City Weekly February 1, 2024

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UTAH' S INDEPENDENT NE WSPAPER

TICKING CLOCK Time is running out to give justice and medical aid to Utah’s nuclear downwinders.

By Mary Dickson

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Ticking Clock

Time is running out to give justice and medical aid to Utah’s nuclear downwinders.

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By Mary Dickson

OPINION A&E CW REWIND DINE CINEMA MUSIC COMMUNITY

2 | FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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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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“Feeling Flushed,” Jan. 25 Online News

Biology says vaginas are girls, penises are boys. Why is it so hard to understand?

They have to make laws about it?

ICANDY_IMAGES

Via Instagram Very much looking forward to my junk being inspected before I drop a load in the Capitol water closet. “Greetings, Citizen!

The governor just needs to see your balls real quick before you do your ‘business’ in the men’s.” These “junk checkers” are the real predators.

KICKNOONTZ

Via Instagram

Hey our air is pure cancer but let’s write a bill about [bathrooms] .

Thanks stupid Utah politicians.

VALERIEANNSEA

Via Instagram I’m really afraid of afraid people.

They don’t understand how horrible their decisions are.

SECONDBESTZELDA

Via Instagram The bill isn’t horrible if you take the time to read it. Or just get mad.

TRENTNORT

Via Instagram

“Public Access,” Jan. 25 A&E

[Brewvies was] my favorite place to go when I was attending the University of Utah.

JEFFREYAMADOR49

Via Instagram

Correction: In the feature “Public Access,” the time of Brewvies’ Film Buff Series should have been listed as 9 p.m. on Mondays. Also, Brewvies hosts this film series exclusively. Andy Murphy, a 19-year employee of Brewvies who was quoted in the story, is not the current general manager. We regret the errors.

“Clearing the Air,” Jan. 18 Opinion

If you research it, Utah’s air quality isn’t great but it’s far from the worst. Not saying we shouldn’t do something, but posts like these create a bit of a false narrative.

TONYTAORMINA

Via Instagram Air quality is better now than it was 40 years ago, or 10

years ago. They aren’t doing a bad job. I would like to see better transportation but also, the Little Cottonwood Canyon gondola would help but people get mad at that too for other reasons.

NATELLOYD24

Via Instagram We’re going to bring the Olympics here to see … this?

I’ll be a bit embarrassed about our Legislature and air quality.

NURSE_KARMA_

So stop driving gas-powered cars.

SALTYBILL999

Via Instagram Welcome to Zion. They wanted their state to blossom and grow ... the money come flowing in and they got all the problems that go with it.

The money is good, and that is all that matters to the “connected” rulers here. Is what it is.

BARDLARDSTUDIOS

Via Instagram

Via Instagram Repeal the EV charging tax!

SLC needs less humans and less development to achieve this. Humans cause pollution. EVs require energy from burning more coal. Not a solution. _CHRIS_CRUSH_

Via Instagram

ZACKSCRIVEN

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

THE WATER

COOLER What’s the most creepily intelligent thing your pet has ever done?

Wes Long

We’ve had a cat who figured out doorknobs, a dog who climbed up into our treehouse, and a cat who waited on her deathbed for her boy to come home from work before passing.

Benjamin Wood

I have two Siberian huskies, a breed notorious for being escape artists. After we moved to the west side, my older dog, Ghost, pushed out the screen of our kitchen window and then dug under the fence to go for a joy run around the neighborhood.

Eric Granato

My cat always starts to yell at us when we stay up later than normal. He cares about our sleep.

Jerre Wroble

Our family cocker spaniel, Henry, has an insatisible appetite and will eat any food left within his reach. While we were away from home, he climbed up onto the breakfast bar and grabbed a Costco-size bag (24 count) of hamburger buns and proceeded to gobble down at least half of them. When we returned and saw all the buns were missing, we worried about his health. But over the next few days, we found buns crammed between couch cushions and under bed pillows and blankets. He looked quite crestfallen every time a new one was discovered.

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OPINION

BY KEITH BURNS

Inside Voice

I

n December, Patrick Kearon was ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, replacing the vacancy of the late M. Russell Ballard, who passed away in November. The Britishborn Kearon joins a small but increasing number of quorum members not born in the U.S., including his most recent predecessor, Elder Ulisses Soares, who was born in Brazil.

Although I have frequently critiqued church President Russell Nelson for harmful rhetoric directed toward LGBTQ+ individuals, former members and other marginalized groups, I also credit him for making deliberate efforts to cultivate diversity in the faith’s second-highest governing body. It would certainly be easy for him to call men of the Intermountain West who echo his hard-line approach on issues of sexuality, gender and general orthodoxy. To the contrary, the three apostles he has called during his administration—Kearon, Soares and Chinese-American Gerrit Gong—have a more inclusive style and tend to resonate with less orthodox Latter-day Saints.

Kearon, in particular, has struck a chord with progressive Latter-day Saints for his consistent emphasis on advocating for vulnerable and marginalized groups. In 2016, he delivered a moving General Conference sermon centered on aiding refugees as part of a broader church initiative. It is particularly noteworthy that he gave the speech during a politically charged moment, when many Latter-day Saints were—and still are—aligned with Donald Trump’s hostile anti-immigration ideology.

Kearon said: “As members of the church, as a people, we don’t have to look back far in our history to reflect on times

when we were refugees, violently driven from homes and farms over and over again.” He went on to say that some refugees “will go on to be Nobel laureates, public servants, physicians, scientists, musicians, artists, religious leaders and contributors in other fields. Indeed, many of them were these things before they lost everything. This moment does not define them, but our response will help define us.”

In his most recent General Conference address, Kearon addressed another vulnerable group with sensitivity and compassion. He spoke about sexual abuse and directed his message specifically toward survivors. “If you have sought help from those you trust, you may still be wrestling with ideas of shame and even self-loathing. The impact of these events can remain for many years,” Kearon stated. “You hope that one day you’ll feel better, but somehow that day has not yet come. The abuse was not, is not and never will be your fault, no matter what the abuser or anyone else may have said to the contrary. When you have been a victim of cruelty, incest or any other perversion, you are not the one who needs to repent; you are not responsible.”

In emphasizing that victims of abuse are never at fault despite “what the abuser or anyone else may have said to the contrary,” Kearon is certainly well aware that some of his predecessors in the Quorum of the Twelve have made statements that did, in fact, place blame on victims. For example, Richard G. Scott explained in a 1992 speech that, “most often, the victim is innocent because of being disabled by fear or the power or authority of the offender. At some point in time, however, the Lord may prompt a victim to recognize a degree of responsibility for abuse. Your priesthood leader will help assess your responsibility so that, if needed, it can be addressed.”

Some survivors of assault and rape in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and especially women—have encountered male priesthood leaders who assign varying degrees of blame to their experiences. This phenomenon is at least in part justified by Book of Mormon scripture that reinforces the centuries-old narrative that women lose

“virtue” or “purity” by being sexually abused. For example, Moroni 9:9 reads: “For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have [the Nephites] taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue.”

Kristine Haglund, and LDS woman and writer for Mormon blog By Common Consent, has powerfully articulated the harm caused by such scriptures in that they often leave victims of sexual abuse feeling alone, unclean and unworthy. I agree with what Haglund has said—“that scripture reference needs to go, now.”

Sadly, it is not just LDS scripture reinforcing these horrific notions. In one 2019 address, Russell Nelson reminded a strictly male audience that, “it is your responsibility to help the women in your life receive the blessings that derive from living the Lord’s law of chastity. Never be the reason that a woman is unable to receive her temple blessings.”

This deeply patriarchal concept is embedded in a sexual framework that portrays women as passive, powerless beings subject to the unrestrained actions of men. It is not only degrading of women’s sexual dignity and agency, but it reinforces the idea that victims of sexual abuse (in this case women) become unable to receive temple blessings and by implication are in need of repentance.

Elder Patrick Kearon’s sensitivity toward marginalized groups and victims of abuse, coupled with his gentle and encouraging pastoral image, provides hope to progressive Latter-day Saints who want the church to become more compassionate and inclusive. Although he is only one voice in what is still a deeply conservative and orthodox leadership, his calling is reflective of the faith’s increasing diversity and global expansion, as well as its gradual move toward less coercive, healthier approaches to governance.

I am optimistic that Kearon’s impact will be part of a broader effort to root out oppressive rhetoric, policies and doctrines within the LDS church. CW Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net

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HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE |

@kathybiele

MISS: Red Scare

In the Utah Legislature, liberal democracy is fair game. Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, chairs the Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee and got a big laugh with his statement after testimony on SJR5, a resolution condemning communism and socialism: “Here in the Legislature, we learn the alphabet a little differently—ERA, CRT, ESG, DEI.” The resolution, sponsored by Alpine Republican Sen. Mike Kennedy, was in response to a Venezuelan constituent who really, really doesn’t like Venezuela’s socialism and thinks the United States is on the brink. He was perplexed at the 100 Congress members who recently voted against a resolution condemning communism. The sole voice for freedom of thought was Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, who proclaimed: “I’m free and happy living in America for a reason.” And she didn’t appreciate Weiler’s joke, either.

Republicans are nothing if not retro, whether it’s MAGAism or McCarthyism. The resolution passed the committee 3-1.

HIT: Cooler Heads

And yet, there are staunch defenders of Weiler, whose cynicism sometimes clouds his voting record. Not that a man with such a sharp tongue needs defending, but Sen. Mike McKell, RSpanish Fork, came to Weiler’s aid after an attack from Republican gadfly Goud Maragani. Maragani—who was recently removed from the Log Cabin Republicans—asked the GOP State Central Committee to look into Weiler’s votes apparently in support of trans kids.

He also wanted to know why Weiler donated to a woman’s breast removal because she suffered from gender dysphoria and depression. “Have you ever wondered why you are unelectable?”

McKell posted on X-Twitter. “Your investigation request directed at [Weiler] is nuts! Thank you to those at the GOP meeting today who shut this nonsense down. Utah GOP needs to focus on winning.” That’s quite a turn for a party otherwise focused on a lot of nonsense.

MISS: Loudmouths Empowered

Parents Empowered is an almost perfect name—except for all those other parents. Last week, an angry dad challenged his daughter’s school because he was pretty sure one of the basketball players was transgender. Oops! The girls’ parents had all uploaded required birth certificates to “show” what they were born with. The Salt Lake Tribune has been tracking these incidents, none of which were supported. But it goes hand-in-hand with lawmakers responding to the din from a few loud parents. A recent bill making its way through the Legislature would allow three of the state’s 41 school districts to ban certain books statewide. It’s all the worry about “criminal porn” and teachers “grooming” students—and they don’t mean for a dance. And because this is Utah, it’s worry without data. Yes, there used to be talk of local control, but the Republican narrative has morphed to loud-parents-control.

BY BRYAN YOUNG

Bigotry Is Winning

I

am the father of two trans kids, and Utah is becoming less and less safe for them every day. With the Utah Legislature back in session, lawmakers are making it apparent that they don’t care for “family values” or, at least, value my family.

The latest anti-trans legislation advanced quickly through the House and Senate. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see this legislation signed by Gov. Spencer Cox, especially since he’s been taking more and more conservative stances by the day.

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Kera Birkeland, R-Morgan, ignores the fact that gender is a spectrum and not the backward ’50s Americana version of gender as a binary that was never anything more than a social construct anyway. To that end, Birkeland wants to criminalize being transgender in a “gender specific” space in publicly owned buildings.

Put simply—she wants to make criminals of my children.

My adult child is non-binary and doesn’t exist in the poles of male and female. They don’t participate in gender norms and this legislation criminalizes half of their safety and comfort.

My 8-year-old goes to school every day and uses the boys’ bathroom because that’s where he feels most comfortable.

Especially at school, he’s so much happier and fits in so much better by presenting as male. He’ll use the women’s restrooms out in public if he’s going in by himself, because that’s where he feels most comfortable. Frankly, I don’t care what bathroom he decides to use as long as he feels comfortable.

If Birkeland’s bill, HB257, is signed into law, the administrators at my kid’s school—who have been nothing but supportive—would be put in a position of overseeing a kid, my kid, who would be a criminal on their campus every day. I’ll have to explain to him that being himself means that the Utah Legislature and, by extension, the police think that he’s a criminal. And that’s not really fair to do to an 8-year-old.

Or an adult. Or anyone, really.

When looking at the statistics for assault in bathrooms and “gender specific spaces,” it’s apparent that trans folks aren’t the ones perpetrating crimes. That means bills like this only serve to soothe the fear of bigots, not actually help or protect anyone. It would be a better policy to de-gender bathrooms completely—they can be human bathrooms. And while HB257 includes language calling for unisex facilities, it pales in comparison to the more hostile aspects of the legislation.

The Legislature should spend less time trying to criminalize my happy kid for using the bathroom and more time providing bathrooms for our unsheltered friends. If the Legislature keeps heading down this road, their message will be loud and clear. In order to protect my children, Utah itself is no longer a safe space. And because Utah is no longer safe, it’s likely that, in time, another state will be finding a new family to value, in mine. CW Small Lake City is home to local writers and their opinions.

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TRUE TV

More Movie-to-TV Reboots

A&E

TV adaptations of films aren’t slowing down, but they are getting better.

BY BILL FROST COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

ast year, I looked at some movie-to-TV adaptations that didn’t quite work; we’ve all erased 2023’s True Lies and Fatal Attraction series from memory, I presume. This time around, I’m highlighting some that not only worked, but also surpassed the original film—and most of them premiered just within the past 12 months. (It’s worth noting that none of these are from Paramount+, the Temu of streaming knockoffs.)

Ted (2024; Peacock): Seth MacFarlane’s Ted (2012) deftly sold the comic story of a foul-mouthed Teddy bear come to life, but Ted 2 (2015) flopped. Ted the series sidesteps that fail by going back to John’s (Max Burkholder as a teen Mark Wahlberg) 1990s high school days with Ted (voiced by MacFarlane). Between the over-the-top Boston accents, ’90s pop-cultural stingers and the absence of Wahlberg, the prequel is actually better than the original movie. So is the supporting cast: Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes and Giorgia Whigham flesh out Ted delightfully.

Fargo (2014–2023; Hulu): Specifically, the recent fifth season of Fargo starring Jon Hamm and Juno Temple— whoa. Noah Hawley’s anthology series has been hit-andmiss since season 1 (the pitfall of a perfect debut), but 2023’s comeback tale was as funny, terrifying, and measured as TV or movies can dream to be. Christo-psycho Sheriff Roy’s (Hamm) dogged pursuit of “housewife” Dot (Temple) is wildly unpredictable from episode to episode, with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Dave Foley providing hysterically arch reinforcement along the way.

Dead Ringers (2023; Prime Video): If Emmy awards meant anything, Rachel Weisz would have won them all for her dual role in the gender-flipped Dead Ringers, a miniseries that topped the original 1988 movie. Twin OBGYNs Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both Weisz) are dedicated to furthering the science of fertility and childbirth, but from different angles: Compassionate Beverly wants

PEACOCK

L

to make the process easier for her patients, while the audacious Elliot would rather just burn the system down.

Dead Ringers is a tense but rewarding watch … if you’re cool with blood.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023; Netflix): The animated Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an adaptation of both the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels and the 2010 cult-classic movie, which is probably more Scott Pilgrim than most normies can handle. Crucially, Takes Off wrangled all of the film’s actors back to voice the series: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh and Ellen Wong. Even more crucially, the series deviates from the previously established stories.

A League of Their Own (2022; Prime Video): Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson reimagined the 1992 movie A League of Their Own as a more inclusive and topical (for 1943 and now) eight-episode series; Prime Video eventually reimagined it as canceled. The rise of pro women’s baseball team the Rockford Peaches gets equal time alongside multiple personal stories in this setting, which also takes the faintly gay subtext of the movie and blows it up into full-on supertext. A League of Their Own works effortlessly as a com-

edy, a drama and a sports time capsule.

Irma Vep (2022; Max): French director Olivier Assayas remade his own 1996 movie Irma Vep into an eight-episode miniseries for HBO, which itself chronicles the shooting of a TV remake of a silent French film, Les Vampires—follow?

American actress Mira Harberg (Alicia Vikander) has been cast as Les Vampires lead Irma Vep, and soon finds her life and her vampiric role blending into one. Irma Vep’s dark, restless dreamscape is balanced with comic relief from characters like Zelda (Carrie Brownstein), Mira’s agent who’d rather she just do a Marvel movie than French arthouse fare (so meta).

La Femme Nikita, Nikita (1997–2001, 2010–2013; Roku Channel, Tubi): These go further back, but they’re worth seeking out. After Luc Besson’s 1990 French film La Femme Nikita, about a teen criminal-turned-assassin, and 1993’s Americanized clone Point of No Return, the premise seemed drained. Then came La Femme Nikita in 1997, an icy Canadian TV series that became U.S. cable’s hottest property and made Aussie Peta Wilson a star overnight.

The deadly-serious drama inspired The CW’s Nikita in 2010, which introduced Maggie Q, more humor and occasional blinking. CW

theESSENTIALS

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COURTESY PHOTO

William Shakespeare covered the arc of the reign of King Henry IV over the course of two plays. New World Shakespeare Company—taking a lead from a similar undertaking by the Royal Shakespeare Company—decided that there was an opportunity to present that entire story in one combined production. The result is an epic-length version that allows for seeing the entire story in one show.

Director Jeffrey Owen—who worked on the edited, combined script with Genesis Eve Garcia, who also plays the roll of Sir John Falstaff—notes that putting the two plays together allows for a full understanding of the journey of Henry IV’s son Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. “Hal was kind of a wayward youth, spending time with Falstaff, kind of an unruly knight, a drunkard—not the best person to have as a guide for a young man,” Owen says. “There are some quite poignant scenes where Hal is … questioning his own integrity, if he is ready to take the reins; it was an embarrassing situation for the king with rumors about [Hal’s] crimes. It really is a comingof-age story. The biggest chunk of the story really is about [Hal’s] coming of age, becoming a man, and becoming a leader.”

New World Shakespeare Company’s presentation of Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 comes to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (261 S. 900 East) for seven performances, Feb. 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 4 & 11 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20; visit newworldshakespeare.com for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

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New World Shakespeare Company: Henry IV Parts 1 & 2

When a comedian shares some thoughts about what constitutes a good life, it’s likely good to listen. After all, most funny men spend their time complaining about the foibles and failings of modern existence. Consequently, credit Steve Treviño bringing his Good Life Tour to those who crave actual advice and need some words of wisdom.

Steve knows of what he speaks; famously referred to as “America’s Favorite Husband,” he knows how to interpret wife-speak, handles his handyman chores with ease and rarely relies on his own instincts. That sets a standard that most regular guys can never hope to emulate.

On the other hand, he’s had the benefit of practice and perspective. He started doing comedy at the age of 19 and began his professional career writing for Carlos Mencia’s Comedy Central Show Mind of Mencia and working on Pitbull’s TV series La Esquina.

He’s found exceptional success ever since, having garnered over 223 million streams, amassing over 2 million social-media followers and starring in stand-up specials for Showtime, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube. His weekly podcast, titled Steve Treviño and Captain Evil, is taped before a live audience, and it alone averages nearly 1.5 million views. It’s an Everyman’s commentary that focuses on daily domesticity, and yet it should only take one guess to determine which one’s Steve and who Captain Evil actually is. Ladies beware—it just might be the woman he calls “honey.”

Steve Treviño brings his Good Life Tour to Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre on Sun, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $41.50 - $51.50; go to arttix,com.

(LZ)

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Modern dance provides a distinct means of connection and communication whenever music and movement combine to foster ideas, imagery and understanding. RirieWoodbury has made that their mission since their founding nearly 60 years ago. An innovative and inventive dance company, it shares artistry and creativity through the combined talents of its performers, its exceptional alumni and, in this case, its special guests from the University of Utah’s School of Dance.

Traverse will feature a number of world premieres, among them “A Century, A Day,” an exploration of “epic quietness and reflection,” that “examines the fragility of time and the tenderness of impending loss.” The company premiere of “III” is described by choreographer Chia-Chi Chiang as a piece that conveys “the societal challenges and limitations associated with gender through the expressive mediums of movement, music, and crucially, the emotional portrayal by the dancers.” To further enhance the experience, the audience will be seated surrounding the dancers, offering an intimate, up-close viewing experience that allows for the immediacy of a unique personal perspective. This particular movement is both meaningful and mesmerizing.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company presents Traverse on The Jeanne Wagner Theatre stage at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (210 E. 300 South) on Feb. 1 - 3 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets cost $35, with student and senior tickets $15 that must be purchased at ArtTix box office or by calling 801-355-2787. A Moving Parts Family and Sensory Friendly Performance will take place Sat, Feb 2 at 1 p.m.; tickets cost $10 general admission. Visit arttix.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

PAUL MOBLEY

Steve Treviño

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12 | FEBRUARY 1, 2024

CLOCK

A 2023 study

by Princeton researchers found that fallout from nuclear testing spread broadly throughout the West.

Time is running out to give justice and medical aid to Utah’s nuclear downwinders.

BY MARY DICKSON comments@cityweekly.net

M

y heart sank as I reread the City Weekly cover story I wrote 20 years ago in July of 2004. Under the headline “Northern Exposure: Are Utah downwinders getting screwed?” it examined the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, and how it excluded residents of northern Utah and neighboring states from federal benefits meant to aid communities that experienced devastating illnesses from nuclear weapons testing in Nevada.

Too many people have continued to suffer in the years since I wrote that story, and too many others have forgotten—or never knew—about the long trail of death left in the wake of four decades of weapons tests and production.

Another two decades later and “downwinders”—or those caught in the path of nuclear fallout—are still fighting for recognition and justice. Recent efforts in Congress to finally expand RECA and include victims of radiation exposure throughout Utah, its surrounding states and Guam failed at the end of December, dashing the hopes of impacted communities across the West.

Worse, without congressional action, the RECA program is scheduled to end this June, leaving many without a critical medical lifeline that includes cancer screenings. For downwinders and uranium miners, it’s yet another betrayal by a government that made so many of its own sick.

I’m a journalist, and I’m also a downwinder. But I am not from St. George or southern Utah, as many people mistakenly assume when I tell them that. I grew up in Salt Lake City’s Canyon Rim area. It was a seemingly idyllic childhood. We splashed in puddles of rainwater with our friends, mixed snow with vanilla and sugar pretending it was ice cream and drank milk from the local dairy, delivered to our front doorstep every morning.

When alarms went off in grade school, we would crawl under our desks and practice what to do if Russians “dropped the bomb” on us. But it wasn’t the Russians who dropped bombs. It was America’s bombs and their toxic fallout that got us.

Little did we know that a silent poison was working its way through our bodies. Nor did we know that one day— maybe in one year, 10 years or decades later—the damage to our cells would lead to cancers and other radiation-related illnesses. In my late 20s, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and underwent a thyroidectomy. Ensuing years brought other surgeries and health complications. I recovered, but others I knew weren’t as lucky.

My older sister died of lupus—an autoimmune disease that has been linked to radiation exposure—when she was just 46, leaving a husband and three children behind. Be-

fore she died in 2001, the two of us counted 54 people in our childhood neighborhood who had developed cancer, tumors or autoimmune diseases. I’m still adding names to the list— including my younger sister who has stomach cancer and another sister who is plagued with autoimmune disorders.

Blast Radius

I know people who grew up in other Utah counties and who keep similar lists.

Gary McDonough, a lifelong resident of Salt Lake City, is convinced that fallout from nuclear testing in Nevada is responsible for the deaths of his three brothers as well as other family members, all of whom died of cancer. Eve Mary Verde, who grew up in Price in the ’50s and early ’60s, says everyone in her immediate family developed cancer, as did the families of both her parents.

“I was shocked to learn from the owner of the mortuary in Price that the average [rate] of cancer deaths in Carbon and Emery counties was 40 percent,” Verde said.

As a young girl during years of above-ground testing, Trent Alvey—who grew up in Sanpete County—spent time with her father who was a forest ranger in the La SalleManti mountains. She survived cancer, but her father died of esophageal cancer. “When it stormed, the rain brought the fallout down,” she said.

Andrea Pickering of Springville lost her husband to thyroid cancer and battles her own health issues. She keeps a list of classmates from the early days of testing who died of cancer. None were covered by RECA. It’s frustrating that so few Americans—even here in Utah—know the painful legacy of the Cold War arms race triggered by Trinity, the world’s first atomic bomb detonated in New Mexico in 1945. The Oscar-nominated film Oppenheimer sparked important discussion nationwide and details the creation and detonation of the first bomb, but leaves out what followed—the casualties of the 928 nuclear bombs that exploded at the Nevada Test site between 1951 and 1992, most of them far more powerful than those that obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

One hundred bombs were exploded in the open air. The winds carried radioactive fallout from those blasts across the country and beyond, where it collided with rain and snow and fell to the earth, working its way into the ecosystem and into our bodies.

Although the government continually assured the public there was no harm, declassified Atomic Energy Commission documents show they knew from the beginning the dangers of fallout and endangered their own citizens.

SEBASTIEN PHILIPPE ET AL

TICKING

For four decades, unsuspecting Utahns and residents of other states were repeatedly exposed to radioactive fallout from atmospheric tests, and then from underground tests that leaked radioactive material—some shooting mushroom clouds of debris high into the atmosphere.

Cumulative exposure increases the risk of cancer. According to Mary Olson, founder of the Gender and Radiation Project, those exposed as young children—and especially girls—are more likely to develop cancer at some point during their lifetimes. She also points out that the human embryo and early pregnancies can be so damaged by radiation exposure that the pregnancy fails.

“If the fetus survives the exposure,” Olson said, “birth defects and deformations are likely and the risk of childhood cancer is two to four times higher.”

Because of the long half-lives of radioactive isotopes— some take thousands of years to decay—radiation from nuclear activities is still present in the environment. All of which means that people are still being diagnosed as a result. In addition, their cancers return, they suffer health complications and face staggering medical bills that have bankrupted many.

And due to DNA damage, second and third generations can potentially experience health problems as well. “Fallout from Cold War nuclear weapons testing is still circulating in our environment, making people sick,” Olson said. “And reproductive damage from it is still being passed down.”

In the Wind

The fight for justice has been fraught with political hurdles.

In 1984, attorneys presented a meticulously researched case, Allen v. United States, on behalf of 1,200 downwinders who had developed radiation-related illnesses. In a damning 400-page decision, Judge Bruce Jenkins acknowledged government negligence and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

But a higher court reversed his ruling, saying the government can’t be sued for doing what it deems necessary.

Downwinders were left to pursue legislative relief, which came in 1990 with the passage of RECA, spearheaded by Utah’s Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch and Democratic Rep. Wayne Owens. The act provided $50,000 to those who could prove they developed leukemia or one of 17 cancers and who lived for two consecutive years between 1951 and 1958 or during the summer of 1962 in 10 southern Utah counties or 12 counties in southwestern Nevada and northern Arizona.

While RECA offered life-saving support to those who qualified, anyone living outside the designated boundaries was excluded, as though fallout stopped at county lines.

COURTESY PHOTO

“Too many continue to suffer and too many have died waiting for the help they need.”—Steve Erickson, Downwinders Inc.

many times more expensive and often far more complicated. For example, newly approved cell treatments for leukemia are estimated to cost between $500,000 and $1 million.”

Sticker Shock

Counting Down

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FEBRUARY 1, 2024 | 13

Unfortunately, it’s been left to politicians from other states to do what Utah’s elected officials have not. In a surprise move last July, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, introduced the Crapo/Lujan bill as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. He added language to include the St. Louis area after learning that radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project was buried next to schools and perilously close to a nearby creek.

Swayed by a group of St. Louis mothers convinced that the waste was responsible for the high rates of cancer they and their families have suffered, Hawley has become an impassioned champion of those harmed by radiation exposure in his state and elsewhere. At the end of July, the Hawley amendment passed the Senate 61-37 with strong bipartisan support, providing victims a long-awaited glimmer of hope. Notably, however, Utah Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney voted against including the amendment in the national defense budget, something Mark Shapiro—filmmaker of Downwind—calls “unforgivable.”

“The votes added insult to injury from the very elected officials who are supposed to support them,” he said.

Downwinders’ efforts have garnered the attention of President Joe Biden, who said during an address in New Mexico that he was prepared to “help make sure those people are taken care of.” At a Salt Lake City event the following day, the president publicly expressed his support for “those who have been impacted.”

With support at the highest level and with the film Oppenheimer providing a golden opportunity for downwinders to build public and congressional awareness, things seemed to be in perfect alignment.

Then, just before Congress recessed in December, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, stripped the amendment from the defense budget bill—a devastating blow for victims.

Dawn Chapman, a member of the group Just Moms STL in Missouri, said she went into her bathroom to cry upon hearing the news. Another group of impacted community members from across the West tearfully commiserated during their weekly Zoom meeting the next day.

“I won’t give up until we win, or I’m in the ground,” said Tina Cordova of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders, who spearheads that group and encouraged members to focus on the progress and alliances they had made. “It’s the farthest we’ve ever come,” she reminded them.

“Everything in Congress is so up in the air,” says Adams, of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “We’re focusing on the next month-and-a-half to see if it can be attached to any other bills headed for approval. We can’t just kick this can down the road again. The U.S. government has been doing that literally for 80 years. Those people affected just do not have time.”

As determined sponsors look at all options, including reintroducing stand-alone bills, the clock is ticking. RECA expansion and the program’s very existence remain in limbo as it is set to expire in June. Sponsors, activists and advocates are urging the public to pressure their representatives. Calls and letters, they say, do make a difference.

“Too many continue to suffer, and too many have died waiting for the help they need,” Steve Erickson says.

Nothing will bring back what survivors have lost—their health and their loved ones—nor will it ease the burden of staggering medical bills and the emotional toll they and their families have suffered. But strengthening RECA would at last help Utahns and others who have paid the price of America’s nuclear weapons program achieve the recognition and justice they deserve. CW

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The 2021 bills gained impressive bipartisan support, but never made it to the floor for a vote. They were reintroduced last July, this time without Utah’s Rep. Owens as a cosponsor. Republican support in the House fell to Rep. James Moylan, R-Guam.

Though so many Utahns would benefit from the bills’ provisions, Utah’s congressional delegation is distressingly absent this time around. While Owens worked behind the scenes to gain the support of fellow Republicans—including Utah Reps. Blake Moore and Chris Stewart—none of Utah’s delegation co-sponsored the most recent efforts.

Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy—who succeeded Stewart in November—told the Utah News Dispatch last month that expanding RECA is high on her list of priorities. She has not yet signed on as a co-sponsor. “What we need is a good, clean RECA bill that helps people in Utah that isn’t so broad it can’t get funded,” Maloy told the Dispatch.

Steve Erickson of Downwinders Inc.—who says including Western states in RECA and increasing the amount of compensation is long overdue—stresses that the RECA expansion has been supported by the Utah Legislature and the Western Governors Association. “All of which signals the will of Utah citizens,” he said.

None of Utah’s delegation has said publicly why they aren’t supporting the RECA bills, but cost is likely a factor. The Congressional Budget Office projected a price tag of $143 billion over 10 years, which advocates insist is unrealistically high. Over the past 33 years, RECA has paid out only $2.5 billion. By comparison, the U.S. has spent over $12 trillion on nuclear weapons since the Manhattan project and plans to spend another $1.5 trillion over the next 30 years.

Meanwhile, Congress approved $26 billion in additional funding for weapons that the Pentagon never asked for.

Historian Sarah Fox, author of Downwind: A People’s History of the Nuclear West, sees RECA as a public health and social justice issue. She said she is disappointed with the lack of support from Utah politicians. “I think people in Utah want to forget about it,” Fox said. “But the issue of radiation exposure requires leadership and historical memory on the part of journalists, politicians and researchers.”

Fox emphasized that nuclear radiation is not just a problem from a long time ago, but one that remains today.

“It created an ongoing public health crisis in communi-

ties across Utah and the broader West that requires continued research, health screening programs and funding for compensation,” she said. “It’s incumbent on ethical politicians—especially in heavily impacted states like Utah—to protect programs like RECA.”

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“The question of where to draw the lines of exposure has always been at the core of RECA,” says Lilly Adams, senior outreach coordinator for the nonprofit advocacy organization, the Union of Concerned Scientists. “There’s been an underlying feeling that the drawing of these lines has historically been pretty arbitrary. In the years since RECA was first enacted, new studies and information have made it imperative to take a critical look at current boundaries.”

Jon Callahan, Ph.D., a Utah laboratory chemist and cancer researcher, said it’s clear the federal benefits fall short of covering the scope of impacted communities.

“For decades, the science has shown that the current RECA program is woefully inadequate in compensating all those damaged by the government’s nuclear testing program,” he said.

A landmark 1997 study from the National Cancer Institute concluded that every county in the continental U.S. received some level of fallout from testing in Nevada, exposing 160 million Americans to radiation. Not all those exposed would get sick, but too many would develop cancer and other radiation-related illnesses without knowing the cause. The study predicted that exposure would cause 11,000 to 212,000 cases of thyroid cancer alone.

Last summer, Princeton researchers mapped fallout patterns from Trinity and 93 of the atmospheric tests in Nevada, offering further evidence of how far fallout spread across the nation. This came as members of Congress were starting their latest push to protect and expand RECA. “The map shows the extent to which Utah and the West were clobbered by radiation from hundreds of open-air tests,” Gary McDonough says. “Evidence from Princeton should alter the political landscape on this issue.”

For years, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-New Mexico, have tried to update RECA to reflect the scientific evidence that more communities were exposed than originally included in the act. Both their states received extremely high levels of fallout.

In 2021, alongside Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-New Mexico, and Utah’s Republican Rep. Burgess Owens, the senators introduced a bill that would extend RECA for another 19 years and include all of Utah, Nevada and Arizona, as well as Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Colorado, the territory of Guam and, for the first time, the downwinders of Trinity as well as new categories of uranium miners, many of whom are indigenous. All would receive a uniform $150,000. Critically, the bill included health benefits.

“The $50,000 downwinders receive has never been adequate,” noted Callahan. “New treatments for cancer are now

Price native Eve Mary Verde says cancers are rampant in her family.

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

A photo of Mary Dickson and her sisters, one of whom developed stomach cancer, while the other died of lupus.

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14 | FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Rewind Vo l u me 24: 200 7 t o 2 0 0 8 years of

salt lake

CITY WEEKLY

BY WES LONG wlong@cityweekly.net

M

cMansions were multiplying, the air was atrocious, global warming was still being debated and the infamous “Zion Curtain” first arose in local restaurants to shield impressionable eyes from sight of demon drink. Even more curious, the Iraq War was declared “over,” surprising many with the realization that a war was apparently still going on (and would go on for many years more).

Television got a boost from Mad Men and Breaking Bad, Utah local David Archuleta sang his way into the finals on American Idol, and Ralph Becker took center stage as the new mayor of Salt Lake.

This was the world of City Weekly’s 24th year, when the “24-Seven” events column transformed into “The Essentials,” and the local music scene was covered by Jamie Gadette, Jenny Poplar, Ryan Bradford and Dominique LaJeunesse. As always, there was no shortage of things to do and places to go, but for those short on funds and ready to laugh, Phil Jacobsen’s “Cheap Shot” column now had readers covered.

Stephen Dark’s writings on three Midvale soldiers killed in the Vietnam War and his profile of a young hotshot lawyer with a penchant for bling named Sean Reyes were both memorable cover stories in this period.

Other highlights include Ted McDonough’s story on longtime CW contributor Babs De Lay as well as his collaboration with Eric Peterson on the conflicts of state legislators—entitled “The Piggy Awards”—Lisa Sorg’s work on Students for a Democratic Society and Katharine Biele’s coverage of the unfair advantages enjoyed by developers and utilities in the planning process.

Remembering Vol. 24: In the schools “Vouchers have consumed Utah politics this year,” wrote Louis Godfrey on Nov. 1. “But 2007 is just the culmination of Utah’s decadelong battle over school choice.”

Lawmakers had passed HB148, the Utah Parent Choice in Education Program. Supported by pro-voucher forces like Walmart,

Amway and Overstock.com’s Patrick Byrne, HB148 envisioned a scholarship program under which private schools would receive $500 to $3,000 per student in taxpayer funds, at that time the most extensive voucher program in the country. The public, however, was not thrilled.

Despite threats from Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff against the Utah Board of Education and the unsuccessful appeals of state lawmakers before the Utah Supreme Court to override voter input, enough citizens signed petitions to place a referendum of the matter on the November ballot.

“Push polls” circulated from the group Parents for Choice in Education (PCE), asking questions like “If you knew that ... the liberal national teacher’s union, aggressively supports same-sex unions, higher taxes and more government involvement, would you be very or somewhat more or less likely to vote for or against the Utah referendum?”

A PCE television ad also featured authors Richard and Linda Eyre and erroneously suggested—through a tortured Oreo analogy—that vouchers would augment public schools by decreasing class size.

“Poker chips would have been more apt because this voucher mess is just one more way of helping people who don’t need the help,” John Saltas wrote. “They represent the casino or work for the casino. And their blackjack tables (private schools) have a minimum-bet requirement, one too high for all but the wealthy or desperate. That keeps undesirables like you and me out of the game while, at the same time, cutting the losses of those with enough money to play.”

Godfrey pondered where the push for vouchers was coming from, as early voucher programs in other states were intended to address failing school systems. Here, he observed, “even the harshest critics of Utah’s system don’t consider it to be failing.”

Godfrey looked to the libertarian riffings of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman, piped through programs like Rick Koerber’s Free Capitalist Radio. On such programs, as in

the efforts of lawmakers dating back to the tuition tax credit push of the 1990s, listeners were blitzed with a worldview wherein “schools become businesses and parents and students become clients,” to quote one academic observer.

“If you really listen to the rhetoric around the voucher issue, it is an attack on government services,” University of Utah professor Daniel Levin told Godfrey. “Education is the public service that is most directed at the middle class in this country, and teachers are the single largest group of government employees.”

That fall, Utah voters defeated the voucher law by a vote of 62% to 38%. The episode led to new levels of hostility between lawmakers and the teacher’s union and a surge in charter schools, which are privately operated despite being funded by taxpayers. In 2023, Utah lawmakers passed a new voucher law with a referendum-proof majority after pairing private school scholarships with raises for public school teachers.

In the mine The collapse of an Emery County mine, trapping six workers in August of 2007, set off both highly publicized rescue efforts as well as questions of safety and workers’ rights. Robert Murray (1940-2020), coowner of the coal mine, declared that the collapse was the result of seismic activity and that reports to the contrary were coming from hostile, unionizing organizations.

In reality, mine owners like Murray had previously been cited multiple times for safety violations and the company practice of retreat mining—a dangerous method of extracting as safety pillars are removed— was particularly suspect. The subsequent deaths of three rescue workers attempting to recover the trapped miners further worsened the grim situation.

“Murray and his ilk proudly boast of keeping nonunion mines,” commented Holly Mullen on Aug. 23. “No doubt it’s easier for him to cut benefits and scrimp on

safety when people above ground rally, accept their lot and organize a fundraiser to care for widows and children.”

By the end of the month, Murray departed the state with news that his operations in Carbon and Emery counties would be closed, laying off many as a result.

“Ah, the intimidation factor,” Mullen rejoined on Aug. 30. “It shows up beautifully at moments like these, along with its close sibling, blame shifting. It isn’t Murray’s dangerous practice of retreat mining, which experts say resulted in the compromise of Crandall Canyon’s support structure, that led to the mine’s increased ‘bumps,’ then collapse, then deaths, then closures, then layoffs. Blame [Gov.] Huntsman. Blame the U.S. House and Senate committees that have ordered probes into Murray’s operations.”

Investigations into the matter stretched into 2008, revealing that Murray’s company and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration were at fault for the disaster, the former for numerous safety violations and using a mining technique they knew to be dangerous, and the latter for acquiescence to company pressure and lax performance of their monitoring responsibilities.

The company was fined for its negligence.

By executive order, an Office of Coal Mine Safety was created in 2008, the first show of state interest in the welfare of coal miners since Utah closed its mine inspection program in the 1980s. The bodies of miners Kerry Allred, Luis Hernandez, Brandon Phillips, Carlos Payan, Manuel Sanchez and Don Erickson were never recovered.

Writer Brandon Burt had already sized up the situation back on Aug. 23. Denouncing the effects of Utah’s 1955 “right to work” designation, he lamented “a world in which grumpy gnomes like Bob Murray can get rich on the backs of honest, hardworking coal miners with less thought for their safety and welfare than for corporate profits.”

He commended a new bumper sticker for the tragedy, bequeathing Utah as the “Right to Death” State. CW

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NEW RELEASE ROUND UP Olivia Rodrigo Sparkle Horse Linda Ronstadt

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FEBRUARY 1, 2024 | 15

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16 | FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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st :~)

Sehr Gut !

2023

20 W. 200 S. SLC

(801) 355-3891 • siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

Old world flavor in the heart of Salt Lake

20 W. 200 S. SLC | (801) 355-3891

siegfriedsdelicatessen.com

NOW !

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Protect Your Loved Ones

A curated list of romantic restaurants for that special foodie in your life

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

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30 east Broadway, SLC

801.355.0667

Richsburgersngrub.com

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 | 17

ebruary is upon us once more, which means thoughts often turn to answering one looming question: Where am I going to take my Valentine for dinner this year? If the question hasn’t yet popped up for you in particular, let this be a seasonal wake-up call for you, dear reader. Sure, you’ll need to get some reservations lined up, but where? What local dining destination best represents the love/lust you feel toward your current significant other?

Based on my years of experience covering Utah’s food scene, I think I can safely recommend a local spot that will impress the object of your affection.

For the Traditionalist: Bambara (202 S. Main Street, 801-363-5454, bambara-slc. com). If your bae is pretty traditional about Valentine’s Day dining, chances are they’ll have a good time at Bambara. It’s upscale enough to make the evening feel special, it’s got a great cocktail menu, and the Downtown ambiance is a perfect backdrop to a romantic evening. You’d also be just in time to check out Chef Patrick LeBeau’s new winter menu; will you choose whipped goat cheese tartine decked out with spiced pumpkin butter puree and toasted pecans or the caramelized onion Dutch pancake packed with pork belly, maple bourbon glaze and some roasted squash?

Seasons has done an outstanding job of reinterpreting a cuisine that relies heavily on butter, cream, cheese and meat into something that is entirely plant-based.

Hopefully if you are romantically involved with someone who sticks to a plantbased diet, you’re not the kind of dickhead who thinks plant-based food is automatically going to be inferior to whatever you’re used to. Hell, even if you are that kind of dickhead, I dare you to take your date here anyway to educate yourself about the ways in which you have sold yourself short.

Everything at Seasons is prepared gorgeously, and the creativity on display is absolutely mindblowing. Plus, you’ll get to dine at their new location in Central Ninth which is a nice spot to spend any special evening.

For the Diner Who’s Hard to Impress: Bar Nohm (165 W. 900 South,385-465-4488, barnohm.com). Maybe you’ve got a date who doesn’t really care about dining out, or who has yet to experience the transformative phenomenon that comes from eating a perfectly cooked duck. After I ask if you’re sure you want to be dating them, I’d follow up with a recommendation to check out Bar Nohm.

It’s another Central Ninth institution, and it takes its cues from a Korean dining culture concept that favors small bites and drinks over a traditional sit-down meal. Bar Nohm’s adherence to this concept means you can either eat lots and lots, or just grab a few snacks while drinking some of their craft cocktails. I mean, you’ll still need to be witty and charming, but the cool vibes, accessible yet unique menu and tasty drinks will go a long way to impress your date, despite their sphinx-like attitude toward dining culture.

Wherever you may end up on Valentine’s Day, I hope you and your special someone have a great time and eat some great food. Keep me posted on the socials if you find a place that should be on my list. CW

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F

For those really gunning to impress their date, may I suggest the shareable bison Wellington? It’s a beautiful cut of bison wrapped in prosciutto and a buttery puff pastry. It’s on the pricier side of the menu, and needs to be ordered 48 hours in advance, but this is a banger of a dish that will impress on all fronts. With the Vault bar just down the hall and the Hotel Monaco just upstairs, dinner at Bambara adds enough flexibility for dinner to become drinks and drinks to become really whatever else you’d want to do with your Valentine.

For the On-trend Foodie: Urban Hill (510 S. 300 West, Ste. 100, 385-295-4200, urban-hill.com). It can be hard to use food to impress a foodie, but Urban Hill checks all the right boxes for that food nerd in your life. After only a few years in operation, it’s still a fairly new and buzzy restaurant for locals, which makes you look like you’ve got your finger on the pulse of our food scene. It also comes from a highly beloved local restaurant pedigree—Urban Hill is owned by the Kirchheimer family, who also run Park City’s Hearth & Hill. Oh, and Chef Nick Zocco was just announced as a semifinalist for this year’s James Beard Awards; merely demonstrating your knowledge of our national food accolades might just be enough to seal the deal.

If you’re planning on going the extra mile for this one, start things off with a half-dozen oysters, share a plate of their potato gnocchi and wrap things up with a pork chop Milanese and a lamb porterhouse. It’ll make a dent in your wallet, but you’ll be so stuffed with the good things of this Earth that you’ll barely notice.

For the Vegetarian or Vegan: Seasons Plant Based Kitchen (916 S. Jefferson Street, Ste. B, 385-267-1922, seasonsslc. com). I’ve been to my share of plant-based restaurants along the Wasatch Front, and Seasons remains the one to beat. Taking cues from traditional French cooking,

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Valentine Victuals

DINE

COURTESY PHOTO

Cozy up with cocktails at Urban Hill

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

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

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale Chappell Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer On Tap: Collaboration with Cupla Coffee.

Tweek - Coffee Pale Ale

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

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

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com On Tap: Gungan Sith Lord - Dark Lager

BEER + PIZZA = <3

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

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!

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18 | FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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

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

TWO LOCATIONS 550 S. 300 W. SUITE 100 SLC 2496 S. WEST TEMPLE, SLC LEVELCROSSINGBREWING.COM @LEVELCROSSINGBREWING

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 So. 300 West #100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: You-Tah Coffee Uncommon Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: Golden Sprocket Wit Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Orange & Cardamom Resolutions Cider 6.9% Abv 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: Jalapeno Ale 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: Spidey Senses Red IPA

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

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Brewers Select: Stage Left IPA, 7.3% ABV Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Identity Crisis Session West Coast Hazy Cold IPA – the name says it all!

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, S. Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Tap: Ginger and Lime 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 Wassail 8.8% ABV Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Pear Pink Peppercorn & Tarragon Cider Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, S. Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Foggy Goggle Winter Lager Live Music: Thursdays Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale

saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.’s Grandma’s Cookies Nitro Stout Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West, SLC 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: Dark Czech Lager Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: The Griffen- Citrus Wheat Ale in collaboration with the 419th at Hill AFB 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 Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/wasatch On Tap: Top of Main’s Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde Ale

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

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

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Sampling two approachable Belgian ales

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sip, only wishing I had more left in my glass. This witbier is incredibly drinkable, and could slake even the heartiest thirst.

Shades - Hellion: The Belgian-style blonde ale is typically easy-drinking, with a low but pleasing hop bitterness.

Blondes are a light- to medium-bodied ale, with a low malt aroma that has a spiced and fruity-ester character.

On the pour, just short of two fingers of fizzy white head forms on top of a dark golden crystal-clear body.

The head dissipates at a medium pace, clinging to the sides of the glass and finally leaving a covering of floating bubbles; lacing is present, but sparse.

Aroma brings a spicy lemon note with a touch of vanilla, as well as a distinct dryness before cracker-like and biscuit-y malt comes in. Not the most Belgian, as some generic “beer”-scented fermentation notes are also present.

The flavor follows the aroma, but brings in a decent bit of sweet, biscuit malt. The citrus note drops off quite a bit, and a pale but sweet and caramelized flavor emerges throughout. The peppery clove Belgian yeast character is still present, and it’s a bit sweet.

Mouthfeel isn’t as dry as the aroma suggested, with a full-verging-onsyrupy feel on the palate; you get a long finish, and very full-bodied. It’s still refreshing and not necessarily heavy, but not something you’d drink multiple of in a night.

Verdict: This is decent and in line with many Belgian-style blonde ales that you’ll come across. I much prefer less phenolic blondes, since visiting Belgium. This one doesn’t come off as all that dry, or punchy. Maltiness is present which I appreciate, as well as some distinct Belgian abbey character.

Nice beer.

Hellion is 5.0 percent, and comes in both cans and as a draft option at the brewery. This will be popping up in grocery stores as well. Be Rye Wit’ Cha is a 5.0 percent small-batch, and is only available at Uinta’s Taproom on draft. As always, cheers! CW

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T

his week we’re visiting two of the more subtle of the Belgian styles: witbiers and blondes. These generally have lower alcohol levels, with more subtle Belgian yeast characteristics.

Uinta - Be Rye Wit’ Cha: This is a witbier, or “white beer,” due to its almost white appearance and the cloudiness created by malt and yeast in suspension. They’re spiced, generally with coriander, orange peel and other spices or herbs.

Strong carbonation billows from the glass’s etching through the cloudy bright blonde beer to feed the wellformed and decently-retained white head. Minimal lace remains on the glass. Plush, earthy esters rise gently through the soft wheat and grainy pale malt aroma to offer a brush of citrus zest and sprinkle of coriander spice, but the highlight is the unique chamomile floral quality of this inviting aroma.

Simple and rather direct, this witbier keeps the base clean with soft wheat and pale malt while its more subtle nuances overlap—light spice, some floral notes, a hint of the beer’s chamomile, and a finishes with just a slight citrus zest. Rye and wheat both play a pivotal role in the mouthfeel, making this ale very creamy and smooth on the palate—full-feeling despite the light body, aided of course by steady carbonation.

Crisp and clean to the finish, the spice from the rye and citrus rind livens it up with a refreshing kick.

Verdict: Almost reminiscent of a very light and subtle incense, Be Rye Wit’ Cha lives up to its name with floral notes that encourage a deeper whiff from this unique take on the style. I like it more with each passing

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Locals Get James Beard Honors

The James Beard Awards semifinalists were recently announced, and we’re proud to have a few local names on the shortlist to be honored at this year’s award ceremony on June 10. The James Beard Foundation is an authority in the national food scene, and a James Beard Award is the culinary equivalent of an Oscar. This year’s list includes Table X Bread in the Best Bakery category, Valter’s Osteria in the Outstanding Hospitality category and David Chon (Bar Nohm), Dave Jones (Log Haven), Ali Sabbah (Mazza Cafe) and Nick Zocco (Urban Hill). We’ll have to wait until April 3 for the finalists to be announced, but we’re crossing our fingers that our local chefs can make it all the way.

Park City’s Kodiak and Travis Kelce Donate 25K Meals

Kodiak—our Park City-based purveyor of tasty breakfast mixes for flapjacks and muffins—recently announced a team-up with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. Their goal? To donate 25,000 hot meals via Operation Breakthrough, an after-school program that prioritizes underserved youth in Kansas City. Kelce has been an investor in Kodiak since 2022, and their emphasis on whole grains, protein and active lifestyles made them an ideal pick for Kelce’s charitable teamup; I can hear the Swifties swooning already. Locals have likely recognized Kodiak Cakes on the shelves of pretty much every grocery store nearby, and they’re honestly pretty damn good. It’s always nice to see locals get involved with those in need.

Piroshky Piroshky Pre-orders Are Live

Seattle-based Piroshky Piroshky recently announced another world tour where fans of their sweet and savory hand pies can snag a piece. They’ll be hitting Salt Lake on Feb. 17, and preorders are live on their website (piroshkybakery.com). All the great ones will be in attendance— smoked salmon pate, chocolate cream, chicken pot pie—so make sure to hop on and place your orders ASAP. This year’s pickup takes place at Salt Fire Brewing (2199 S. West Temple) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Did I mention that beer goes extremely well with piroshky? So remember to get you a few ales and lagers from our friends at Salt Fire when you pick up your goods.

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eyond the movies themselves, the Sundance Film Festival is a vibe—and for the first time in four years, that vibe felt something like it did pre-COVID. While Sundance was back in person for 2023 (one I didn’t attend in person for medical reasons), the fact that nearly the entire program was still available online made it feel less urgent to be on the ground in Park City. The result, those who were there last year attest, felt somewhat depleted of energy without the sense that in order to be where the Next Big Thing might emerge, you had to be there.

In 2024, though, you could feel the buzz—and it was a festival full of movies that deserved the buzz. As is often the case at the festival, certain thematic trends became evident, and issues of gender identity fueled many of Sundance 2024’s best entries. At the top of the list was Will & Harper, a documentary buddy-road-trip offering in which actor Will Ferrell takes a cross-country drive with his old friend/former Saturday Night Live head writer Harper Steele, who came out as a trans woman in her 60s. In addition to being a lovely portrait of what it looks like to be a true supportive ally, it was outrageously funny, making it clear that one of the best ways to deliver an important message is to douse it with laughs. The subject of transness emerged more metaphorically in Jane Schoenbrun’s unsettling psychological thriller I Saw the TV Glow, which turned the portrait of two troubled youths and their attachment to a cheesy supernatural television show into a recognition of how people can attach themselves to media representations that make them feel seen.

Another heartening festival through-line came in the form of stories about queer youth where the primary conflict didn’t come in the form of antagonistic parents. Good One dealt with a 17-year-old girl (Lily Collias) who happens to

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Sundance 2024 re-captured the energy of sharing great movies together

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Return of the Vibe

be gay on a camping trip with her divorced father (James Le Gros), but the story—and the wonderful central performance by Collias—focused on more complex matters than a dad uncomfortable with his daughter’s queerness. Ditto for the light-hearted fantasy comedy My Old Ass, where a Canadian soon-to-be-college student (Maisy Stella) receives advice from a 20-years-older version of herself (Aubrey Plaza); the protagonist’s eagerness to leave her hometown blessedly has little to do with being ostracized for being into girls. Even the Grand Jury Prize winner in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, In the Summers, showcased a conflicted relationship between two kids on their annual visits to the New Mexico home of their father over the years—and the fact that one of those kids transitions to male over the course of its running time is treated as almost incidental to the tensions between them.

We also got plenty of looks at the impact of the virtual/digital world on our lives, albeit in some wildly different ways. A couple of documentaries—Eternal You and Love Machina—both addressed the prospect of transcending death through preserving consciousness digitally, wrestling with both the practicality and the ethics of such efforts. But there was also Love Me, the science-fiction/rom-com hybrid set centuries after the apocalyptic end of humanity, in which a data-gathering buoy achieves self-awareness (in the voice of Kristen Stewart) and begins a relationship with a satellite (Steven Yuen), with an impression of human love patterned after an influencer’s YouTube videos; it provided a savvy allegory for the versions of ourselves we create for online interaction, and how they can interfere with real connection. On the flipside is the Norwegian documentary Ibelin, a fascinating and emotional portrait of a severely handicapped youth whose online persona in World of Warcraft opens up an opportunity for connections he couldn’t experience in the real world.

And really, finding emotional storytelling in unexpected places has always marked some of the best, most interesting and (at times) weirdest Sundance movies over the years—like, for example, exploring the subject of loneliness and habitat-loss through the grunting demi-human protagonists of the Zellner brothers’ Sasquatch Sunset. Once you get past the bodily-function humor, you see a story about what it means to have people to share experiences with. And maybe that even provides a metaphor for a film festival once again buzzing with people who all want to share the experience of watching great movies together. CW

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FEATURE

Ghost Story

Escaping COVID isolation adds to the Americana melancholy of Ghost of Spring Take It Away.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

A

lot of great things happen in life because you end up being in the right place at the right time. Such is the case for Utah’s Americana trio Ghost of Spring.

After a couple of moves and introductions, the band was formed and have created some special projects so far—and is hoping to keep the good times rolling with new material going forward.

The members of Ghost of Spring are from all over, but Utah is where they all came together and bonded over their creative partnership. Drummer Justin Everette moved from Alabama to Utah for a new job, and while that sounds completely ordinary, guitarist Chris Wright moved in the exact same weekend—right next door to Everette. What’s the definition of “meet-cute” again?

Wright had been friends for years with vocalist/guitarist Tim Owen, and bridged the gap to Everette. At this time, Wright and Owen owned a farm that had a space to record music, and that’s where they recorded their 2022 EP Little Joys. Ghost of Spring had been a band for a few years prior, but Everette coming in on drums made the group more complete in a way that it wasn’t before. “[Justin] brought a whole new dimension to us,” Owen said.

“We just loved his ideas and the energy he brought,” Wright added.

And so the rest was history, as they say. That was a lot of lore crammed into a few paragraphs, but moving more into the present, Ghost of Spring released their

latest album Take It Away at the end of November 2023. Affectionately nicknamed “the cabin LP” by the group, it was recorded in a cabin away from everything in Heber. The project was an isolated experience in more ways than one. Being away in a cabin far from the outside world was part of it, but part of Take It Away was also that it was created in peak COVID times.

“That was a piece of sanity for me to go together, to go up to the cabin, spend time together and hang out and record music in a way to have some fun and get out of my own house for a while,” Everette said.

“Down a gravel road, pretty remote, ’70s cabin, lo-fi, keeping wood on the fire, but also working on songs was a beautiful way to get together but hang out in a small group,” Wright added.

Take It Away represents a beautiful Americana journey from a trio of friends who are from all over America. It’s an album that exudes a special feeling, especially after knowing the process of recording in a cabin in the woods, away from the struggles of everyday life.

Americana is an amusing genre because

it typically involves a lot of storytelling, and Ghost of Spring hopes listeners enjoy the story they created on the album, but also hope listeners take away their own interpretation of the songs. “I would want people to connect with the mixture of profound sadness and hope that I think runs throughout. I think when you talk about Americana, that’s one of the things that I’ve always connected to, is the acceptance of that sadness that we share,” Owen explained. “It’s almost an Americana sadness, because it’s a sadness born of isolation and trying to do things that nobody else has done before, that breeds this kind of melancholy and sadness that I think is beautiful in its own way.”

Wright slightly disagrees, suggesting that the less you know about the artist’s intention, the better it is for the listener.

“I think it gets in the way of the listener’s ability to connect with the album,” he said. “I think sometimes, how much time do people spend trying to figure out who Carly Simon thought was so vain?”

Whether you decide to take deeper meaning from the album, or just sit and

listen to enjoy, Take It Away is an incredible listening experience. While it is best consumed from beginning to end, there are standouts you can grab for a playlist if you don’t have the time. The title track is a stand-out, which is probably why they released it as one of the singles before release.

Another is “Light in Your Eyes,” a beautiful and captivating song perfect for dedicating to that special someone. It showcases Owen’s inspiring and earnest vocals with an organ in the background to give it that extra bit of emotional oomph. Send this to your significant other and tell them you dedicate this song to them, and they’ll surely be teary-eyed.

As listeners ruminate on Take It Away, Ghost of Spring is already planning their next project, and hope it’s something as enjoyable as the “cabin LP.” Perhaps it will be recorded at the cabin again, or another special place will reveal itself. Either way, Ghost of Spring has more coming, and they hope you’ll join them on the ride. CW

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Adding voice clips to a song does things to my emotions. Mixing in the voices of those involved with a Sage song or album makes it Lane that much more special, and gives it a comforting, zen-like feel. You get a sense of receiving an inside peek on the process, as though you’re being let in by the musicians. That’s how Sage Lane’s newest album Vagabond begins.

The opening track has atmospheric electronic sounds with light guitar plucked on top while you hear laughing voices and side conversations. It immediately evokes a feeling of calm, and a sense of belonging. What follows is a beautiful, captivating indie-rock soundscape that has a lot to offer listeners. It’s one you can listen to several times and discover new elements upon each listen. This is obviously an album that was crafted with a great deal of care and passion. Hopefully Sage Lane will bring plenty of these songs to their show on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. They’ll be sharing the stage with fellow indie rockers CalJo and Cutie. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

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Given their freewheeling attitude, and unusual handle, there are those that don’t know what to make of Leftover Salmon. Nevertheless, having successfully fused their populist precepts and jam-band sensibility with their roots in rock, bluegrass, country, Cajun, zydeco and Americana, they’ve become one of the most dynamic and diverse bands on the festival circuit. That eclectic approach is manifest not only in the band’s combined efforts—their latest album, the aptly titled Grass Roots, finds them covering several seasoned standards— but also in the fact that certain members of the band also pursue solo careers. For example, the band’s mainstays Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman have frequently ventured beyond their day jobs to release individual albums. As for the name, it came about in 1989, when members of the Colorado-based band Salmon Heads recruited members of the Left Hand String Band to fill in for some of their missing colleagues during a New Year’s Eve gig. They not only combined their musical arsenals, but their names as well. The result is a 35-year career that encompasses seven studio albums, three live efforts and a biographical book, Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival! That’s some accomplishment, but regardless, it’s the band’s ability to mesh archival influences with contemporary credence that ensures Leftover Salmon remains consistently fresh and inviting. Leftover Salmon perform at Egyptian Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 4. All shows are sold-out as of press time except for the Sunday show. Preferred tickets cost $65 at tickets.egyptiantheatrecompany. org (Lee Zimmerman)

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I bet if I asked you to recall the last phone call you had with someone, you’d probably remember it with painful clarity. Or perhaps you wouldn’t be able to remember at all, which can be even more of a bummer. I don’t mean the last phone call you had with a friend the other day; I’m talking about the last call from a loved one before losing them, or the last call from a significant other before a breakup. Those kind of last calls. They evoke a certain feeling, and Whoa Daniela was able to bottle that feeling up and put it into a song, “Final Call.” From the image I painted above, you may be thinking that upon pressing play on this track, you’ll be greeted with a slow, sad tune that will leave you feeling weepy by the end. Well, you may still feel weepy, but the song is one of those happy-sounding sad songs. Where the sounds are upbeat, but the lyrics and vibes are downbeat. You get to feel a wide range of emotions at once, which is always fun. The song is a short one, clocking in shy of 90 seconds, but a lovely nearly 90 seconds it is. Hopefully Whoa Daniela will play it live on Friday, Feb. 2 at Boardwalk Sound. Also on the bill is Spawn Point and Lizzy Fan Club. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at theboardwalksound.com. (EA)

Leftover Salmon @ Egyptian Theatre 2/1 - 4

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Millennials love a good emo anthem throwback. The genre brings back waves of good memories, and lets us reflect on simpler times while dealing with the present. If you’re a fan of emo, but also love a good dose of powerful bass, LEVEL UP should be your next go-to artist. Sonya Broner—aka LEVEL UP—is known for her dark and spooky aesthetic, and it comes alive on tracks of hers like “Satan Works Alone” and “Scared of the Dark.” Along with the dark and creepy, she also expertly throws in heavy and future bass, creating an exciting, unique blend of darkness and energy.

It was a huge year for Broner in 2023, as she toured with her husband, Substronics (one of Utah’s favorite DJs); now she is kicking off 2024 with her “Seance” North America tour, and it will be quite the show. You can tell Broner is a theater kid at heart; she got her start at DJing while in college full time at The New School of Drama in Manhattan and her music tells a story. Take, for example, her EP Coven.

The opening track “Ascension” features fellow bass music producer Chassi, and transports you straight to the front of the rail, whilst “Vision Mixer” continues the chaos by weaving in deep wubs with haunting synths. She brings the drama as the audience moshes away on the dance floor.

This is a 21+ show at Soundwell on Friday, Feb 2. Doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are $25 at soundwellslc.com (Arica Roberts)

Whoa Daniela

NORTH RUST

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Slick Rick @ Metro Music Hall 2/6

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You could make the case that 1988 is the single greatest year in hiphop music. So many of the most significant albums in the history of Slick Rick the genre debuted—and The Great Adventures of Slick Rick by the ruler MC Ricky D was one of the LPs at the forefront. The London-born, Bronx-raised Ricky Walters’ debut was released on Def Jam and is an era-defining work of art. Back in the day, you could confidently buy anything that Def Jam put out, because you knew when you saw that Def Jam label on the 12”, the music would be fresh, exciting and attempt to do something great. “You had to really stand out among your peers to make a living or an impression,” Walters told udiscovermusic.com. “Your whole ambiance—style, clothes, car, swagger and your unique sound—has to draw an audience and be accepted by your peers in poor, urban communities. You have to win their respect and the community has to really appreciate it and enjoy it.” Talk about influential emcees: Slick Rick is hip-hop royalty. All the greatest storytellers in rap have bitten a little bit from him, and his style has always been as fresh as his Clarks Wallabees. Witnessing fan favorite tracks like “Mona Lisa,” “The Moment I Feared” and “Children’s Story” live are sure to knock ’em out the box. Cig Burna, Zac Ivie and DJ Juggy open. Catch these artists at Metro Music Hall on Tuesday, Feb 6. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $30 and can be found at 24tix.com (Mark Dago)

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free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19) “Happiness” is an amorphous term with a different meaning for everyone. What makes me feel happy may be unlike what works for you. Besides that, any kind of perfect happiness is impossible to achieve. However we define it, we are always a mix of being happy and unhappy. Nevertheless, I invite you to ruminate about the subject in the coming days. I believe you are primed to arrive at a realistic new understanding of your personal version of happiness—and raise your happiness levels by at least 15 percent. Maybe more! Now here are helpful clues from philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “Precisely the least thing, the gentlest, lightest thing, the rustling of a lizard, a breath, a whisk, a twinkling of the eye—what’s little makes up the quality of the best happiness. Soft!”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) I invite you to take an inventory of your taboos, inhibitions and restrictions. Meditate on why you originally adopted them. Evaluate how well they have served you and whether they are still meaningful. If you find any of them have become unnecessary or even injurious, jettison them. And be excited and happy about being free of them. If you decide that some taboos, inhibitions and restrictions are still wise for you to maintain, thank them for their service and honor the self-protection they provide.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) It’s Brag Therapy Holiday—for Aquarians only. During this celebration, we expect you to boast with panache.

Tell us in exquisite detail why you are a marvelous creation. Explain how you have overcome insurmountable odds to transform yourself into a masterpiece of intuitive intelligence. Regale us with stories of your winsome qualities, heroic triumphs and poignant adventures on the edge of reality. Make sure we understand how educational and healing it can be to bask in your influence.

Show us why we should regard you as a role model.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) I invite you to resolve old business, draw unrewarding projects to a close and finish your lessons at the School of Tough Love. Politely and quietly scream, “Get out of my life” at anyone who doesn’t give you the respect and kindness you deserve. I also recommend a Wrap-It-Up Ritual. Start by making an altar that pleases you with its beauty. Take scraps of paper and write on each one a description of an influence or experience you want to purge from your life. As you rip up each scrap, say: “I’m grateful for what I have learned from you, but now I am leaving you behind.”

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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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) In the coming weeks, I hope you avoid sucking up to egotistical manipulators. Please also refrain from being an unappreciated beast of burden and a half-willing pawn in boring games. If you are interested in paying off karmic debts, make sure they are yours, not anyone else’s. If you plan to work hard to lay the foundation for a future liberation, get a guarantee that you will be one of the liberated people. PS: I’m fine with you doing unselfish things as long as they will also have selfish benefits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Being in love is as desirable for Capricorns as it is for everyone. You may be less open and dramatic than the rest of us in your yearnings, but they are still a driving force. Even if you are not constantly chattering to others about your urges to give and receive intimate care, it’s crucial that you acknowledge them to yourself. To keep your soul healthy, you must be in touch with this core fuel. You must love your need for love. Now is a time to deepen your appreciation for these truths.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) My goals right now are to inspire you in the following three ways: 1. to be full of love for your daily life; 2. to adore yourself exactly as you are; 3. to shed any numbness or boredom you feel and replace them with alert aliveness. To help you in this exalted effort, I offer the inspiration of three quotes. 1. “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson. 2. “The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”—Eden Phillpotts. 3. “I have the mysterious feeling of seeing for the first time something I have always known.”—Bernardo Bertolucci.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Sagittarian computer scientist Grace Hopper (1906– 1992) wrote, “The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘It’s always been done that way.’” I’ll expand on that wisdom. The obvious meaning is that we risk ignoring our individualized needs and suppressing our creative inspirations if we mindlessly conform to the habits of society. But it’s equally important not to mindlessly repeat our own ways of doing things. Maybe they were brilliant and appropriate in the past, but there’s no guarantee they will always be so. Sagittarius, I recommend you rebel against your personal “it’s always been done that way” as well as everyone else’s.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22) You could be a masterful eliminator of toxins and wastes in the coming weeks. Do it both for yourself and for those you care about. Start by purging nonessentials that obstruct the flow of the good life. These might include defunct fantasies, mistaken understandings, apathetic attitudes and unloving approaches. Among the other dross or dreck you could root out is any clutter that’s making familiar environments feel oppressive. By the way, fellow Cancerian, this should be fun. If it’s not, you’re doing it wrong.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In myth and legend, pregnancies don’t always begin with two humans having sexual communion. The story of the Virgin Mary tells us she was impregnated when the Holy Spirit, disguised as a dove, whispered in her ear. The Roman goddess Juno conceived Mars solely with the help of an enchanted lily flower. The Greek hero Attis germinated inside his virgin mother Nana after she placed a pomegranate in her lap. This might sound outlandish, but I foresee you having a metaphorically comparable experience. Do you believe in the possibility of being fertilized by miraculous magic or a divine spirit?

Might you be awakened or inspired by a very subtle influence? I think it will happen even if you don’t believe.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Gemini novelist Gregory Maguire says there are a “thousand ways people shrink from life, as if chance and change are by their nature toxic and disfiguring.”

Your assignment in the coming weeks is to contradict his theory. I’m hoping you will interpret all chance and change as potentially expansive, redemptive and interesting. You will never shrink from life, but will boldly meet challenges and embrace twists of fate as interesting opportunities. I have abundant faith in your ability to carry out this vigorous project!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) One of the great modern maladies is the atrophy of the soul. It’s related to the apathy of the soul. A key contributor to these misfortunes is the entertainment industry.

Its shallow, artificial stimuli are engineered to overfeed our egos, leaving our souls malnourished. Please note that I have no problem with egos. They are an important part of our make-up and essential for healthy functioning. But it’s a shame they hog all the glory and sustenance. Here’s my message for you, Libra: It’s high time to celebrate a holiday I call Nurture the Soul. Make it last at least three weeks. Homework: Identify three actions you will take to excite, cherish and enhance your soul.

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While you may have been distracted

by Sundance/Slamdance movies and movie stars, there’s another big show going on right now. It’s called the Utah legislative session, or better known as: “Citizens, hide your wallets!”

I had to slam on the brakes as I drove by the Capitol recently. Hovering around that big stone edifice were what I perceived to be massive swans and pelicans circling the building—far from their usual haunts near the Great Salt Lake.

As I got closer, I was able to discern that they weren’t actual birds but rather people wearing large white paper hats sculpted to look like pelicans and swans, with just necks and heads, some being followed by shorter people (kids) dressed as brine shrimp!

WTF? Was someone filming a cartoon up there?

Apparently, a group of folks are walking around the Capitol twice daily—from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, until March 1—to get a message through to our esteemed legislators that our Great Salt Lake needs all the help we can give it to save it for the brine shrimp (the lake provides more brine shrimp than any other source in the world) as well as for the birds that feed off those tiny creatures and for those of us who want to ensure a future of clean or cleaner air along the Wasatch Front.

The rally reminds me of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo and the women in Buenos Aires who have regularly marched there since 1977. The group wants answers to the thousands who disappeared during the administration of then-president Juan Perón, who ordered the murders of those who didn’t support him, and which led to the children of prisoners being taken away and raised by strangers. That’s pure dedication to truth and justice.

Even more interesting is the fact that many of the protesters circling the Capitol are from a group called Latterday Saint Earth Stewardship who believe in their church’s teaching to care for God’s creations. Others are members of Grow the Flow, Friends of the Great Salt Lake and The Nature Conservancy.

Anyone is welcome to join the friendly walks and dress up accordingly. And they encourage everyone concerned about this issue to call their legislators to encourage them to make saving the lake the No. 1 priority for the health of not just birds and bugs but us humans, too.

Don’t know who’s representing your area? You can go to www.le.utah.gov to search your address to learn what district you live in and the names of the elected officials for your area.

It’s nice to see some of my Latterday Saint neighbors taking up the cause, publicly. Hopefully the majority of (white, male, LDS) legislators will take notice of this flock and work harder to save our lake! n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

© 2024

BUNDLING UP

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Yogurt-based Indian drink 6. ___ noche (tonight, in Spanish) 10. Onetime Kremlin figure 14. Had takeout, perhaps 15. Like a dime 16. Kitchen gadget and cookware company 17. Piece of paper with nothing on it 19. Seriously lack 20. Position in an ordered list 21. “Desperate Housewives” actress Hatcher 22. Initials on a Cardinal’s cap 23. “... and so on” 24. Obey Daylight Saving Time, maybe 28. Name not to say out loud right now (lest it turns on devices) 30. Pearl bearer 31. Do some coding?

36. Rita who judged on “The X Factor” 37. How a winning streak might be described 42. Floor decor 43. Driving levy 44. Letter-based British secondary school exam, once 47. Prearrange 51. High-grade, ultra-soft European fabric 56. “Messenger” material 57. Had been 58. Abel’s big brother 59. Mid-century music system 60. Parliament member 62. “You’re welcome to visit” 64. Alumnus, for short 65. Once again 66. Of service 67. Biblical boats 68. Coin flip 69. “___ be great!”

10. Place to the right of the decimal point 11. He-Man’s nemesis 12. Cy Young Award winner, probably 13. Tackle component 18. Engine additive and NASCAR sponsor 22. Put into words 24. Hourglass filler 25. “Yeah, yeah, I know” 26. Prefix for space 27. Sketch 29. Baby boomer’s kid 32. Paste shortcut, on PCs 33. Los Del ___ (“Macarena” duo) 34. 1950s singer Sumac 35. ___ Xing (street sign) 37. Trampled, with “on” DOWN 38. “The Handmaid’s Tale” streamer 1. Tar pits location 2. Repetitively named Aztec spear-throwing 39. Belinda Carlisle hit where she “can’t speak” tool 40. Conde ___ Traveler 3. Medium setting?

41. Timber tool 4. Bathroom fixture 45. Rarer Pokémon collectibles from the 5. Tats Sword & Shield Series 6. It’s a bit of a knockout 46. Interjections outside a Tim Hortons, 7. Rob Zombie’s spouse, fashion designer maybe? ___ Moon Zombie 48. Pub contest fodder 8. Advertising gimmick 49. Not noticed 9. Six-legged creature

50. Like sorted socks 52. Budgetary prefix 53. Gold fabrics 54. Opinions 55. U2 producer Brian 59. Frozen planet in “The Empire Strikes Back” 60. Golfing org.

61. Miss the mark 62. Nyan ___ (meme with a repetitive earworm) 63. Cashew, e.g.

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.

WITH BABS DELAY

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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urban LIVING

NEWS of the WEIRD

We sell homes to all saints, sinners, sisterwives and...

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

The Passing Parade

South Korean model Ain, also known as Angel Box Girl, is being prosecuted for obscene exposure following incidents from last fall, Oddity Central reported. In Seoul and Gangnam, Ain walked through the streets wearing a large cardboard box with holes for her arms and legs—plus two more, which she invited strangers to put their hands in to grope her breasts and other body parts.

Naturally, she attracted large crowds that police were called to disperse. “It’s freedom of expression,” she said.

“I just wanted to market myself. I actually saw many positive reactions, with people telling me they support me and applaud my courage.” If found guilty, Ain could face a $3,800 fine or up to a year in jail.

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Be Careful What You Wish For

The Lexington (Kentucky) Convention and Visitors Bureau appears to be desperate for tourists, the Associated Press reported. It is using an infrared laser to send messages toward potentially habitable planets

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Government in Action

You’ll need your dictionary for this one. In York, England, signs have been popping up that appear to encourage citizens to “exercise obtundity,” the BBC reported on Jan. 17. Of course, no one knows what that word means: “Knowing the police, it could be anything,” said one resident. Social media has come alive with speculation about the signs, but it turns out that “Exercise Obtundity” is the name of a training program involving the York City Council, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and the signs are merely warnings of streets that might be closed during the activities. Stand down.

Least Competent Criminal

A man in Sulphur Springs, Texas, was arrested on Jan. 9 for stealing a Lamborghini in Houston, KLTV reported.

Everett Van Jennings, 34, parked the sports car in his own garage, police reported—along with two other vehicles he had nicked. Police said together they were valued at $500,000. The Lamborghini’s owner tracked the car using a GPS device and set off the lights and alarms, but Jennings claimed to be out of town and unable to return home. Law enforcement got a search warrant and along with the cars found materials used in VIN swapping. Jennings was charged with at least two felonies.

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

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SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Jessica Beatty, 42, of Clearwater, Florida, thought she might throw off the court by submitting someone else’s urine for a mandated drug test, The Smoking Gun reported. But she didn’t choose just any old random donor, though—she allegedly collected urine from her aunt’s dog. Beatty was arrested on Dec. 28 for possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license; she had priors for cocaine possession and other offenses. When she was confronted on Jan. 11 for her “fraudulent urine sample,” she admitted that it wasn’t her pee. Her bond is likely to be revoked, sending her back to jail.

| COMMUNITY |

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration, in an effort to suck any remaining fun from highway commutes, has laid down the law: By 2026, states must ban messages on electronic highway signs that include references to pop culture or evoke a laugh. Examples: “Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late” from Ohio; “Use Yah Blinkah” from Massachusetts; and “Hocus Pocus, Drive With Focus” from New Jersey. The Associated Press reported that the agency wants the signs to be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” because clever messages might distract or confuse drivers. One Arizona state representative, David Cook of Globe, was underwhelmed: “Prime example that the federal government is not focusing on what they need to be.”

Bright Idea

NURSES!

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Pet owners who are exceedingly attached to their furry friends sometimes go to the trouble of having them preserved through taxidermy after they die. After her Roborovski dwarf hamster, Hammy, passed away last year, Jess Porter-Langson, 27, who lives in Brighton in the U.K., sought out Bea Ostrowska, a local taxidermist, hoping to immortalize her beloved pet as a poledancing stripper, Metro News reported. “This hamster was so iconic, and all my friends knew Hammy and wanted to see him,” Porter-Langson said. “He needed something special.” Ostrowska posed Hammy on a small platform with a pole and sewed a little thong for him to wear, which is stuffed with tiny dollar bills. “He’s got this creepy little smile going on,” Porter-Langson said. “I was blown away. What is more iconic than a hamster on a stripper pole hustling for money?” What, indeed.

in a solar system 40 light years away, luring extraterrestrials with “lush green countryside ... (and) famous bluegrass.” Lexington native Robert Lodder, an expert in astrobiology and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), conceived the idea, and linguistics expert Dr. Andrew Byrd consulted: “We included ... the molecular structure for water, bourbon and even dopamine ... because Lexington is fun!” he said. See you in 2064!

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