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel

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

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: ESB - English Amber

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 So. 300 West #100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: You-Tah Coffee Uncommon

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Mild and Free British Mild

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Golden Sprocket Wit

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA – the name says it all!

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: Collaboration with Cupla Coffee. Tweek - Coffee Pale Ale

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Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord - Dark Lager Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: La Playa-Mexican Style lager Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Barrel-Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

BEER + PIZZA = <3

SUN-THU: 11am - 10pm • FRI-SAT: 11am - 11pm

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

TWO LOCATIONS

Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Winter Solstice Wassail Cider and Bee Sting Cyser Hops 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 Park City Brewery 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com On Tap: Salt City Haze Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: Cached Out Hefeweisen -Now available to go! Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com Proper Brewing: SLC Pils - Pilsner Proper Burger: Salted Caramel Porter Porter Brewed with Caramel and Salt

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

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com On Tap: YRJB - Juicy IPA

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Raspberry Gose

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Deep Dive Series - Rice Lager Draft Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: Huldra and Holle: Rum barrel aged Imperial Stout with Chaga Mushroom Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: Etta Place / Scion Dry Hopped - 6.8% ABV Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Pear Pink Peppercorn & Tarragon Cider Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Foggy Goggle Winter Lager Live Music: Thursdays

saltlakebrewingco.com/squatters On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.’s Grandma’s Cookies Nitro Stout Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com On Tap: Tree Beard IPA w Fresh Spruce Tips and Simcone, Citra & Ekeanot Hops Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Wake-Up Call Coffee Stout. Collab with KBER 101 and Kings Peak coffee. Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Bananza Hefeweizen TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Dunkel Lager Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Witches Brew Top of Main Brewing 250 Main, Park City, Utah saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch On Tap: Top of Main’s Warmer Winter Spiced Ale Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Golden Grant 5% ABV. Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale

Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch On Tap: Top of Main’s Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde Ale

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ous. I wouldn’t have guessed it was 9.0 percent. Verdict: Pretty damn good. The vanilla stays natural-tasting, never artificial or overly dominant. It’s certainly there, but you still get the other flavors as well. The barrel presence is maybe just a touch heavy-handed, but it’s definitely a good beer. Salt Lake Brewing - London Dungeon Smoked Porter: This porter utilizes smoked malt to enhance its already roast-forward malt profile, though its 5.0 percent ABV is light for the style. You’d never know it, as the smokiness fills the gap. Somewhat transparent light brown pour yields a dark brown body that has a reddish-whitish head of 1/2-finger foam with a slight lace as it recedes. The smoke and bacon-like aromas are apparent right away; I get a nice nutty, chocolatey porter note underneath that which compliments the smoke very well. The smoke is assertive, but not overdone. I gotta say this aroma is pretty damn fine. The flavor brings nutty malt and chocolate malt, with subtle smoke and spice notes. The bulk of the smoke falls off in a timely manner, and leaves a mild presence much like a campfire in the neighborhood somewhere. You also get hints of Fudgesicle on the finish. Mouthfeel is busy with carbonation and has a medium body with slight wateriness. Smoke is in the feel too a bit, lending a unique sandy dryness. Verdict: This easily falls into the background with all of the showy beers that are being put out now, but honestly, this is a pretty fantastic brew. I love how the smoke is prominent yet never too intense, striking the right balance. Nice chocolate ice cream notes permeate throughout without being too sweet, and the nutty malt gives the impression of robustness. You can find the London Dungeon at Salt Lake Brewing/Squatters on draft only, while Epic’s Barrel Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter is available to go or enjoy in their pub via 22-ounce bottles. You can also find it at select DABS stores. As always, cheers! CW

his week we take you down two different paths with a couple of porters that show you how different this classic English can be. There are six sub-categories of “porters,” but the basics of the style lean towards having flavors of black malt, chocolate or smoked brown malt. Hop bitterness is moderate on the whole, and the color ranges from brown to black. Alcohol can range from 4.5 percent to well into the upper 10 percent range. Epic - Barrel Aged Imperial Vanilla Porter: This new Imperial Porter dials in at 9.0 percent and spent six plus months in bourbon and rye barrels. Vanilla is the primary spice. Dark brown to almost black, it includes a half-finger of tan head that fades slowly, with a minimum of visible carbonation in the opaque brew. This looks pretty thick during the pour, but not like Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. Bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla scents swirl together, plus sweet chocolate and milk chocolate, mild oak dryness and tannins. You also get vanilla smoothness, a bit of leather and a mild amount of barrel char. It’s nice, and fairly complex for style. Bourbon, dark chocolate, and vanilla appear again for the taste, plus roasted malts, milk chocolate and Whoppers malted balls. Caramel, mild coffee and more bourbon heat appear with mild, dry barrel tannins, but the sweet flavors certainly win out here. The oak may add some more vanilla, but there’s plenty to go around. Then more sweet chocolate and bourbon linger in the hang. You get a pretty heavy body, but this isn’t the typical Big Bad Baptist stout, for sure. Low carbonation sensation overall, but probably about average for style. The alcohol is obvious, but not overly hot for the ABV listed—this could be danger-

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Deer Valley Creative Academy

Deer Valley Resort (2250 Deer Valley Drive, Park City) recently kicked off its 2024 Creative Academy, and they’re featuring some classes that I’d definitely like to check out. Over the years, the Deer Valley Creative Academy has gathered industry professionals to hold workshops for anything in the creative sphere, and this year they’ve got plenty of good cooking classes to experience. This year’s list of classes will cover topics like pasta making, cake decorating, crock pot chili, charcuterie board construction and the secrets behind Deer Valley’s signature carrot cake. Check out deervalley.com to see the full list and schedule classes.

Wheeler Farm Winter Sunday Market

Those itching for a farmer’s market experience in the colder months can check out Wheeler Farm (6351 S. 900 East), which recently kicked off its 2024 Winter Sunday Market. Wheeler Farm always does a great job stocking their market with great local vendors, and the indoor space means you can stay warm while you shop. The vendor space is large enough to accommodate everything from fresh food and produce to locally made arts and crafts. This year’s market takes place every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until March 17. Bundle up, get some hot chocolate and enjoy your time out and about with some of Utah’s finest local vendors.

Scelto Opens

Utah is getting interesting when it comes to Italian places, and Sandy’s recent welcoming of Scelto (849 E. 9400 South, sceltoslc.com)—pronounced shell-toh, meaning “chosen” in Italian— is looking to continue this trend. The whole vibe at Scelto is built around the shared tableside experiences of dining out with friends and family. The menu features a wide range of traditional Italian dishes; the risotto, chicken parmesan and lasagna all sound incredible. As is true for any self-respecting Italian spot, diners should come prepared to curate their own unique dining experience, while not shying away from sharing their food with a group. I’m looking forward to checking this one out. Quote of the Week: “I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.” –Sophia Loren

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REVIEW Buried Treasures

Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction

The satire of American Fiction keeps pointing to the part of the story that’s better than the satire. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

ere’s a bit of a poser: Is it possible for a movie to be too good at what it’s trying to do? That’s no mere hypothetical in the case of American Fiction, writer/director Cord Jefferson’s adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure. On the one hand, it’s a pointed satire of the idea that that when it comes to popular culture, there is only one kind of story about the “Black American experience” that’s treated as legitimate. Yet it’s also a drama that offers a very particular alternative to that narrative. And every time it headed back in the direction of that satire, I found myself wishing it could just be about the thing it was telling me people don’t want it to be about. That notion gets offered up through the life and professional work of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a novelist and university faculty member who keeps finding that there doesn’t appear to be a market for his literary writing, not when his mythology-steeped narratives keep getting filed in bookstores under “African American Studies” just because he happens to be Black, and when the zeitgeist-y breakout work dealing with Black characters is a book titled We’s Lives in Da Ghetto. During a forced leave from work after a contentious encounter with a snowflake-y student, Monk heads to

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Boston to reconnect with the family from whom he’s become somewhat estranged: his widowed mother (Leslie Uggams), sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) and brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown). As it happens, the issues facing this family are … substantial. In addition to Monk’s professional crisis of confidence, the siblings are dealing with increasing evidence that their mother will need memory care, which they’re not sure they’re going to be able to afford. Both Lisa and Cliff are recently divorced, and Cliff’s life is in particular upheaval as he deals with coming out as gay in middle age. That’s on top of the generally complicated interactions resulting from their respective experience with their father, who took his own life and whose secrets Monk is only just discovering. It’s all wonderfully rich material—the kind that any good writer could mine for great fiction, making Monk’s sense that such avenues aren’t open to him even more maddening—and Jefferson gives those scenes a punch by letting the fantastic cast loose to do their best. Wright and Brown are particular standouts, with the lat-

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ter nailing Cliff’s mix of suppressed rage at having denied his real self for so long, and the occasionally irresponsible fallout of suddenly indulging that real self. As a family drama bursting with rich characterizations and terrific performances, American Fiction is consistently terrific. The irony is that you probably wouldn’t know about any of this based on the logline which is, quite understandably, being used to sell American Fiction. Because Monk decides to make a point by writing under a pseudonym an exaggerated parody of the kind of “urban” story everyone seems to expect from a Black writer—one that he initially titles My Pafology before opting for the even more ridiculously blunt title Fuck. And Fuck suddenly becomes a sensation, all based on the escaped-convict alter-ego created by Monk as the book’s author, leading to movie options and the potential for book awards (including one that Monk himself finds himself on the jury deciding). Jefferson handles all of this material effectively as well, including the scene in which Monk visualizes the overblown story he’s creating, and his increasingly compli-

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cated interactions with the author of We’s Lives in Da Ghetto (Issa Rae). Wright makes the most of every nuance of Monk’s complex character, as someone finally finding success in a way he despises. The only problem is that this satire keeps pulling American Fiction away from a wonderful story. That, indeed, is the point of American Fiction: How many wonderful stories aren’t we getting, simply because of the limited creative parameters granted to certain artists? The parts of this movie that I only like are the ones the keep reminding me why it can’t just be about the parts of this movie that I love. That’s a pretty bitter pill to swallow, when the comedy in a movie only stings because it’s so effective at clarifying why that comedy shouldn’t have to exist. CW

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Sex and Drugs and …

Electro-pop duo Die Shiny embraces life’s absurdities

Electro-pop duo embraces life’s absurdities. BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

e all have ways of making it through hard times. Some of us bury our heads in the sand and try to ignore them; others try therapy, like responsible adults. No matter your coping strategy, it’s important to try to laugh through the ridiculousness that is life. And no one wants to do that more with you than electro pop duo Die Shiny. Callie Crofts and Zac Bryant are longtime musicians, and have been in different projects in the community for many years, but began dedicating all of their musical energy to Die Shiny in 2017. The project was born from the need to express a wide range of feelings that the two didn’t feel like they could in past projects. “My music always has an element of darkness,” Crofts explained. “That’s just a part of me, but I want it to be fun and not have to take itself too seriously.” That’s also where the name of the project came from—figuring out how to convey different moods with one title. Die Shiny got off to a great start with their first single “Radio” dropped in 2019. Their debut EP Drugs, however, came out during peak pandemic times in Oct 2020. Not only was it a difficult time to be releasing music, but getting the EP together was also a challenge. Crofts and Bryant set up a Kickstarter for the project, and through generous backers and great producers, Drugs was able to hit streaming platforms. Drugs is easy to get lost in—Crofts

and Bryant are inspired by many different sounds and genres, and you can hear traces of those throughout the work. They love groups like Depeche Mode, the Cure and Nine Inch Nails, and sounds from these influences pop out in the most interesting ways on the EP. Synths and drum machines in conjunction with rock sounds have made Die Shiny’s vision come to life. “It adds a lot of freedom to create different kinds of expressions,” Crofts said. While the EP is very interesting musically, it delves into some deep topics while still sounding lively and pleasant. “On Drugs, there’s topics of addiction and excess and emptiness and longing,” Crofts said. These types of themes don’t stop here; in fact, Die Shiny’s plan is to release several more EPs that will fit together as a whole concept album. “I love concept albums,” Crofts said. “Every time I start writing groups of songs, I start trying to categorize them on how they fit together,” she said.

The saga will continue with their Jan. 19 release Sex, which has been the most challenging in the series, according to Crofts. “It was the most intimidating concept for me because it’s a loaded, complicated topic for a woman who grew up in a tiny, rural, conservative town in a religion full of rules and shame,” she said. “On this album, there’s themes of confidence, empowerment, liberation, as well as gender dysphoria.” Even though this collection was one of the most intimidating, the duo are glad they did it, and are very excited for listeners to experience it. “Some of the most empowering songs I’ve ever written are on it,” Crofts said. “Some of these songs have been around since we first started talking about doing this project. They’ve been around a while,” Bryant added. Die Shiny will be supporting Sex with an EP release show on Thursday, Feb 1 at Urban Lounge. They’re incredibly pumped for this event, as their opportunities for

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performing live have been quelled by the pandemic. As Die Shiny continues to release their relatable yet delightful music, they hope listeners find joy in it and are able to reflect on life alongside them. “Honestly, our whole project is just a commentary on absurdity,” Crofts said. “It’s so absurd that we are randomly alive. We were boiled into being in this primordial soup, and somehow we also have the awareness that we’re going to die. It’s so silly and excruciating, hilarious and awful, and that’s why I make music. I want to share that ridiculous humanness with people, and I want people to know that I really do see them. We really do see them and want to connect with listeners and laugh with them about this ridiculousness and cry with them about ridiculousness.” Listen to Sex anywhere you stream music this Friday, and grab tickets for the allages release show at 24tix.com. CW

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There was nothing quite like packing a bag, grabbing your favorite pillow and blanket and heading to your friend’s house for a sleepover. The possibilities for a fun night were endless, and who knew what antics you’d get up to with friends over the course of the evening. Sure, we can do this now as adults, but how often do we? Not enough—so that’s why you have to head to Velour for their annual Slumber Party. Each year Velour hosts the event with some of the best local bands, and guests help turn it into a night that’s not easy to forget. According to the venue, it’s one of their most popular events, and it’s also one of the most magical. While you’re not technically staying the night, attendees are still encouraged to bring blankets and pillows, and dress in your comfiest PJs for the evening. This is a two-day event, so there’s more than one chance to hit the Slumber Party. The musical entertainment will be provided by Provo’s Book on Tape Worm, whose chamber-pop sounds mix perfectly with an evening of hanging out with friends, sleepover-style. Their music has gentle vocals, a gorgeous string instrument accompaniment that will simultaneously relax you, as well as move you with its sincere sound. It’s definitely not a bad way to start the new year. Come get cozy on Friday, Jan. 12 and Saturday, Jan. 13 with Book on Tape Worm. Tickets for the all-ages shows are $15 at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Musor album release show @ Urban Lounge 1/13

The way that Salt Lake City-based rock band Musor builds a live set is fantastic. They are unpredictable; it is all about the details in the music that make it special and unique. They are one of the few bands who continually push themselves and their fans into uncharted territory. Musor—Alan Orellana (vocals, guitar, percussion) Javier Catalan (bass, percussion) and Delfor “Diego” Delgado (drums, percussion) and on special occasions, Pearl (keys, synth, percussion)—dropped their first project back in 2022, and a single just last year entitled “Spooky Cumbia.” Their debut extended play, Musor, is stellar from start to finish, not to mention filled with surprising turns that are uncharacteristic of a band’s debut outing. Fresh for 2024, they are throwing a cassette tape release party for the new EP, Musor II, a four-song set recorded at Discount Mirrors in Los Angeles. Joining the band for this event will be David Payne on aaxophone, Joey Pederson on keyboard and Elmer Presslee with the set design. And look, tapes have been thriving in DIY music scenes for years now (you know this). With Dolby B and C, the sound can be quite impressive, and my Walkman never skipped! Unlike my shitty Discman, which skipped if I so much as coughed. Musor is a great band with a great sound; do not miss this one. Levelor and Transmitter open. Catch these acts at the Urban Lounge on Friday, Jan. 13. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $10 at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

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If you’re in need of some funky, feel-good House music, Dombresky has you covered. French DJ and producer, Quentin Dombres, AKA Dombresky, solidified his popularity with his remix of A-Trak’s “We All Fall Down” in 2015. In the early years of his career, he relocated to Miami and collaborated with fellow DJ Tchami to release hit songs like “Freakin,” “Wait” and “Utopia” on Tchami’s label, Confession. Since then, he’s made a name on his own, with songs like “Soul Sacrifice” reaching over 50 million streams, becoming one of Beatport’s top selling artists. His own style combines elements of deep house and garage for a classic G-House rhythm. Prominent kick drum and jazz-tinged, hypnotic, soulful vocal samples are regularly showcased in his music. 2023 was a big year for Dombresky; he played at Coachella and continued his award-winning radio show, Process Radio. Now in 2024, he is playing at the Boxpac Project—a brand-new venue in SLC opened by the local production company, Mutiny Music Collective. Come dance along on Saturday, Jan. 13 for DOMBRESKY PRESENTS: LIFT OFF - THE TOUR. Doors open at the Boxpac Project at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $30 at songkick.com (Arica Roberts)

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Hinder @ The Depot 1/16

If you were a fan of hard/alt rock in the early aughts, it was hard not to hear songs by Hinder popping up. Their 2005 hit debut Extreme Behavior got everyone’s attention with its angsty lyrics, gravelly vocals and shredding guitars. To this day, their most popular song is “Lips of An Angel,” a track that had young fans singing it back in the day as if they had experienced any type of heartbreak. Like any band that’s been together for nearly two decades, there have been lineup changes and turbulent times, but in 2024 they’re breathing new life into the genre that had fans entranced all those years ago. It’s fun to hear songs covered by artists in different genres, and Hinder decided to bring their sound to a pop powerhouse, “Unstoppable” by Sia. They teamed up with fellow rockers No Resolve to transform the track into a rock anthem. Instead of those pop elements, you’re getting driving guitar, but you’re still also getting strong and empowering vocals. Listening to either version of the song will have you feeling pumped, but for fans of rock, it’s a song that you’ll keep wanting to come back to. If you want to see Hinder play some of their best hits, head out to The Depot on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $35, or you can pay a bit extra for a “fast lane” ticket at $53. Head to livenation.com. (EA)

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While some tend to obscure the distinction between a tribute band and a covers combo, the former devotes itself entirely to a single musical reference point. In the case of No Quarter, an outfit that recreates the music of Led Zeppelin, the focus extends not only to sharing the sound of one of rock’s most revered ensembles, but also actually looking the part. Each of its members come across as dead ringers for the respective roles they play—specifically, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Zep’s contemporaries give them credence as well, given the fact that over their 25-year career, No Quarter have shared stages with the likes of Peter Frampton, Foreigner, Molly Hatchet, Kansas, Steppenwolf, Nazareth, Tesla, Warrant, Jefferson Starship, Eric Burden and the Animals and Eddie Money. Still, the greatest endorsement has to be that of Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones himself, who’s credited on No Quarter’s website as saying, “That’s scary,” while looking at those performing his part and those of his former bandmates. “As long as you’re doing it, it means we don’t have to,” he said. Of course, there are those that still hold out hope for a Zeppelin reunion—sans the deceased Bonham, of course—but chances of that are just about as good as avoiding a stairway and taking an escalator to heaven instead. Led Zeppelin Tribute Band No Quarter performs a 21 + show at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13 at Metro Music Hall. Tickets cost $25 (+ $9.08 service fee). Go to 24tix.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

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free will ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Why do birds sing? They must be expressing their joy at being alive, right? And in some cases, they are trying to impress and attract potential mates. Ornithologists tell us that birds are also staking out their turf by chirping their melodies. Flaunting their vigor is a sign to other birds of how strong and commanding they are. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you Aries humans to sing more than ever before in 2024. Like birds, you have a mandate to boost your joie de vivre and wield more authority.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Which zodiac sign is most likely to have a green thumb? Who would most astrologers regard as the best gardener? Who would I call on if I wanted advice on when to harvest peaches, how to love and care for roses as they grow, or how to discern which weeds might be helpful and useful? The answer, according to my survey, is Taurus. And I believe you Bulls will be even more fecund than usual around plants in 2024. Even further, I expect you to be extra fertile and creative in every area of your life. I hereby dub you Maestro of the Magic of Germination and Growth.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

I will name two taboos you should break in 2024. The first is that you must hurt or suppress yourself to help others. The second is that you must hurt or suppress others to benefit yourself. Scour away any delusion you have that those strategies genuinely serve you. In their place, substitute these hypotheses: 1. Being good to yourself is the best way to prepare for helping others. 2. Being good to others is the best way to benefit yourself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

“Doubt has killed more dreams than failure ever will,” says Sagittarian author Suzy Kassem. Many have had the experience of avoiding a quest for success because we’re too afraid of being defeated. “Loss aversion” is a well-known psychological concept that applies when we are so anxious about potential loss that we don’t pursue the possible gain. In my astrological estimation, you Centaurs should be especially on guard against this inhibiting factor in 2024. I am confident you can rise above it, but to do so, you must be alert for its temptation—and eager to summon new reserves of courage.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In 2024, I predict you’ll be blessed with elegant and educational expansion—but challenged by the possibility of excessive, messy expansion. Soulful magnificence could vie for your attention with exorbitant extravagance. Even as you are offered valuable novelties that enhance your sacred and practical quests, you may be tempted with lesser inducements you don’t really need. For optimal results, Capricorn, I urge you to avoid getting distracted by irrelevant goodies. Usher your fate away from pretty baubles and toward felicitous beauty.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

“No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, must cross the river of life,” said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s my response to that: It’s utterly wrong! No one ever built anything solely by their own efforts, let alone a bridge to cross the river of life. Even if you are holed up in your studio working on a novel, painting or invention, you are dependent on the efforts of people to provide food, water, electricity, clothes, furniture and the goodies that keep you functioning. It’s unlikely that anyone could create anything of value without having received a lot of love and support from other humans. Sorry for the rant. It’s a preface for my prediction: In 2024, you will have substantial help in building your bridge across the river of life.

Virgo author Eduardo Galeano mourned how our institutions condition us to divorce our minds from our hearts and our bodies from our souls. Even sadder, many of us deal with these daunting schisms by becoming numb to them. The good news, Virgo, is that I expect 2024 to be one of the best times ever for you to foster reconciliation between the split-off parts of yourself. Let’s call this the Year of Unification. May you be inspired to create both subtle and spectacular fusions of your fragmented parts. Visualize your thoughts and feelings weaving together in elegant harmony. Imagine your material and spiritual needs finding common sources of nourishment.

Some people feel that “wealth” refers primarily to financial resources. If you’re wealthy, you have a lot of money, luxurious possessions and lavish opportunities to travel. But wealth can be measured in other ways. Do you have an abundance of love in your life? Have you enjoyed many soulful adventures? Does your emotional intelligence provide rich support for your heady intelligence? I bring this up, Aquarius, because I believe 2024 will be a time when your wealth will increase. The question for you to ruminate on: How do you define wealth?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

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

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

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Here are my wishes for you in 2024: 1. I hope you’ll rigorously study historical patterns in your life story and will gather robust insights into the rhythms and themes of your amazing journey. 2. You will see clearly what parts of your past are worth keeping and which are better outgrown and left behind. 3. You will come to a new appreciation of the heroic quest you’ve been on. You will feel excited about how much further your quest can go. 4. You will feel gratitude for the deep inner sources that have been guiding you all these years. 5. You will be pleased to realize how much you have grown and ripened.

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At their best, Libras foster vibrant harmony that energizes social situations. At their best, Scorpios stimulate the talents and beauty of those they engage with. Generous Leos and Sagittarians inspire enthusiasm in others by expressing their innate radiance. Many of us may get contact highs from visionary, deep-feeling Pisceans. In 2024, Cancerian, I believe you can call on all these modes as you brighten and nurture the people in your sphere—even if you have no Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Leo or Pisces influences in your astrological chart.

According to myth, the half-divine hero Heracles consulted the Oracle of Delphi for guidance. He was assigned to perform 12 feats—most of which modern people would regard as unethical, like killing and stealing. There was one labor that encouraged integrity, though. Heracles had to clean the stables where over 1,000 divine cattle lived. It hadn’t been scrubbed in 30 years! As I meditated on your hero’s journey in the coming months, Libra, I concluded you’d be wise to begin with a less grandiose version of Heracles’ work. Have fun as you cheerfully tidy up everything in your life! By doing so, you will earn the power to experience many deep and colorful adventures in the coming months.

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Research I’ve found suggests that 70 percent of us have experienced at least one traumatic event in our lives. But I suspect the percentage is higher. For starters, everyone has experienced the dicey expulsion from the warm, nurturing womb. That’s usually not a low-stress event. The good news, Gemini, is that now and then there come phases when we have more power than usual to heal from our traumas. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming months will be one of those curative times for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

A CHARITABLE PUZZLE

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

DOWN

1. Baseball scoreboard words 2. Notable name in pinball machines 3. Comprehensive 4. One of three in a water molecule 5. Badly lit 6. “Equal” start 7. Walks through muck 8. Paddled at camp

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9. Part of some old clocks 10. Be 11. Rental for a formal 12. Fuss 13. “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman 18. “Sweet!” 22. “Good Burger” actor Vigoda 25. “Days of Grace” author Arthur 26. “Semper Fi” org. 27. Practice seriously 28. Keats or Wordsworth 29. Football and golf announcer Jim 30. Dart (about) 33. Lot attendant 34. Singer Piaf 35. Spa brand with a Sanskrit name 37. Weep loudly 39. Round fastener 41. Screwdriver, e.g. 42. “The Simpsons” sister 43. Fruit with a wrinkly rind 49. Sun Devils’ inst. 50. Dashboard features, still 52. Protesting 54. “The ___!” (cry of outrage) 55. Awaken

56. June celebration 57. Muppet who shares a domicile 58. On-call attachment, once 61. Like 100 62. GPS lines 63. Gallery stuff 64. Quilting gathering 66. “Kill Bill” artist 67. “Asia’s ___ Talent” (international TV show)

Last week’s answers

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.

1. “Mamma Mia” features their catalog 5. Item no longer mailed out by Netflix 9. Flower fragment 14. Fruity dessert 15. Ibiza o Mallorca 16. Project, as charm 17. Lunar eclipse sight, sometimes 19. Yorba Linda presidential library subject 20. Alternative to Dollar or Budget 21. Prods into action 23. The ___-Bol man (classic TV ad character) 24. Remote feature that breaks? 30. Admit guilt, with “up” 31. Ctrl-Alt-___ 32. Nutritional guideline letters 33. ___ parmigiana 36. “Pinafore” designation 38. Bolt on a track 40. Writer who gets asked a lot of judgment questions 44. Give a false story 45. Oversized 46. “A Bug’s Life” beat it in the 1998 box office 47. Abbr. at an airport terminal 48. “Dude, Where’s My ___?” 51. Three Stooges blow 53. Doubly polite acknowledgment? 56. Talk or rally preceder 59. Practice piece 60. Brand of vegetable chips 62. Hummus brand 65. Phrase about vibes, or what precedes the first words of the long answers? 68. “Three Coins in the Fountain” fountain 69. Taverna liqueur 70. Actress McClurg of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” 71. Metal for an 11th wedding anniversary 72. Mini-feud 73. ___-do-well (idler)

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30 | JANUARY 11, 2024

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

any people believe that the first non-Indigenous homes in Utah were built in Salt Lake City after Brigham Young and his followers supposedly proclaimed, “This is the place!” Young led the Latter-day Saints to Utah and founded Salt Lake City in 1847. In the decade that followed, 90 Latter-day Saint settlements were established in the state. But, actually, the first recorded home built by a white man in Utah was located in Ogden, and it’s still standing almost 200 years later. Fur trapper and trader Miles Goodyear built his cabin in 1845, using logs that he hand-sawed from the cottonwood trees along the river banks. Goodyear is also credited with creating Fort Buenaventura, which served as a home base for Goodyear, his Ute wife, Pomona, and their kids as well as other Natives, trappers and California-bound travelers. Goodyear himself was orphaned at the age of 4 and is said to have spent most of his youth as an indentured servant. Like so many optimists, he headed west to find his fortune and became a successful trapper and trader. When he finally settled down in what is now Ogden, he built the fort to protect his family and livestock. He married the daughter of the Ute Chief Pe-teet-neet, so the fort may have been built to protect the family from bears and cougars rather than Native tribes. The fort had four log cabins, corrals, sheds and a large garden enclosed behind log walls surrounding the site. In those days, only rich people had homes with hardwood or stone floors and, for centuries, most humans had lived with dirt floors. Thus, the phrase “dirt poor” identified those without enough money for a nicer abode. During winter, occupants would throw down straw to soak up mud and snow tracked into their cabins. Straw, unlike hay, is the stalks of grains like wheat after their seeds have been removed—this is called “thresh.” Many cabin dwellers in those days would then place a board on the floor under the main door’s entrance to keep the thresh inside the home, which is where we get the phrase “threshold.” Goodyear’s optimism led him to seek gold in the Sierra Nevada mountains. While he did find the ore, he died in 1849 at the age of 32. He had already sold the fort in Utah—including his animals and all the buildings—to a Latter-day Saint named James Brown for $1,950, and the area became known as Brownsville, then later as Ogden. You can visit the fort and camp there near the Weber River anytime between April and November. It’s a Utah State Park with 84 acres of cabin replicas, a visitor center, Goodyear’s cabin, picnic tables, canoe rentals and restrooms. It’s also home to an annual Mountain Man Easter Rendezvous and OFOAM’s Ogden Music festival. An 18-hole championship disc golf course there holds regular competitions. n

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NEWS of the WEIRD BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Editor’s Note: With Christmas safely in the rear-view mirror, News of the Weird presents holiday-related items from years gone by. Enjoy!

Oops!

Matt Hightower of Overland Park, Kansas, was home alone with his three kids in mid-December 2020 when he switched on the oven in preparation for making dinner. Inside, unfortunately, were the family’s three Elves on the Shelf, who had been put there the night before to “warm up” after a day of being held captive in the refrigerator by the “bad milk,” KCTV reported. “Babe ... I cooked the elves,” Hightower confessed to his wife, Chelsea, who was out Christmas shopping. “Thankfully,” said Chelsea, after a frantic search around town, “Jingle, Belle and Magic have made a miraculous recovery and are back to their silly ways.”

From 2008

Weird Christmas Tradition

Since 1966, the city of Gavle, Sweden, has erected a huge straw goat in its downtown square at Christmastime. The goats are pagan symbols that preceded Santa Claus as a bringer of gifts, the Associated Press reported. But in what has become an adjunct to the town’s tradition, the goats have been torched dozens of times during the past 55 years, including on Dec. 17, 2021. Police arrested a suspect in his 40s who had soot on his hands and matched a description from witnesses.

The Way the World Works

Yikes!

and accessories store Jack Spade removed from its holiday catalog a $40 frog-dissection kit (with a real carcass) after numerous queries from people wondering what in the world the store was thinking.

Precocious

Justin and Nissa-Lynn Parson of McKinney, Texas, were all in when their son Cayden, 12, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. “We thought, ‘Oh, he wants to magnify something’” to read, Nissa-Lynn told KDFW. Instead, Cayden and his brother, Ashton, used the glass to light a newspaper on fire on the family’s front porch, which soon spread to the yard, eventually destroying the lawn and some of the family’s Christmas lights. “We ran inside and started screaming,” Cayden said. The family doused the fire with “pitchers of water, blankets smothering it, sprinklers turned on, hose turned on,” Nissa-Lynn recounted, adding that now Cayden “will definitely have yard work to do once spring comes.”

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Sour Grapes

Japanese YouTuber Marina Fujiwara has harnessed the pain she feels when she sees couples basking in their love at the holidays and developed a sort of schadenfreudian device: a light that turns on whenever anyone breaks up on social media. Oddity Central reported on Dec. 27, 2019, that Fujiwara’s device is connected to the internet through a “bridge” and is set to light up whenever a breakup status is posted on Twitter. “I want to celebrate Christmas,” she said. “But when you see a couple in the world going on a Christmas date and doing something like that, I am attacked by a huge sense of loneliness.” While her machine is not available commercially, Fujiwara says it’s easy enough to set one up for yourself.

Police Report

When 5-year-old TyLon Pittman of Byram, Mississippi, saw the Grinch stealing Christmas on Dec. 16, 2017, on TV, he did what any civic-minded citizen would do. He called 911. TyLon told Byram Police officer Lauren Develle, who answered the call, that he did not want the Grinch to come steal his Christmas, reported the Clarion Ledger. Develle made TyLon an honorary junior officer and had him come down to the station on Dec. 18 to help her lock away the Grinch, who hung his head as TyLon asked him, “Why are you stealing Christmas?” Although the green fiend apologized, TyLon wouldn’t release him from the holding cell. Police chief Luke Thompson told TyLon to come back when he’s 21, “and I’m going to give you a job application, OK?”

I Have a Message

Sarah Childs won a restraining order in Denham Springs, Louisiana, in December 2012, forbidding the town from shutting down her “Christmas” lights decoration. The large outdoor display (in a neighborhood with traditional Christmas displays) was the image of two hands with middle fingers extended.

HOME LOANS MADE BRIZZÉE

The Aristocrats From 2007

New York City has more than 400 soup kitchens, but nothing else like the Broadway Presbyterian Church, where chef Michael Ennes presides three days a week, turning leftover restaurant ingredients into gourmet meals. In fact, one pre-Christmas meal included octopus and day-old bread from Le Bernardin restaurant. Ennes told London’s Independent that he is motivated by the chance to help troubled people get “real nutrition,” but that he also likes serving “famous” homeless people, such as diners who claim to be, among others, George Bush, George Washington and Jesus Christ. Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

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Christmas Madness From 2006 n In November, the upscale New York City menswear

NAMASTE

n Police in Rock Hill, S.C., put a 12-year-old boy under arrest at the insistence of his mother after he had defied her and opened his Christmas gift three weeks early.

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Rob and Marcela Wild of Robertson, South Africa, figured there might be a mouse in their newly decorated Christmas tree when their cats started watching it intently on Dec. 10, 2021. Instead, they found one of the most venomous snakes in Africa: a boomslang, CNN reported. The Wilds called on snake catcher Gerrie Heyns, who used “snake tongs” to put it on the floor. “Once I had it under control, the family came right up to see the snake,” Heyns said. “A scary moment turned into an exciting moment for the children.” Heyns released the female snake, about 4-and-one-half feet long, back into the wild a couple of days later.

Jail promised a fun time with Xbox consoles and PlayStations, along with cash gifts of 5 pounds each (about $9 U.S.), which is greater than the value of the candy boxes the jail will give its guards for Christmas.

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Those large inflatable Christmas decorations may fill the hearts of children with holiday cheer, but one young ursid saw a sparring partner and went on the attack in Monrovia, California, on Dec. 8, 2021. Donna Hargett captured video of a bear cub wrestling with her neighbor’s inflatable Christmas reindeer as the mama bear looked on, United Press International reported. “I looked up and there it was, jumping on the reindeer,” Hargett said. “We see these two around all the time. They’re trouble,” she said. In fact, Hargett said the bears once broke into her home and left paw prints on the bed. No word on Rudolph’s condition.

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The Christmas Nativity scenes in northeast Spain’s Catalonia region have, for three centuries, featured not only Mary and the Three Wise Men but the ubiquitous “caganer” icon, always portrayed with pants down answering a call of nature (and often so obscured in the scene as to popularize Where’s-Waldo-type guessing by children). The origin of the caganer (literally, “pooper”) is unclear, but some regard it merely as symbolic of equality (in that everyone has bowel movements). Catalonia is now home to artists who craft statuettes of religious figures poised to relieve themselves, and the franchise extends to renditions of sports figures and celebrities (and even a squatting President Bush). One family in Girona province sells about 25,000 a year, according to a November dispatch in Germany’s Der Spiegel.

n A holiday party for inmates at Britain’s Peterborough

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