DESERT ROSE
SMALLER LOTS, WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER LESSONS FROM SALT LAKE CITY’S POST-WAR HOUSING CRISIS.
BY M’LISA DALL
S AP
BOX
“Moral Panic,” Nov. 21 Cover Story
Great story. Nothing screams white-savior-complex-villain more than some dude from Utah having the audacity to use the term “underground railroad” to go terrorize children of color.
NIKI LAYTON Via Facebook
It’s important to distinguish between adult entertainment and issues like trafficking while also relying on solid evidence when discussing addiction or harm.
RAYA JAMES Via Facebook
I heard Utah was No. 1 in the field of porn consumption.
DEANNA BISHOFF GARCIA Via Facebook
“Bluetah Cometh”
Nov. 21 Private Eye
To pretend that Summit and Salt Lake counties are the hubs of innovation in this state is to smell your own farts and think it’s flowers.
Utah has marginalized and radical folks in every single county. Summit and Salt Lake may be home to our state’s largest tax evaders but that’s about it.
The enemy is not rural Utahns or even Donald Trump voters— it’s the philanthropic class who continually buy our legislators and bend their votes to their will and push funding toward their own pet projects.
It’s the people in power who continually wave out the rural
folks while preaching that cities are the beacon of progress—yet they continue to price out the working people of said cities. We are being overdeveloped into an ecological collapse. And unless y’all can start aiming at the actual power, you will miss and our home will be the collateral damage.
PEOPLESHISTORYUTAH Via Instagram
This is sort of stupid. The name “Bluetah” sounds awful.
NOELLESGARDENS Via Instagram
Please carve out a section of Draper so I can stay Blue.
LAVONNE MALONEY Via Facebook
Are you guys ever happy? Holy shit lol.
DEAD_HEADFORD Via Instagram
years of salt lake
CITY WEEKLY
City Weekly 40th Anniversary Book
Editor’s note: This year we celebrated our 40th anniversary! To help celebrate, we’re putting together a 40-year anniversary souvenir book to showcase all of the best of City Weekly’s first 40 years!
Included will be recaps from each year in operation. If you followed along with our weekly “rewind,” we will have more pieces included here as well as flashbacks from folks near and dear to City Weekly.
Let us know if you’re interested in being on our outreach list for the release date! Contact marketing@cityweely.net for more information.
Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!
THE WATER COOLER Rewind
What fictional character would be the most fun to have as a friend?
Katharine Biele
I was going to say Mr. Magoo, but on second thought—Wednesday from the Adams Family or Hermione Granger. Nothing too real. I can’t take it.
Scott Renshaw
The thing is, most of the really interesting fictional characters are interesting in ways that would probably make them insufferable to hang out with. Whatever the ordinary or boring “best friend” character is to any fictional protagonist? That’s probably the one I’m looking for.
Wes Long
Dr. Frasier Crane might be fun to have as a friend, not only for his insight and wit but also for the fact that I could hang out at his apartment.
Eric Granato
Rick from Rick and Morty. I’m ready for an adventure.
Paula Saltas
Even though Larry David isn’t a completely fictional character and instead is a character that David plays based on himself, he would be the most fun. I’m the female version of Larry David, as things irritate me like they irritate Larry. IYKYK, best show out there.
OPINION
BY CHRISTOPHER SMART
First Lady Elon Musk
The wag on Donald Trump’s arm is not Melania. Nope, that’s Elon Musk, who is so close to the president-elect these days that he’s known at Mar-a-Lago as the First Lady (or something else that rhymes with Donald’s “s-ni-t-c-h”).
Elon was so close to Trump at the Florida White House during Thanksgiving dinner that onlookers couldn’t tell Trump’s drumstick from Musk’s walnut dressing. And boy was Elon—the world’s richest man and Trump’s new efficiency czar—having a great time, howling like a hyena at all of Trump’s jokes and slobbering praise on the man who would be king.
Having the world’s richest guy as your buddy has its upside, for sure. But from the peanut gallery, it’s hard to tell who’s benefitting more from the unnatural symbiosis. Elon gets the much-needed spotlight and the ego strokes of being the big guy’s unofficial financier. Trump, on the other hand, gets money and the prestige of playing puppet master to the guy whose ego is second only to his.
The big question is, how long can two giant egos inhabit the same biosphere? If there is one thing Trump can’t handle, it’s being upstaged. Musk, on the other hand, needs attention so badly that it’s only a matter of time before Trump will have to take him down to size.
It’s going to be better than Real Housewives. Picture Elon Musk in a bomber jacket driving a Tesla over a cliff. Now that’s entertainment.
New Year’s Resolution: News Blackout!
Hey Wilson, have you heard from folks who are going cold turkey on the news? Turning on the news has, for many,
become like sticking your finger in the electric outlet. After a while, you realize it just doesn’t feel that good.
How many times do you have to hear that Trump has chosen a rabid whack-job to head the FBI, Homeland Security, EPA, CDC, etc., etc., etc.? Argh! People can take only so much before they self-medicate.
That’s why the staff here at Smart Bomb prefers newspapers. See Wilson, with a newspaper, if you don’t like the headline you can just skip the story. That can save precious brain cells when contemplating things like Trump’s need for revenge. (Lord knows the staff here at Smart Bomb has to conserve brain cells, self-medication notwithstanding.)
The Orange Monster’s strategy by now is quite clear: Mess up our institutions to the point where they make the zoo’s primate house look like Sunday school. His subversive cabinet picks are actually a two-edged sword—beyond driving Dems and progressives mad, hominids throughout the world are bracing for the Apocalypse. How’d you like to be in Ukraine, right now, Wilson? Gaza? Lebanon? Mexico? Canada? They didn’t vote for Trump, but they’ll get his wrath just the same.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to Black Friday/Cyber Monday
Like Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. Like it or not, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now part of our Christmas holiday lexicon, right along with Santa Claus, decking the halls and jingle bells.
But wait, what does Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Jesus the Christ, let alone Cyber Monday? Santa is a tradition that may have started with St. Nicholas, who gave gifts to children in A.D. 280 in what is now Turkey. St. Nick didn’t show up in the New World until 1773 and slowly evolved into Santa Claus, who rides around the globe in an airborne sleigh delivering all kinds of presents.
Traditions don’t necessarily have to have anything to do with anything: We’ve always done it so we have to keep doing it. Now—in this country, anyway—Black Friday and Cyber Monday are knocking on tradition’s door. Black Friday
was coined as the day when retailers broke out of red ink. But like Cyber Monday, it has become an excuse to sell stuff. This, of course, is all in the name of Christmas shopping, which is supposed to be about the celebration of Christ. Only 20 shopping days left! In the spirit of giving, we have to buy stuff and more stuff.
What would Jesus, the champion of the poor, make of our Christmas season? Luke 12:13 (GW)—“Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about having a lot of material possessions.”
Feliz Navidad.
Postscript—That’s a wrap for another week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of Druids so you don’t have to. Born from ancient Irish Celts, Druids don’t observe Christmas, they celebrate the Winter Solstice on or around Dec. 21—you know, when the days begin to grow longer. It’s also known as Yule and Midwinter, a day sacred to Sun Gods.
According to The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids: “Although the Bible indicates that Jesus was born in the Spring, it is no accident that the early Church chose to move his official birthday to the time of the Midwinter Solstice—for it is indeed a time when the Light enters the darkness of the World, and we see again the building of Christianity on the foundations of earlier belief.”
Merry Stonehenge. No Wilson, I don’t think we qualify as Jack Druids, although it does have a ring to it.
The Ethiopian Christian Orthodox don’t celebrate Christmas either. This denomination—among the oldest Christian denominations still operating today—does, however, observe the holiday Timkat on Jan. 19 and 20, celebrating the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. The joyous occasion is the biggest festivity of the year in the majorityChristian African nation, but does not include gift-giving— no Black Friday, no Cyber Monday, no Santa Claus.
But if you’re not looking forward to the inauguration of Trump on Jan. 20, it wouldn’t be a bad place to be. CW
Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net.
HITS & MISSES
BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele
MISS: Sort and Deport
We saw them coming, and yet America opened its arms to the second coming of Japanese-American internment. This time, though, pretty much any nonwhite residents should watch their backs as Trump’s immigration goons approach. In Utah, this includes Gov. Spencer Cox. Sure, he says the state welcomes refugees and legal immigrants, but will it? Not all—in fact very few—undocumented people are criminals. A National Institute of Justice study found “undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate ... for property crimes.” Never mind, crime was a great motivator, much like fear, in this last election, and Cox is riding the wave of disinformation and self-preservation.
MISS: ID Checks
Here comes Rep. Kera Birkeland again, riding the wave of transgender hatred that surely will keep her safe from men in women’s bathrooms. Now the Morgan Republican wants real enforcement and assurances that no transgender people will be changing their official IDs. It’s a big deal, for sure. An estimated 0.6% of adults—about 1.4 million people nationwide—identify as transgender. In Utah, it’s 0.36%, according to the Williams Institute. The University of California at San Francisco estimates that 1 in 30,000 people are transwomen, while 1 in 100,000 are transmen worldwide. You can see why Birkeland is worried. For every 29,999 people going into a bathroom, you can expect to see one transwoman there doing something nefarious. Apparently, we’re not as worried about transmen because we’re OK with women in men’s bathrooms. It’s bound to be interesting, since the Utah Supreme Court has ruled that trans Utahns have a right to change their personal legal status.
HIT: Star Light, Star Bright
While Utah’s urban centers and LDS temples beam their lights to the heavens, Southern Utah is planning to douse the electric displays and open the skies to the stars. The Stellar Vista Observatory and Kane County Water Conservancy District, with the support of former Rep. Mike Noel, are looking at an observatory to enhance educational opportunities and tourism. Utah “has the most extensive naturally dark night skies and the greatest concentration of internationally recognized Dark Sky Places anywhere in the developed world,” says Lisa Stoner, coordinator for the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative. Noel is the manager of the water district, which gave pause to a few commenters at the Deseret News But even if Noel somehow benefits from the observatory, so will countless students and visitors. In his own words: “It’s a chance to foster a love for science among the young minds of our community, sparking a passion that could shape the future.”
BY BRYAN YOUNG
Cold Plunge
As winter sets in and temperatures drop, it’s important the unsheltered have a place where they won’t freeze to death. It’s literally the least we can do—it’s also mandated by state law for communities to have plans for warming centers on nights that drop below a certain temperature.
In a sane world, we wouldn’t need warming centers—we’d provide housing, alongside a robust social safety net. We shouldn’t need warming centers because everyone should have a warm place of their own. Studies prove it’s cheaper to house folks and it’s definitely more humane and Christian. But Christian Conservatism, despite its name, is hardly Christian nor interested in conserving money. It’s interested in owning the libs and punishing the tired, poor, huddled masses.
Look no further than Fruit Heights in Davis County. The Mountain Road Church offered itself as a warming center on cold nights. What’s more Christian than a church opening its doors to offer refuge? Neighbors packed meetings to complain until the pastor was forced to rescind the offer. Naturally, this is also a highly religious community that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, someone who doesn’t represent any Christian ideals.
Pointing out their hypocrisy doesn’t really matter. They don’t care. They have a scale of priorities and the top of their list is “ME!” Many residents cited unfounded fears around “safety.” Wayne Niederhauser, the state’s man on homelessness, told Fox 13 on Nov. 7 that last year, warming centers were only open for roughly 30 days—without a single reported safety issue.
Kaysville is taking a stronger stand. Republican mayor Tamara Tran vowed to “do everything in my power to prevent” a warming center. Instead, Kaysville’s best offer was a “warming bus.” I can only guess where that bus might head ... Salt Lake City, perhaps? A city that practices what they preach.
You’ll hear people call Salt Lake City a trash hole because of homelessness, but where else should the unsheltered go? At least here, they’ll get “Christian” treatment—services, warming and resource centers and other help.
It’s not perfect—trust me, the city has a long way to go. Salt Lake should go housing first. Who will pay for it, you ask? Again, it’s cheaper to pony that money up than what we’re doing now. We’re already paying for it. Moving toward housing first would just take the pain out for the unsheltered, and that’s no fun for conservatives.
Yes, our neighbors are hypocrites. They hate Salt Lake City for doing the things their religions say they should be doing. And yes, they hate that kindness would be cheaper.
But cruelty is the point.
With Donald Trump taking office, NIMBYs are only going to be emboldened to fight against sensible things. Next they’ll be railing against street lights, libraries, clean air and water.
It’s bad. And yet, something tells me that they are about to make things even worse. CW
A&E
I’m Streaming of a Movie Christmas
Hallmark not scratching the holiday itch? Try these new Christmas flicks instead.
BY BILL FROST COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET
T
he Hallmark Channel has been flooding the zone with new Christmas movies since October, so your pumpkin-spiced numbness to the holiday season is justified. But, there are a few recent and yetto-be-released movies that break from the Hallmark Industrial Complex norms of holiday flicks. If none of these put you in the Yuletide spirit, just stream The Hebrew Hammer on a perpetual loop.
Hot Frosty (Netflix): City Weekly film critic Scott Renshaw has already covered this one at CityWeekly.net, but Hot Frosty (no relation) warrants another mention. When widowed Kathy (Queen of Christmas Lacey Chabert) wraps a scarf around a hunky snow sculpture, he magically transforms into flesh-and-blood-and-six-packed Jack (Dustin Milligan, Schitt’s Creek). Kathy and the town of Hope Springs (good one) love Jack, while Netflix scores a #HotFrosty moment: “This movie is terrible. I love it.”
The Merry Gentlemen (Netflix): Former Broadway dancer Ashley (Britt Robertson) stages a Christmas-themed dance revue to save her parents’ struggling bar, The Rhythm Room. The rub? It’s a sexy, all-male bump-and-grind show—The Full Monty, minus the Monties. In two shakes
of the jingle bells, Ashley falls for dancer Luke (Chad Michael Murray), who has the moves of Magic Mike and the hair of a sentient Ken doll. Romance aside, how is a bar named The Rhythm Room not already a strip club?
The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland (Hulu, Prime Video): Mashing up The Night Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland, The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland also features purposefully janky animation and the voice of Gerard Butler as a rapping St. Nick. Throw in Emilia Clarke as a decapitation-obsessed Queen of Hearts who routinely comments on all of this nonsense, and you have a Christmas movie that, like Joker: Folie à Deux, might someday be hailed as a classic. Or not.
Dear Santa (Paramount+; Nov. 25): When a young boy inks a typo on his Christmas wish list to the North Pole, his letter ends up in the mailbox of Satan (Jack Black). Not to accuse the Farrelly Broth-
ers of poaching a plot, but this hews eerily close to the 2020 Syfy movie Letters to Satan Claus (don’t bother looking for it; the Christmas Illuminati has vanished the flick). Anyway: Satan shows the kid a better time than Santa ever could, from shooting craps to meeting Post Malone (Posty himself). Children, take note.
Our Little Secret (Netflix; Nov. 27): The Lohanissance continues with Lindsay Lohan’s latest Netflix outing, a holiday rom-com that reunites her with Mean Girls co-star Tim Meadows (not much of a hook, but it’ll do). Avery (Lohan) and her new boyfriend travel to his parents’ home for Christmas, only to discover that her ex (Ian Harding) is also there because he’s dating Avery’s new beau’s sister … whew. Bonus point for introducing THC gummies into the holiday mix (they really do work).
Carry-On (Netflix; Dec. 13): If you’re the type that believes Die Hard is a Christmas movie (I’ll even go so far as to say it’s a
Christmas musical, but that’s a whole other thing), Carry-On might be for you. TSA agent Ethan (Taron Egerton) is blackmailed into letting a dangerous suitcase slip through security by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman, whose character is named The Mysterious Traveler). CarryOn director Jaume Collet-Serra also did Non-Stop and The Commuter, so he knows tight-quarters action.
The Holiday Junkie (Lifetime; Dec. 14): No, it’s not a Christmas-y sequel to Trainspotting. The Holiday Junkie is the misleading name of a small-town decorating and planning service owned by Andie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who’s now running the business solo after the death of her mother. Surprisingly, The Holiday Junkie is Hewitt’s first-ever Christmas movie after years of watching her Party of Five co-star Chabert snag all the roles. Now, let’s pitch Neve Campbell on that Trainspotting sequel. CW
Hot Frosty
theESSENTIALS
Salt Lake Acting Company: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!
For more than 20 years, writer/illustrator Mo Willems has been creating a series of lively picture books about the adventures of a strong-willed pigeon whose personality might seem familiar to anyone who has ever had or cared for a pre-schooler. As such, it made perfect source material for composer Deborah Wicks LaPuma, who has created many wonderful works for young audiences, including Willems’ own Elephant & Piggie’s ‘We Are in a Play’ (previously produced by Salt Lake Acting Company). The Caldecott Honor-winning Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! finds our bird protagonist desperately wanting a chance to take a spin behind the wheel, with only the readers of the book serving as the voice of reason. That kind of audience participation works perfectly for a stage presentation, as SLAC’s annual appropriate-for-all-ages holiday show shows in its regional premiere of the 2021 show. Combining lively songs with live actors, puppets and plenty of feathers, the story of Pigeon comes to life in a way that will be a delight for kids of all ages, and the kid inside the grown-ups who come with them. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! runs Dec. 6 – 30 at Salt Lake Acting Company (168 W. 500 North), with performances Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at noon and 3 p.m., with select mid-week dates. Each performance runs a kid-friendly 60 minutes, and includes a cast-member “talkback” at the end. Tickets are $17 - $27; visit saltlakeactingcompany.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)
Gift Guide
CityWeekly’sannualshop-smallinitiativeisan easyone.It’stheseasonofBlackFridaydeals, cyberMondaydiscountsandsoon.Asyoudoso, rememberthatdollarsspentlocallybyandlarge staylocal.JeffBezosdoesn’tneedyourmoney. Thoseholidaydollarsmeansomuchmoreto yourneighborhoodmomandpopshop. Checkouttheshopsinthisyear’sgiftguide, supportCityWeeklyadvertisersthatkeepthis paperfreeandalwaysshoplocal!
theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,
Complete listings online at cityweekly.net
Maria Bamford
The late, great Richard Pryor aside, Maria Bamford may be the most honest and unflinching comedian to ever share stand-up. Diagnosed with depression and bipolar disease, she was hospitalized three times over the course of 18 months after a series of nervous breakdowns. She speaks freely on such subjects as anxiety, suicidal ideation and a dysfunctional family, taking an unflinching approach that’s often dark and selfdeprecating but always affecting.
DECEMBER 5-11, 2024
Aside from her semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite and three hour-long critically-acclaimed stand-up specials—“Weakness is the Brand,” “Old Baby” and “Maria Bamford, the special, special, special!”—she’s also been cited as the first female comic to score two half-hour Comedy Central specials. She created and starred in the popular web series The Maria Bamford Show, in which she played all the roles. Bamford accumulated additional success through voiceover work, the part she played on the series Arrested Development, multiple comedy albums, and a best-selling book, tellingly titled Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere. The 2014 winner of the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic, she was once acclaimed by the New York Times for having humor that “relies not so much on punch lines as it does on the impeccably timed swerves of her tone, the interplay between Bamford’s persona and those of all the people who don’t get her.”
Maria Bamford performs two 21+ shows at Wiseguys Gateway (190 S. 400 West) on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 pm. Tickets are $35 at wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)
theESSENTIALS
Utah Authors Day
Do you know a writer? You might not even be aware that you do, considering the way this work generally takes place in such a solitary way, but our state is filled with talented writers working in every possible genre, and often joining forces for support and feedback with other fellow creators in the League of Utah Writers. For the fourth year, LUW—in conjunction with an official gubernatorial proclamation—takes to many of the state’s bookstores and libraries for a day celebrating their work. And you can meet many of them on Utah Authors Day. More than 70 local authors are currently scheduled to participate in 17 statewide events on the first Saturday in December, spanning six counties. In Salt Lake County, you can find events at Under the Umbrella (511 W. 200 South, Ste. 120), Eborn Books (The Shops at South Towne, 10450 S. State St., Sandy), The King’s English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East), The Book Box (58 E. 12300 South, Ste. C, Draper) and The Printed Garden (9445 S. Union Square, Ste. A, Sandy). Additional events are currently scheduled for Davis County, Utah County, Washington County, Wasatch County and Weber County. Whether you want something for yourself, or as a Christmas gift for the reader on your list, there’s bound to be something for everyone (plus a chance to get an autographed copy).
Utah Authors Day events take place Saturday, Dec. 7 throughout Utah. Visit leagueofutahwriters.com/utahauthorsday for a full schedule of events, or follow the social media of individual venues for additional information about writers who will be visiting each location. (SR)
From Our Friends At
Merry Cats-mas
A new
animated feature, plus December’s
special screenings
BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw
Flow BBB ½
We live in an age of ever-advancing filmmaking technology, but I’ll gladly sacrifice state-of-the-art for something that feels dedicated to basic, engaging storytelling principles. This minimalist, wordless animated feature from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis is set in a post-human world, where a solitary cat attempts to survive in the midst of an apocalyptic flood, eventually requiring the assistance of other animals like a capybara, a lemur and a previously-antagonistic dog. To say that the animation is primitive would be an understatement; some of the rendering feels like it could have come out of a 1990s Pixar short. Fortunately, that rarely matters, since the moment-to-moment adventures of the feline protagonist are presented so effectively, and with a keen sense of visual narrative-building. Zilbalodis and co-screenwriter Matīss Kaža don’t explicitly anthropomorphize the animals—although some of them do seem strangely savvy about the concept of how a boat’s rudder works—nor do they go out of their way to explain either the absence of the humans, the possible cause of the flood or even the geography where a lemur and a capybara coexist in the same landscape. They’re simply concerned with a tale about how theoretical enemies can become allies in times of crisis, mixed
with a good old-fashioned survival yarn. If there’s one lesson we’re learning in the AI era, it’s that no increase in computing capacity is a substitute for real artistic creativity. Available Dec. 6 in theaters. (NR)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS:
The Sound of Music: Sing With Maria: It may not be socially acceptable to belt “Defying Gravity” along with the current screen version of Wicked, but here’s a chance to indulge your inner Broadway diva in a sanctioned setting. The beloved, Oscarwinning 1965 version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical—about a young woman who leaves convent life to become nanny to a widower’s children in 1930s Austria—returns for its annual visit to the Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. 300 South) for a sing-along version. Join in the chorus for “Do Re Mi,” “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria,” the title song and more, with a presentation that also includes trivia, props, costume contest,
tea-and-cookies intermission and more. Showtimes are 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 14. Tickets are $25 per person. slfs.org
Frozen Sing-along @ Park City Eccles Center: Wait, you still haven’t gotten enough of belting it out amongst your fellow moviegoers? Disney’s original 2014 Frozen allows you to let loose on all of the animated hit’s songs—including “Love is an Open Door,” “In Summer” and, of course, the Oscar-winning “Let It Go”—in a special presentation at Park City’s Eccles Center (1750 Kearns Blvd.) on Monday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. The event includes prizes for a costume contest. Tickets are $13.55 - $24.60. parkcityinstitute.org
SLFS Holidays: In addition to the aforementioned Sound of Music holiday tradition, the Salt Lake Film Society offers several other holiday classics throughout the month of December. Drop in for bigscreen showings of Eyes Wide Shut (Dec. 6, 7
p.m.), Die Hard (Dec. 13, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.) and It’s a Wonderful Life (Dec. 20, 7 p.m.), plus expanded runs of A Muppet Christmas Carol (opening Dec. 15) and Gremlins (opening Dec. 29). Visit the website for ticketing. slfs.org
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout: Did you know that some of the most celebrated stars in movie history—including John Wayne and Susan Hayward—might have died as a result of filming on radiationtainted land in Utah? This new documentary explores the legacy of the 1956 historical drama The Conqueror, chronicling the dangerous production decisions involving areas impacted by nuclear testing that could have contributed to multiple instances of cancer. Doug Fabrizio moderates a post-film conversation with director William Nunez and producer Doug Waller at the Salt Lake City Main Library auditorium (210 E. 400 South) on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m., free to the public with online RSVP. utahfilmcenter.org
At the time of its creation, Salt Lake City’s Rose Park neighborhood was a masterplanned development community intended to meet post-war demand for affordable mid-size housing.
DESERT ROSE
SMALLER LOTS, WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER LESSONS FROM SALT LAKE CITY’S POST-WAR HOUSING CRISIS.
BY M’LISA DALL COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET
n the years following the second World War, Utah’s local newspapers were filled with reports on the scarcity of affordable homes.
“The housing situation in metropolitan Salt Lake still remains acute.” The Salt Lake Telegram alerted its readers on December 24, 1946. “A great deal has been done, but the shortage now is nearly as bad as a year ago.”
Less than two years later, in June of 1948, another Telegram report highlighted the plight of the Raymond family—two parents and five children below the age of seven—who were compelled to abandon their search for a home and instead sleep in their car, which they parked downtown at the City and County Building in protest.
“The mayor has appealed for help for the family,” the Telegram noted, “asking anyone who could offer suitable housing to call his office.”
While it’s too late to offer shelter to the Raymonds, similar news reports today echo the plight of analogous families in and around Salt Lake City.
Home prices have soared in recent years, putting Utahns in stiff competition for available housing and the pace of construction perpetually falls short of the outsized demands for new units.
“Some people, after seeing the market, have said they might wait until home prices go down,” said Megan Beckstead, a local realtor who specializes in residential relocation. “I believe that the average age of a first-time home buyer is now 35. That’s interesting to me; I bought my first home at age 23.”
It’s been said that history repeats itself, and while that’s not exactly true, history does frequently rhyme. Since Salt Lake City has been here before, what lessons can be drawn from the decisions of our past?
Heirloom and Hybrid Varieties
During World War II, life on the homefront had been one of shortages. Diverting resources to the war effort meant the rationing of food, penicillin, gas, tires (actually anything rubber), automobiles, synthetic materials (thus the jokes about women faking nylon stockings with a tan and an eyebrow pencil) and metal items such as radios, furniture and appliances. Naturally, there was also a moratorium on new building construction and renovations.
Transitioning to a peacetime economy, while remarkably fast in retrospect, did not appear so at the time. Returning G.I.s had to continue fighting, only now for jobs and housing.
Much of the job shortages were eased when women—recruited by the War Manpower Commission at the start of the war to fill in for men while they were deployed—relinquished
(willingly or unwillingly) their jobs to a veteran. Later, as industry swiveled away from war production, new jobs were created.
The housing market, on the other hand, carried pre-existing challenges that required more time to fix. The Great Depression of the 1930s, followed by moratoriums on building during the war years, left an array of buildings that were old, in need of repair or renovation and completely out of step with the zeitgeist.
This new attitude had returned home with the veterans. They were, generally speaking, focused on building a stable future, setting down roots and getting a piece of the freedom they had successfully wrestled away from fascist governments. Many were restless, opting to move to new places for a fresh start.
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (aka The G.I. Bill) was created as an answer to these needs.
Continued on page 20
It established hospitals, made low-interest mortgages available and granted stipends covering tuition and expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools. While the G.I. Bill spanned into the 1950s, between 1944 and 1949 it awarded nearly $4 billion to roughly 9 million veterans, according to a 2010 study by the editors at History.com. All this money and opportunity for advanced education led to a boom in housing throughout the United States. Salt Lake City was no exception and received a steady stream of immigrants.
Where to house them all? Limited by natural barriers—the mountains, wetlands, farmland and desert—Salt Lake development focused on in-filling whatever space was available as well as spreading out wherever possible.
An article from The Salt Lake Telegram on October 9, 1947, features a photo (obviously posed) of a man, a woman and a child sitting on suitcases that are perched atop the bare rolling foothills of Salt Lake.
The man points to a line of newly constructed homes along the next hill, while the caption explains how the Danish tool and die maker is attempting to learn English and locate a place to live.
“Pointing out Salt Lake’s march upon the mountains is K.G. Rasmussen,” the text reads, “who has found that, despite 113 new subdivisions in the area, living places are as scarce as in Copenhagen, Denmark, whence he recently emigrated.”
Such a burgeoning market was ripe with opportunity both for the upright and the nefarious. Sub-quality building standards and predatory lending practices occurred alongside more honest operations. Elizabeth Gordon, editor of House Beautiful magazine, gave the flim-flam artists a severe reproof in 1947.
Desperate war veterans, she warned, were being swindled when they buy dwellings being thrown together today by a rapacious building industry
“The planners embraced the newly proposed I-15 freeway system and integrated it into the neighborhood’s layout. This access was used as a selling point for Rose Park’s convenient commute to the airport and military bases.”
concerned only with profits. “What a chance to produce for a million American families modern pleasing up-to-date homes, which can be lived in with comfort and enjoyed with pride! But are we doing that? Are we taking advantage of this moment? Are the builders, the planners, the real estate men getting together and creating such thoroughly liveable homes?”
Gordon responded to her own question: “The answer is a tragic no! Reactionary, obstinate, restrictive, frightened of change, unimaginative, profit-bent only, the building industry is turning out thousands of cracker boxes for thousands of veterans and nonveterans, all desperate and house ignorant, clamoring solely for a roof over their heads, unmindful of their fearful destiny; the sickening realization a few years hence that they have mortgaged their incomes for houses which are ten to thirty years out of date— both in plan and materials.”
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose
Into this situation stepped Alan Brockbank. As a housing developer and realtor in Salt Lake, Brockbank saw opportunity in an sparsely populated area then called Oakley Park—a plot northwest of downtown Salt Lake City defined by the Jordan River, the railroad line, marshes, slues, springs, persistent odors courtesy of a sewage treatment plant and Utah Oil & Refining’s sludge pit.
But looking past this “blight” (as per MappingSLC. org), Brockbank envisioned a beautiful neighborhood filled with trees, rose gardens and well-built, affordable homes—conveniently close to the capital city.
When bidding for the land opened, Brockbank discovered that he was competing with three other development entities. It’s unknown now how a consensus was made but in the end, Brockbank’s company Federal Homes Inc. served as prime developer alongside the other companies—Doxey-Layton Realty, Stayner Richards Realty and Edward J. Homes— who according to a 1947 article in The Salt Lake Tribune
all agreed to work in conjunction. Construction on what became the Rose Park neighborhood began in 1946, with the first move-in recorded as September 21, 1947—10 days ahead of New York’s similarly conceived but much more famous Levittown.
While Levittown does feature some curvilinear streets, Brockbank, staying true to his original vision, layed his neighborhood out in a flora (or “rose”) pattern. The renamed neighborhood also featured predetermined lots set aside for schools, churches, business nodes and other community spaces. The homes were similarly situated but not uniformly cookiecutter in their design, likely due in part to there being four development companies involved in the process.
Additionally, as neighborhood historian Heidi Steed recently told City Weekly, “the planners embraced the newly proposed I-15 freeway system and integrated it into the neighborhood’s layout. This access was used as a selling point for Rose Park’s convenient commute to the airport and military bases.”
The quality of the homes earned recognition as well. The Deseret News on August 18, 1949, announced that Salt Lake had been selected as one of two cities in the nation to feature a special open house spotlighting specific homes. Brockbank, architect Fred L. Markham and associate designer Rowe Smith were lauded for the Rose Park project.
“A demonstration of how quality can be built into moderately priced homes,” the News wrote, “the homes to be shown will feature intelligent use of material, comfort, liveability and beauty.”
Phase two of the Rose Park construction ended in the 1950s and since then, the suburb has dealt with and resolved several environmental issues. Most daunting was the sludge pit. Named a Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it was permanently contained and capped in 1983 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Despite these and many other challenges, Rose Park has remained vital and is currently experiencing a revitalization.
Before it became Rose Park, this area of Salt Lake City was impacted by nearby industrial waste sites and marshland.
- Heidi Steed, neighborhood historian
HEIDI STEED
COURTESY PHOTO
Continued from page 18
“The challenge in front of us now is to continue to grow but to not become gentrified to a point where this is no longer true. The dream needs to remain open to all, not just those with great personal wealth.”
“Rose Park is where the American dream is alive and well.” says City Councilmember Victoria Petro, whose district includes the neighborhood. “The challenge in front of us now is to continue to grow but to not become gentrified to a point where this is no longer true. The dream needs to remain open to all, not just those with great personal wealth.”
Cultivating a Polyculture
History is indeed repeating itself, whether residents want it to or not. Salt Lake is growing and must find ways to accommodate both would-be residents and its current residents as their needs and life circumstances change.
Unfettered from past racial practices such as redlining (Rose Park, like many SLC subdivisions, was originally deed-restricted to white residents only), community leaders say it can find wise solutions to its problems.
Solutions, however, do not have to be made pellmell. City councils determine where and in what fashion their cities allow for development. Ideally, urban planners will draw from a wide range of disciplines—engineering, architectural, social and political science—to set priorities and weigh the consequences of various choices.
Alessandro Rigolon, Ph.D., an associate professor and program coordinator in the University of Utah’s Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, explained that the array of charming neighborhoods comprising Salt Lake City have one thing in common: they were largely established prior to industrialization and before dependence on the private automobile.
“Neighborhoods built prior to industrialization display a level of craftsmanship that is difficult to find elsewhere, so there’s already a great deal of historical character,” he said. “The lots tend to be smaller, so the neighborhood feels compact, which encourages foot traffic. Because there’s a mix-use
of space, people can easily walk to grocery stores, coffee shops and various other businesses.”
But zoning restrictions put into place by the Salt Lake City Council years later prohibited this type of pro-pedestrian, mixed-use neighborhood design, Rigolon noted, and also regulated the size of lots. While ostensibly intended to prevent overcrowding, the effect of these regulations—which were replicated in virtually every Utah city—stacked the deck in favor of larger, more expensive housing units catering to car ownership.
“Current zoning laws require large lots of 5,000 square feet” Rigolon said. “Until zoning laws change, or the demand for McMansions drops off, there is no incentive to create smaller lots.”
These post-war zoning rules also concentrated multi-family housing into a limited number of areas around the city, and made it difficult to build and sell so-called “missing middle” housing like rowhouses, cottage courts and townhomes.
Beckstead said that many of her clients are reluctant to purchase apartments or other multi-family units that have the appearance of apartments. At the same time, she adds, the housing market offers very little by way of townhomes or duplexes where an owner can build equity, and most detached, single family homes are unattainable.
“Lots of single people don’t want big homes but they do want an outdoor space,” she said. “There are no homes for them in Utah—they’re either out of price range or too large. There are no starter homes for newlyweds or those with one child.”
Frequently when a small neighborhood shop closes, it is replaced by something less than charming. This, Rigolon explains, is reflective of the dual responsibilities held by city councils.
“Individually, city council members may prefer the little shop, but they also have a responsibility to the city to provide revenue,” he said. “The tax revenue of an apartment building far exceeds what it replaced.”
Rigolon said it’s easy for observers to deride developers, but their job is like that of any other profession: producing and selling goods that people want to buy. That’s why it’s important to find and cultivate developers who are civic-minded.
“They are people, not a monolith, and cover the range of human nature,” Rigolon observed of homebuilders. “Some drop in long enough to complete a job and then leave. Others are civic actors concerned with improving the community.”
By Any Other Name
Keeping these factors in mind, it becomes clear what a rare flower Rose Park is. Mistakes aside (of which there are many), this neighborhood is the result of the confluence of demand, timing, opportunity, funding, sympathetic legislation and imagination as well as developers, architects and planners who cared about their legacy and that of the community. This is a rather long list to replicate, but cities should try.
Additionally, Rose Park embodies most of the qualities that go into desirable neighborhoods: visual beauty, walkability, mixed use, craftsmanship and a sense of community. Extensive damage from windstorms in 2020 took down thousands of trees, but the area has been replanted. The capped sludge pit is now Rosewood Park, an outdoor community site featuring a skate park and soccer fields. Once part of the discriminatory practice of redlining, the Rose Park of today is rich with ethnic and religious diversity.
The Wasatch Front is currently facing some daunting housing problems, but none that haven’t been seen before. And as history includes both positive and negative responses to these challenges, it also shows the benefit of prioritizing long-term results over short-term solutions.
As Elizabeth Gordon asked, “Are we taking advantage of this moment? Are the builders, the planners, the real estate men getting together and creating such thoroughly liveable homes?” CW
- Victoria Petro, Salt Lake City Councilmember
“The lots tend to be smaller, so the neighborhood feels compact, which encourages foot traffic. Because there’s a mix-use of space, people can easily walk to grocery stores, coffee shops and various other businesses.”
- Alessandro Rigolon, U of U associate professor
COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO
NEWS
Hit the Dirt
Foothills utility project adds a new chapter to Salt Lake City’s trail wars.
BY JOSI HINDS COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET
Salt Lakers who walk or bike along the Foothills trail system might have noticed a few changes recently. Last month, Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) began phase three of its fire mitigation project.
This project seeks to replace aging, wooden transmission poles with new metallic ones to lower the risk of wildfires. But to get to the transmission poles, RMP dug anywhere from 10- to 20-foot-wide access roads along existing platforms or trails in the Foothills.
“It’s no secret that there have been utility-caused wildfires across the U.S.,” said RMP spokesperson Jona Whitesides. “So [we’re] really trying to find that balance between making those changes, but then also trying to minimize the impact in the areas that we’re doing.”
However, the digging for RMP’s access roads has been a cause of concern for some Salt Lakers.
“I can’t [use the trails] because all I see is the destruction,” said Hilary Jacobs, a founding member of Save Our Foothills.
Save Our Foothills is a conservation organization that has advocated for responsible trail planning since its founding in 2021. When Jacobs saw the new access roads, she was upset that the city had allowed this to happen.
Meanwhile, city officials said that environmental impact has always been considered in the planning of this project. The Public Utilities department owns a large portion of Foothills land for infrastructure like water tanks and department officials say they’ve worked with RMP to identify routes and access points.
“[We’re] trying to minimize [the impact to] where they’re going to go by allowing them to go on some of the areas that were already disturbed,” said Jesse Stewart, deputy director of Public Utilities.
In some cases, RMP can use one
road to get to several transmission poles, Stewart said. However, other cases require the creation of a new access road to ensure crew workers have a safe way to get to the poles. This might be the case if there’s an obstruction in the planned pathway, too steep a grade, or if revegetating a certain area would be more difficult than creating a new road.
“It might look like a little more impact because they’re not going pole to pole,” he said. “But it actually alleviates some of the risk of going pole to pole, and then might help with some of the ultimate restoration.”
However, people like Jacobs and geologist Dan Schelling, who is also a founding member of Save Our Foothills, worry that the area’s arid climate and rocky soil might make restoration difficult. They both want to make sure revegetation in the area is managed well and to a high standard.
“Think in terms of rewilding, getting native plants back and ensuring that you’ve set it up so that the animals can return and the birds can return, that’s sort of what we want at this point,” Schelling stressed.
Tyler Fonarow, recreational trails manager for the Department of Public Lands, said that restoration will take several years and that the city will help supervise it. RMP will contract with Kay-Linn Enterprises, an outdoor recreation advising company that participated in previous work for the Foothills, to oversee restoration.
But restoration isn’t the only problem some have raised with this project. An alleged lack of transparency has been a concern as well.
For example, one group of residents from Edgehill Road in the Upper Avenues claimed they were never made aware that an access road was going to be dug from the end of Edgehill until after it had already been cut. Concerns from these residents were addressed during a meeting between them and city officials at the site of the road.
But Jacobs and Schelling said they feel blindsided by the project, too, for different reasons. Their Save Our Foothills group organized opposition to a planned expansion of the city’s Foothills trail network, causing those plans to be shelved, and Jacobs reported the group has had a good working relationship with the city ever since that effort.
“Then it seems that actually they’ve been kind of talking out of both sides of the mouth because we’ve learned things that they didn’t reveal that they were working on that were sort of in violation of not only what the pause was with the city for building trails, but also a violation of trust,” Jacobs said.
The Foothills were home to an extensive number of informal trails before the city started formalizing some and constructing new ones in 2020. Save Our Foothills accused the city of failing to catalog existing trails and failing to communicate with Native American leaders over how to develop the land responsibly.
“That’s why we, as Save Our Foothills, are in shock,” Schelling said.
“We thought we had an agreement that we would look at these things carefully and come up with the best way of dealing with them.”
Some trail proponents, however, question the motives of those opposed to expansion, as adjacent landowners have objected to the increased public visitation by trail users that would follow improvement. In addition to preventing the development of public trails, avenues residents have also objected to public transit and new housing construction in the affluent neighborhood.
For the city, the access roads created by the RMP project have offered an opportunity to restart executing
plans for the Foothills trail system. This is after several advising groups, including Kay-Linn Enterprises, studied the previous plan and made new recommendations.
These recommendations included creating a stakeholder group, a new Foothill Open Space Zone to facilitate city management of the trails, better signage and a formal trail system rather than a cluster of informal, unmanaged trails.
“We can say we’re actively integrating this user trail or social trail, too, because we feel like it’s an asset to our system,” Fonarow notes. “Or, we passively let it go because it’s not inhibiting much, or if it’s degrading the environment poorly, then we will act on it by restoring it to its natural state as much as we can.”
Fonarow said the collaboration between Kay-Linn Enterprises and the city will help make this a reality as both can work together to formalize some trails while rehabilitating the landscape. However, the city has not released funds to Public Lands to actually build or formalize any trails yet. The project’s plans are still being finalized and a stakeholder group is being formed.
RMP’s current activity in the Foothills is part of the third phase of its fire mitigation project. The fourth phase is scheduled to commence in 2025 and cover the area from North Bench to the Capitol. CW
Tis the Season for Shawarma
Gyro shawarma and halal hot dogs await you at this new addition to Main Street.
BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer
During my culinary travels throughout the Wasatch Front, I’ve been fortunate to come upon a few shawarma joints. Some of these are better than others, but it wasn’t until I visited the recently opened Shawarma Shack that I realized what the others may have been missing. Located at the back of the popular Market on Main Street across from Gallivan Plaza, Shawarma Shack is full of metropolitan appeal. I’m usually never going to shy away from shawarma and falafel, but I have to say that Shawarma Shack’s versions are in the top-tier of what you can get locally. On top of that, there is something special about dining on these Middle Eastern classics in the bodega-style setting that Shawarma Shack has adopted.
Perhaps it was because I visited Shawarma Shack on a particularly gloomy November afternoon, but retreating into the far reaches of this landmark convenience store for some classic Middle Eastern comfort food was a rejuvenating experience. I had skipped breakfast, so I decided to get a few items from the restaurant’s well-curated menu. It’s divided up into platters, wraps and hot dogs–which were a bit on the unexpected side.
Shawarma Shack is a halal restaurant, which means that its all-beef hot dogs–
DINE
or dawgs, as the menu describes–are indeed halal.
As the hot dogs had me the most curious, that’s where I started my order. The menu includes both the Big Beef Dawg ($5.95) and the Big Chili Cheese Dawg ($6.95). I went with the latter because it seemed like the obvious choice. When it arrived, I was happy to see that it had no shortage of toppings–plenty of chili, some shredded cheese, onions, mustard and pickled jalapeños. It’s a decentlysized dog for just shy of seven bucks and I’d put it up against any hot dog from here to New York City. It’s tough to beat an allbeef hot dog, and this one has a perfect amount of snap to it. If you’re a fan of hot dogs by any stretch, then you’ll want to give these a try.
From there, I hopped over to the chicken shawarma wrap ($12.95) which captures the heart of the Shawarma Shack’s menu. It’s a lavash-style flatbread stuffed with chicken, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and plenty of hot sauce. It’s an exemplary interpretation of the shawarma–the lettuce and cucumber provide a nice, fresh crunch and the chicken has received a whole lot of love in the seasoning department. It’s got a nice kick from the hot sauce, but there is also a creamy sauce in the mix that balances everything out.
I finished things off with a combo platter ($14.95) that comes with chicken and beef gyro meat served on top of rice. I also opted for a side of falafel ($2.95), which I’d recommend–the crunchy textural contrast is great here. At first glance, the combo platter seems pretty straightforward, but it really delivers in regards to the proteins. You’ve got plenty of that well-prepared chicken, but it’s the slices of beef gyro meat that really send this dish into the flavor stratosphere. Like the shawarma, there is a good amount of heat from the chili sauce–which I really liked–but it also has some of the cream sauce to
calm things down a bit.
Every visit to Shawarma Shack should also be punctuated by an order of baklava ($3.95), which the staff will heat up and drizzle with simple syrup if you prefer. I would definitely recommend this preparation as it makes it easier for the pastry to crumble into a gooey cinnamon and pistachio paradise.
During my visit to Shawarma Shack and my intermittent chit-chat with the staff, it once again became clear to me why restaurants like this remain important to Salt Lake’s downtown scene. For starters, our halal options are quite few and far between–and to my knowledge, this is the only place where you can get a halal hot dog. I’ve always thought that dining out was a bit lopsided for anyone with a dietary restriction, whether it comes from a personal or religious perspective. Shawarma Shack’s central presence in downtown Salt Lake is a welcome bastion for anyone after plant-based or halal food–of course, it helps that the food is great.
I also think its bodega-style digs are important to the local urban landscape. One of the coolest parts about exploring a city is finding a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that just blows you away with its menu. I love food in all its iterations, but it’s the small places tucked into the hidden corners of the country’s metropolitan areas that really pique my culinary curiosity. Salt Lake has a few of these hidden gems, and here’s hoping that Shawarma Shack will continue to share its tasty Middle Eastern classics with the downtown area for a long time to come. CW
SHAWARMA SHACK
268 S. Main Street
801-615-5003
shawarmashack.co
73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com
On Tap: Piney Peaks
avenuesproper.com
On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye
Bewilder Brewing
445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com
On Tap: Festbier
Bohemian Brewery
94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com
On Tap: Steam Lager, Oktoberfest Märzenbier
NEW: BrewSki German Pilsner, Munich Dunkel Bier
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: Playground #13 - Hazy Pale with Lemondrop and Sultana
Craft by Proper
1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com
On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale
Desert Edge Brewery
273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com
On Tap: Ay Curuba! Curuba Sour
Epic Brewing Co.
825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com
On Tap: 2024 Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stouts
Etta Place Cidery
700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com
On Tap: Imperial Cider, RaspberryHibiscus Session Mead
Fisher Brewing Co.
320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com
On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!
Grid City Beer Works
333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com
On Tap: Cask Nitro CO2 Helper Beer
159 N Main Street, Helper, UT helperbeer.com
Hopkins Brewing Co.
1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com
On Tap: Old Merchant Cream Ale
Kiitos Brewing
608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com
Now with a full bar license & draft beer cocktails!
On Tap: Gluten Free Peach Bellini
Sour
Level Crossing Brewing Co.
2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com
On Tap: Rising Hope White Peach
IPA
20% Off all gift cards for holidays
Level Crossing Brewing Co.,
POST
550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com
On Tap: Fresh Hop Little Suss 20% Off all gift cards for holidays
Moab Brewing
686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com
On Tap: Arnie (Co-Lab with 2 Row brewing): cream ale base with Lychee black tea and fresh pasteurized lemon juice.
Mountain West Cider
425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com
On Tap: Cranberry Rosemary Hard Cider
Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA
Ogden Beer Company
358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com
On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers
Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com
On Tap: Tiny Kickturn - Hazy pale with Mosaic, Strata, Cashmere, and Chinook
Policy Kings Brewery
223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com
Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com
On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner
Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com
On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale
Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com
On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale
Red Rock Brewing
254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch
A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week
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: Focus Group Kolsch
Roosters Brewing
Multiple Locations
RoostersBrewingCo.com
On Tap: Roosters Ogtoberfest
SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com
On Tap: Mt Naomi Cab Fran Pilsner Oenobeer
Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com
On Tap: Prickly Pear Kolsch
Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com
On Tap: Tin City Hubba Hubba 11% ABV
Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com
On Tap: Spiced Peach
Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, South Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Fresh Hop IPA (with homegrown local hops)
Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Hellion Blonde Ale; Black Cloud Lager
Silver Reef
4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George SGBev.com
Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters
On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. – Pond Crosser IPA
Squatters and Wasatch Brewery
1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com
On Tap: 20 beers with 12 rotating small batch releases: Black Tea English Porter, Hazelnut Brown Ale, and more! Small Batch Series Release: Back Abbey Double Belgian Ale (available 11/22)
Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi
3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: Lonesome Shadow (Schwarzbier); Fish Tank (Collaboration Munich Dunkle w/ Fisher Brewing)
Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com
On Tap: The Gambler (Mango Kolsch); Caught in the Rain (Pineapple Sour)
TF Brewing
936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com
On Tap: Strata Fresh
BEER NERD
From Dusk ‘Til Dawn
No matter if you’re a fan of the dark or the light, these ales are guaranteed to keep you warm.
BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer
Red Rock - Dilly Dally: This new West Coast-Style Double IPA features a hop bill of Nelson Sauvin, Motueka and Mosaic. With the Mosaic being the only domestic hops, this DIPA should take on some melon qualities that you may not expect from a classic West Coast IPA. It pours a mostly-clear, dirty sunflower-orange body capped with multiple fingers of thick, fluffy, off-white foam; good head retention leaves a halffinger of pillowy cap. Aroma highlights perpetual notions of tropical cream upfront, specifically fresh pineapple and orange sorbet, while an underlying clementine and fresh orange juice refines over the middle. A tinge of melon is distant in the background as tangerine and a touch of overripe mango round it out. The taste features orange sorbet, peach and melon up front, setting the tone for a raw hop tingle into tropical fruit over the mid-palate. Then earthy and fruity hop tones fuse for a back end showing sticky grapefruit, touches of bready malts, apricot peel, spiced mango and slight pine notes fading with the finish. The mouthfeel offers a 7.9 percent, mediumfull body with a moderate carbonation, taut and spritzy before phasing into a crisp mid-palate. A dulled, prickly bitterness leads toward a juicy burst into back end, where intermittent dryness appears through a slightly stiff finish.
Verdict: Despite a blunt and tropical fruit-forward hop profile, this one remains an overall nicely done WCDIPA. It feels entirely enjoyable and expresses itself as a salad of fruity hops.
Squatters & Wasatch - Love Local (Black Abbey): If you’re not familiar
with the Abbey Ale, you have the Single, Dubbel, Tripel and Quad. While the alcohol content does follow the path up the styles, they’re all quite different from each other. The Belgian Dubbel is a moderately strong, brown-colored beer with a rich, malty flavor profile, often featuring notes of caramel, dark fruit and spice, typically brewed with Belgian yeast strains resulting in a complex fruity character. This ale is pretty faithful to the style.
A thick, creamy off-white head presents great retention, with a chestnut-brown body that’s almost completely opaque. Lots of dark fruits, rich dark bread, and some spicy clove and pepper from the Belgian yeast strain appear on the nose, plus a hint of molasses (though there’s none here, as far as I know). The smell is fairly aromatic, with yeast dominating.
The taste proves to be quite complex: lots of dark bread and dark stone fruit (perhaps plum, black cherry), plus molasses and brown sugar. The malty sweetness is understated, though. This is followed up by clove spiciness that lingers into the finish, with a hint of molasses and coriander. The flavor profile reminds me a bit of cola, too. You get some very light alcohol warming, with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Good active carbonation is medium-high, as might be expected from a can of Belgian-ish ale of 7.2 percent alcohol. The mouthfeel really helps accentuate the flavors, and the result is just plain enjoyable.
Verdict: Black Abbey is an outstanding beer—a fairly traditional take on the Belgian Abbey Dubbel style that features a nice hint of molasses flavor you normally don’t get in this style; I personally think it works well. I’m very impressed by the brewer’s ability to turn out spot-on interpretations of Belgian-style ales. However, if you’re not a fan of clove-like spices, you should probably look away.
Black Abbey looks to be a “one and done” release and is available at Squatters/Wasatch as a small-batch part of their Love Local Series. Dilly Dally is a seasonal release and somewhat limited as well, available at all Red Rock locations. Both are in 16-ounce cans and are perfect holiday warmers. As always, cheers! CW
BACK BURNER
BY AIMEE L. COOK | COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET
Chef JV Hernandez Named Executive Chef of Bambara and The Vault Bambara and The Vault, within Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake City, recently announced the appointment of JV Hernandez as their new executive chef. With more than 15 years of culinary experience and a rich family legacy in the kitchen, Hernandez is poised to bring fresh creativity and elevated flavors to these iconic dining venues.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Hernandez grew up surrounded by the art of cooking, with both his father and grandmother serving as chefs and inspiring his passion for cuisine. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in 2012, Hernandez honed his craft in some of the nation’s most prestigious kitchens. His career highlights include working alongside James Beard award-winning chef Alex Seidel, and being mentored by chef Junior Borges, a James Beard semifinalist, during his tenure as chef de cuisine at The Joule Hotel in Dallas.
Relocating to Utah from Orlando, Hernandez is committed to using fresh, locallysourced ingredients and a keen eye for detail. As executive chef, he will oversee culinary operations at Bambara, known for its artful yet approachable menu, and The Vault, a chic space for crafted cocktails and small bites.
“My vision is to use local partnerships, sustainability, and nice touches to make the food look good and fresh,” Hernandez said. “For me, it’s about playing with acidity and portion control so you can enjoy more courses. It is also about making good food and bringing technique and visual appeal to the food scene in Salt Lake City.”
Hernandez’s vision and expertise signal a new chapter for Bambara and The Vault—one where quality and locally sourced ingredients equal good food created with bold imagination. Under his leadership, guests can expect an exciting blend of comfort and modern sophistication. Longtime guests of Bambara will still find their beloved Blue Cheese Potato Chips and the Prime Utah Beef Tartare that Hernandez has elevated with his touches. Be sure to try the new puffy potatoes, the kohlrabi Caesar and the parmesan ice cream with caviar off the “secret” menu.
What’s In a Name?
Graveljaw Keaton insists it’s the music that really matters
BY LEE ZIMMERMAN COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET
Graveljaw Keaton is literally a oneof-a-kind artist. For starters, he’s a one-man operation, a fluent yet fastidious guitarist adept at creating atmospheric instrumentals flush with ambiance and intrigue—an ambient blend of finely layered groove and gravitas. Born Keaton Stewart, he took the name Graveljaw because, as he explained, “I wanted something with an outlaw, bluesman vibe—something gritty and evocative. I wanted to avoid the typical solo artist names like ‘The Keaton Stewart Experience’ and go instead for something more in the spirit of Howlin’ Wolf, Mississippi Fred McDowell or even Billy the Kid.”
The name “Graveljaw” actually came from a song by Pinebreaker, a band to which one of his friends belonged. “They have a track titled ‘Graveljaw,’ and for some reason, that name always stuck with me,” Keaton said. “It had the raw, distinctive feel I was looking for, so I adopted it as ‘Graveljaw Keaton .’”
While he’s been in the local scene for over a decade, Keaton made the evolution from playing in a group to taking a solo route. He’s also felt the freedom to make new music.
“I’ve been in recording studios since I was a preteen, starting out at Mike’s Music in Rexburg, Idaho with my oldest childhood friend, Kooper Hanosky, the guitarist of Citizen Soldier,” he related.
Not surprisingly then, his focus is almost entirely on original material.
“I do include a few tribute versions and reimagined takes on well-known songs to add a familiar touch,” he noted. “I also like to weave in recognizable melodies here and there to catch the audience’s ear. Currently, my set includes unique versions of ‘Message in a Bottle’ (The Police), ‘Polly’ (Nirvana), ‘Buddy Holly’ (Weezer) and ‘With or Without You’ (U2). Interestingly, some of my originals often remind people of artists like Jimi Hendrix or The Rolling Stones. Since I don’t sing, audiences sometimes compare my sound to those acts, which I take as a great compliment.”
Until recently, Keaton’s concerts have been close to home. “I make my living playing regular gigs at local spots and venues like Slackwater, Gracie’s, MTN West Cider, Café Galleria, ABG’s, Boomerangs and others,” he explained. “I also get opportunities to open for friends’ bands, such as Royal Bliss, which is always a great experience. … While I love exploring new places, I’m proud to be Utah-born and raised, and I still reside here, so it’s natural to play most often where I live. I like to think my sound reflects Utah’s spirit. I even lightheartedly call my style ‘working man’s jazz’—a nod to real Utah jazz.”
It’s hardly surprising that, when asked about the local scene, Keaton offers an enthusiastic response.
“Salt Lake City has an abundance of incredible bands and musicians, many of whom I’ve come to know and admire,” he says. “The scene is constantly growing and improving, and I’ve said for years that Salt Lake City has the potential to become the next Seattle—if only more venues and promoters and fans would actively support local music.”
That, he continued, has become an obstacle needing to be overcome.
“One challenge here is that many people won’t attend a local show unless a friend is in the band,” Keaton said. “The talent is absolutely out there; it just requires people to put down their phones and truly engage.
“Making a living as a musician in Utah
MUSIC
can be tough, which is why so many great artists end up leaving to pursue opportunities elsewhere. I’ve managed to make it work by taking the gigs others often pass on and performing solo. It’s not easy, but for those who stick with it, there’s a lot of potential in this scene.”
Happily then, the reactions he’s gotten from his audiences have been generally positive. “It’s a mix of curiosity, surprise and misunderstanding, but also deep appreciation,” he reports. “One of the most common comments is, ‘Oh, he doesn’t sing?’ Some people don’t realize I can hear their remarks while performing, but I pick up on everything.”
Other elements can also cause confusion. “Some assume I’m not playing live because they’re unfamiliar with how a loop pedal works,” he noted. “Others joke about my choice of setup, like the ‘grandma chair and lamp’ I bring for a cozy vibe. I’ve even heard comments suggesting I must be autistic or handicapped because of how focused I am when I play, or because
I sit down during performances. In reality, I play for two to three hours in settings where I’m often background noise, so a stadium-style performance doesn’t fit the environment. I also tend to close my eyes and get lost in the music, which has led some to think I might be blind!”
Despite those occasional misconceptions, Keaton said he’s pleased with the reaction he gets overall. “The applause can be scarce, especially in Utah, where about 80% of my performances don’t receive much outward feedback,” he allows. “That can make it hard to gauge how the audience is feeling in the moment. That said, when people do connect with my music, it’s incredibly rewarding. I’ve had people come up to me in tears, saying my music reminded them of a lost loved one or brought them a comfort they desperately needed. Those moments make all the challenges worthwhile—light and dark, yin and yang, pros and cons.” CW
Instagram: @graveljawkeaton
Graveljaw Keaton
TUESDAYS
WEDNESDAYS KARAOKE
BEST BAR IN UTAH!
GREAT FOOD
MUSIC PICK S
Brother Ali @ Soundwell 12/5
If there is such a thing as a typical rapper, Brother Ali certainly doesn’t fit that description. The Minneapolis-based member of the esteemed Rhymesayers Entertainment collective turns out rhymes that are often political in nature, but the 47-year old rapper is more interested in focusing on the positive. And that positivity comes naturally; Ali doesn’t employ a studied approach to songwriting. Converted to Islam at age 15, he follows a religious path that values harmony among different faiths, one that fits in with the realities of 21stcentury life. Yet his nuanced political sensibility shines through in tracks like 2007’s “Uncle Sam Goddamn,” inspired by a legendary civil rights-era song by jazz icon Nina Simone. Put another way, Brother Ali combines firsthand personal experience with a big-picture approach when crafting his lyrics. To date he has released 10 albums; his most recent is Satisfied Soul, a collab with producer Ant. In fact, Ali is a frequent collaborator, having guested on more than a dozen releases by other artists including Atmosphere, Chuck D, Talib Kweli, Del the Funky Homosapien, G. Love & Special Sauce, 9th Wonder and more. Brother Ali appears with Ant (and special guest Dee-1) at Soundwell on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this 21+ show are $28 at tixr.com. (Bill Kopp)
WEEKLY LINEUP
MUSIC PICK S
Hurtado, Wilbere, Sunhills, Drag @ Kilby Court 12/6
Hurtado’s latest single “everley” is indie gold. It’s catchy, charming and full of warmth. The reverb is cranked up, and the soft vocals lead you effortlessly into the song. “everley” came out at the end of May, a great track to dance to on a summer night, but it can also be great to jam to live in a crowd full of people on a cold winter evening. The other songs in their library are much of the same—chill indie tunes that never get old and are an easy listen. Joining the group is fellow indie group Wilbere, whose latest EP, My Given Name, takes listeners on a magical journey with their sweeping sound featuring a mix of fun and interesting string instruments. Also on the bill is Sunhills, a dream pop group who has a vibrant catalog of music, including their most recent album, Planetarium. Rounding out the bill is alt group Drag, who doesn’t have a ton of music out there, but should be fun to listen to in a live setting nonetheless. The show is also a coat/clothing drive, as Kilby Court teamed up with The Road Home to help folks get the clothing they need now that we’re into the winter months. Come enjoy some spectacular indie tunes and help out a good cause on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)
Olivia
Olivia
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Kaskade @ Kingsbury Hall 12/6-7
Merry Kaskademas! House music legend Kaskade (Ryan Raddon) is performing a twoday Christmas show in Salt Lake City this year. He is only playing in New York, Los Angeles and SLC, so this is a special gift to our city. Kaskade is a Chicago-native, but spent much of his young adult life in Utah at both BYU and the University of Utah, so this is another home for him. His debut Christmas album, released in 2017, opens with “Christmas is Here,” showcasing ethereal trance vocals well-known to lovers of this electronic music subgenre. Raddon features secular songs like “Santa Baby,” but also doesn’t shy away from his take on religious songs like “O Holy Night.” Last year, he produced another Christmas album, Kaskade Christmas Volume 2, showing that one of the most talented artists in dance music history is once again saving Christmas music. The hybrid electronic beats for Christmas classics like “White Christmas,” “Joy to the World” and “O Christmas Tree” still possess the integrity of the originals, just with a more fun and modern twist. This event is
for all ages, so bring the entire family for this Christmas experience. There will be a full live band and vocalists to accompany Kaskade at Kingsbury Hall. The pricing of tickets varies on seats purchased. Get tickets quickly, because they rise in price as it gets closer to this show on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7. Doors open at 7 p.m. Go to v2presents.com for tickets and more event information. (Arica Roberts)
Leslie Odom Jr. @ Eccles Theater 12/8
By any measure, Leslie Odom, Jr. could be considered a showbiz renaissance man. After making his Broadway debut at the age of 17 in Rent, he achieved worldwide fame for his role as Aaron Burr in the smash hit Hamilton. He went on to win two prestigious awards as a result—a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album both in the same year—and later, a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role in a Limited Series or Movie after being cast in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton. There was also a
MUSIC PICK S
nomination for the prestigious Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. He followed his early success by appearing in any number of major TV series, animation series, films and other Broadway and off-Broadway hits, reaping further awards in their wake. He scored Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor after playing Sam Cooke in the critically acclaimed movie One Night in Miami...; he was also nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for writing the film’s original song, “Speak Now.” Meanwhile, he’s responsible for five albums, including his latest, When a Crooner Dies, released last year. As a result, he’ll have plenty to offer when he takes the stage. Leslie Odom, Jr.’s Christmas Tour comes to Delta Hall at the Eccles Theater on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $45 - $95 at saltlakecountyarts.org. (Lee Zimmerman)
Wolves of Glendale @ Urban Lounge 12/11
Whatever your tastes in parody and comedy, Ethan Edenburg, Eric Jackowitz and Tom McGovern are exceptional artists. The three-
person comedy music band, who call themselves Wolves of Glendale, take themselves as seriously as anyone who performs for a living should do. I mean, as serious musicians who write comedy songs, or do serious songs in comedic ways or comedic songs in serious ways. These guys are operating on levels above normal humans. “We needed something that straddled the line of hard and dumb,” Jackowitz told Rolling Stone in March. “A wolf is super badass, and Glendale is a very sleepy suburb of Los Angeles where we happen to work. Plus, the only other huge band to come out of Glendale is System of a Down, the arguably hardest band of all time. So, we knew we were in good company.” Their self-titled debut LP, released earlier this year, is a sharp, confident effort of the highest quality. Standout tracks such as “Vapin’ in Vegas,” “Loud Ass Car” and “Olivia” showcase gleeful tongue-in-cheek lyrical stylings with creatively impressive songwriting and musical arrangements. Salt Lake City local Rhyme Time (a.k.a. Scott Knopf) opens. Knopf’s raps are filled with surrealism, sarcasm, offbeat observations and dialog. He always comes correct with smart, witty and exquisitelycrafted songs. Rock and roll is the new comedy. Catch these musicians at the Urban Lounge on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $25 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)
JOSH TELLES
Leslie Odom, Jr.
free will ASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES
(March 21-April 19)
Blaming others for our problems is rarely helpful. If we expend emotional energy focusing on how people have offended and hurt us, we diminish our motivation to heal ourselves. We may also get distracted from changing the behavior that ushered us into the mess. So yes, it’s wise to accept responsibility for the part we have played in propagating predicaments. However, I believe it’s also counterproductive to be relentlessly serious about this or any other psychological principle. We all benefit from having mischievous fun as we rebel against tendencies we have to be dogmatic and fanatical. That’s why I am authorizing you to celebrate a goodhumored Complaint Fest. For a limited time only, feel free to unleash fantasies in which you uninhibitedly and hilariously castigate everyone who has done you wrong.
TAURUS
(April 20-May 20)
What you are currently experiencing may not be a major, earth-shaking rite of passage. But it’s sufficiently challenging and potentially rewarding to qualify as a pivotal breakthrough and turning point. And I’m pleased to say that any suffering you are enduring will be constructive and educational. You may look back at this transition period as a liberating initiation. You will feel deep gratification that you have clambered up to a higher level of mastery through the power of your intelligent love and feisty integrity.
GEMINI
(May 21-June 20)
You are now about halfway between your last birthday and next birthday. In the prophecy industry, we call this your Unbirthday Season. It is usually a time when you receive an abundance of feedback—whether you want it or not. I encourage you to want it! Solicit it. Even pay for it. Not all of it will be true or useful, of course, but the part that is true and useful will be very much so. You could gather a wealth of information that will help you fine-tune your drive for success and joy in the months to come.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Legend tells us that the Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bihar, India. He was there for many weeks. At one point, a huge storm came and pelted the sacred spot with heavy rain. Just in time, the King of Serpents arrived, a giant cobra with a massive hood. He shielded the Buddha from the onslaught for the duration. Now I am predicting that you, too, will receive an unexpected form of protection and nurturing in the coming weeks. Be ready to open your mind about what help looks and feels like. It may not be entirely familiar.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
In written form, the Japanese term oubaitori is comprised of four kanji, or characters. They denote four fruit trees that bloom in the spring: cherry, plum, peach, and apricot. Each tree’s flowers blossom in their own sweet time, exactly when they are ready, neither early nor late. The poetic meaning of oubaitori is that we humans do the same: We grow and ripen at our own unique pace. That’s why it’s senseless to compare our rate of unfoldment to anyone else’s. We each have our own timing, our own rhythm. These ideas are especially apropos for you right now, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
I hope you will hunker down in your bunker. I hope you will junk all defunct versions of your spunky funkiness and seek out fresh forms of spunky funkiness. In other words, Virgo, I believe it’s crucial for you to get as relaxed and grounded as possible. You have a mandate to explore ultimate versions of stability and solidity. Shore up your foundations, please. Grow deeper roots. Dig down as deep as you can to strengthen and tone your relationship with the core of your being.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Everyone is a hypocrite some of the time. Now and then, we all ignore or outrightly violate our own high standards. We may even engage in behavior that we criticize in others. But here’s the good news for you, Libra. In the coming weeks and months, you may be as unhypocritical as you have ever been. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are likely to be consistently faithful to your ideals. Your actual effects on people will closely match your intended effects. The American idiom is, “Do you practice what you preach?” I expect the answer to that question will be yes as it pertains to you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Author George Orwell advised that if we don’t analyze and understand the past, we are likely to repeat the mistakes. Alas, few people take heed. Their knowledge of our collective history is meager, as is their grasp of recurring trends in their personal lives. But now here’s the good news, dear Scorpio: In the coming months, you will have exceptional power to avoid replicating past ignorance and errors— if you meditate regularly on the lessons available through a close study of your life story.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
In his song “Voodoo Child,” Sagittarian musician Jimi Hendrix brags, “Well, I stand up next to a mountain / And I chop it down with the edge of my hand.” I encourage you to unleash fantasies like that in the coming days, Sagittarius. Can you shoot lightning bolts from your eyes? Sure you can. Can you change water into wine? Fly to the moon and back in a magic boat? Win the Nobel Prize for Being Yourself? In your imagination, yes you can. And these exercises will prime you for an array of more realistic escapades, like smashing a mental block, torching an outmoded fear, and demolishing an unnecessary inhibition or taboo. To supercharge your practical power, intensify your imagination’s audacity.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
My column is “Free Will Astrology” because I aspire to nurture, inspire and liberate your free will. A key component is to help you build your skills as a critical thinker. That’s why I encourage you to question everything I tell you. Don’t just assume that my counsel is always right and true for you. Likewise, I hope you are discerning in your dealings with all teachers, experts, and leaders— especially in the coming weeks and months. You are in a phase of your cycle when it’s even more crucial than usual to be a good-natured skeptic who poses exuberant, penetrating questions. To serve your soul’s health, refine your practice of the art of creative rebellion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Be like a beautifully made fountain that people love to visit, Aquarius. Not like a metaphorical geyser or stream or waterfall out in the natural world, but a three-tiered marble fountain. What does that entail? Here are hints. The water of the fountain cascades upward, but not too high or hard, and then it showers down gently into a pool. Its flow is steady and unflagging. Its sound is mellifluous and relaxing. The endless dance of the bubbles and currents is invigorating and calming, exuberant and rejuvenating. Be like a fountain.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Around this time of year, persimmon trees in my neighborhood have shed their leaves but are teeming with dazzling orange fruits. Pomegranate trees are similar. Their leaves have fallen off but their red fruits are ready to eat. I love how these rebels offer their sweet, ripe gifts as our winter season approaches. They remind me of the current state of your destiny, Pisces. Your gorgeous fertility is waxing. The blessings you have to offer are at a peak. I invite you to be extra generous as you share your gifts with those who are worthy of them—and maybe even a few who aren’t entirely worthy.
Pamper Yourself
Senior Software Engineer @ Mastercard International Incorporated (Salt Lake City, UT) F/T Partcpate in team priortiztn discssns w/h Prdct/Busnss stakeholdrs. Estmte & own dlvry tasks (dsgn, dev, test, dplymnt, configrtn, documntatn) to meet the busnss rqrmnts. Reqs a Mstr’s deg or frgn eqvlnt in Comp/ Elctrcl/ Elctrnc Engg, Mngmnt Informatn Systms, Comp Scnc, or rltd & 2 yrs of exp in job offered or as a Sftwre Engnr, IT Engnr, Sftwre Dvlpr, Techncl Lead, Prgrmmr Anlyst or rltd. Altrntvly, ER will acpt a Bchlr’s deg & 5 yrs of prgrssvly rspnsble exp. Qlfyng exp mst inclde at lst 1 yr w/h each of the following: JAVA/J2EE; SPRING/SPRING BOOT FRAMEWORK; SPRING DATA; HTML/XHTML; JSON/ XML; APACHE TOMCAT/TOMCAT; OS, WINDOWS/LINUX; ECLIPSE/IntelliJ IDE; CI/CD TOOLS, DOCKER, KUBERNETES, GIT; SONAR; OPEN API, REST API; ALM TOOLS/JIRA; Databases: SQL, ORACLE/ MYSQL. Rate of pay: $144,955 - $184,000. ER will acpt any suitbl combnatn of edu, training, or exp. Telecommtng and/ or WFH may be permissble prsuant to cmpny polics. Snd resume to Ashlee Nageli, Ashlee.Nageli@mastercard.com, 434 W ASCENSION WAY, Salt Lake City, UTAH 84123. Ref MC157-2024.
PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED
urban LIVING
Giving Season
It’s the “most wonderful time of the year,” when holiday sales are projected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5%, topping a staggering $980 billion in the U.S. WalletHub points to a nasty trend in credit card debt for the third quarter of this year, with the average person owing $9,706 on their plastic, which is a 5.1% increase.
The company analyzed 550 U.S. cities to determine a sustainable holiday budget for each area and found that the average spending in Utah over the holidays is $1,409.10. Provo folks spend the least at $805, while those who live in Sandy had a high budget of $2,487.
Yet the gaming website Solitaired. com has found that Utahns have the shortest and least expensive wish lists, at just over $200 per person, based on Amazon’s gift list registry. They found that Utah not only has the shortest Christmas lists, but also the least expensive, with just nine items on his or her wish list. After studying 3,227 lists on Amazon, the company found that the average American Christmas list totals 22 gits for a price of $637.88.
Maybe you don’t celebrate Christmas so much and would rather give to charity? The Utah Food Bank says that for every $1 donated, $7.80 worth of goods and services is provided. You can give them Crypto through The Giving Block, donate monthly in their “Meal Makers Monthly Giving Program” or pass on an old vehicle in the broader Salt Lake Valley or Washington County that they can either use to provide services or auction off for cash to fund programs.
Last year, the Utah Food Bank (utahfoodbank.org) distributed 65.5 million pounds of food (the equivalent of 54.6 million meals) to people facing hunger across the state. They get almost half of their donations from the community and are looking to an even greater need to feed people this holiday season. You can drop by one of their 18 food banks/ pantries/distribution centers with food and cash, or simply volunteer if you don’t need to get food. The most needed foods are canned proteins, pasta and pasta sauce, pantry staples like sugar and flour, cooking essentials like oils and spices, formula and baby food.
I have found over the years that creating a “Sub For Santa” project in the office is a great way to help people to give back during the holidays. I created that program for the Utah AIDS Foundation years ago and, with the help of my real estate community, at the time I handed the program over to the group, we were able to provide Christmas presents and food for almost 300 individuals and families.
Many big-box stores set up Angel Trees, where you can anonymously adopt a family or child, buy them gifts and return them to the store to be distributed just prior to Christmas. United Way, The Other Side Academy, Salt Lake County Youth Services and other groups around Utah would love your donations this time of year, so be merry and share! ■
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
ACROSS
1. McEntire of “Happy’s Place”
5. Backup idea
10. Racetrack gait
14. Alternatives to lagers
15. Indian currency
16. Water conveyor
17. Group of British whales covered in Band-Aids?
19. “You ___” (Burger King ad campaign)
20. Outdoor dining arrangement
21. Chinese zodiac sign
23. Accelerated
24. Dog-walker’s item
25. Prescription sleep aid
28. Word sung before “dear [insert name here]”
31. “La ___” (Debussy opus)
32. Celery portion
34. Spine-tingling
35. ___-Z (old Camaro model)
37. Swung around a pivot
39. Take time off
40. Head & Shoulders target
42. Inherited factors
44. Actor Mahershala
45. Secluded spot
47. “___... on the side of my face” (line from “Clue”)
49. Cow, in Cannes
50. Equipment
51. Pyongyang’s country, in some headlines
53. Shout at some parties
57. Overnight ___
58. What to do in the search bar to get the latest scores?
60. One T of “ST:TNG”
61. Tiniest bit
62. Vacillate
63. Crafter’s website
64. Cowboy’s catcher
65. Till filler
DOWN
1. “Mean Girls” star ReneÈ
2. Late “First Lady of Children’s Folk Songs” Jenkins
3. Rhythm
4. St. Francis’s home
5. Puts forward
6. Drawn in
7. Scheduled mtg.
8. “The Matrix” protagonist
9. Two-___ (apartment spec, slangily)
10. Classic skateboarding magazine
11. Nightmare that keeps you tossing and turning?
12. 1952 Olympics host city
13. Prom attendee, usually
18. Overdrinks
22. Taxi posting
24. Compare (to)
25. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “___ Paradise”
26. Thanks, in Quebec
27. Ballots using really wide sheets of paper?
28. Bandit’s kid
29. Supermarket section
30. Some coolers
33. Aquarium growth
36. Cloudless forecast
38. Lets have the last word
41. Treasure hunter’s step
43. Acronym for a lawsuit filed to silence or intimidate opponents
46. “___ it be?”
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
48. Dry creek bed
50. Shot
51. Memo
52. Mario ___ (Nintendo series)
53. Aquatherapy locales
54. Press clothes
55. Eyelid nuisance
56. Those, to Jose
59. “Motion approved”
NEWS of the WEIRD
Suspicions Confirmed
Parents and teachers at Gosho Kodomo-en kindergarten in southwestern Japan thought for sure someone with a footwear fetish was swiping little shoes from cubbies at the school, the Associated Press reported. Police installed three cameras in the school, and on Nov. 11, zeroed in on another culprit: a weasel. “It’s great it turned out not to be a human being,” said Deputy Police Chief Hiroaki Inada. The stolen shoes have not been found, but the school has installed a net over the cubbies to keep the weasel, who is still on the loose, out.
The Passing Parade
Have you ever really loved a car? The Polara family of Padarshinga Village in India REALLY loved their 18-yearold Suzuki Wagon R, Oddity Central reported. They believed the hatchback to be their lucky car, so when it burned its last gallon of gas, they gave it a special sendoff: a lavish burial ceremony attended by more than 1,500 guests. The Polaras had a 15-foot-deep hole dug on their property, then had the car, covered with flowers and decorated with garlands, lowered into it as music played. The ceremony included several rituals and cost the Polaras more than $4,500. “This car was more than just a vehicle,” Sanjay Polara said. “It was part of our journey toward success.” He plans to plant a tree over the grave as a marker.
News You Can Use
Looking for a torture method even more sinister than sitting across from your politically outspoken cousin at the holiday dinner table? LADbible reported on Nov. 21 that an Italian monk, Franciscus Brunus de San Severino, described “goat’s tongue” in his 1502 treatise on torture methods—but it’s not entirely clear whether the medieval practice actually took place. It involves soaking the subject’s feet in saltwater, then securing them in a stock and letting a goat lick them to the point of peeling and bleeding. The torture method, which may date back to ancient Rome, could have resulted in death from infection.
Ewwwww
■ Los Angeles is known for many things, but perhaps its most ignominious claim to fame is being the “clogged capital” of the United States on “Brown Friday”—the day after Thanksgiving, when plumbers nationally go out on emergency calls 65% more often than on other Fridays. Analysis by Yelp showed that plumbing-related searches went up 73% in L.A., followed by 37% in Miami, United Press International reported. Roto-Rooter said the most common problem areas were kitchen sinks, toilets and garbage disposals.
■ Looking for a different type of pizza than the standard pepperoni or sausage? At Pizza Hut restaurants in China, customers are being offered deep-fried frogs on top of their pies, the Independent reported on Nov. 21. The pizza has a thick crust with red sauce and basil, with a whole fried bullfrog on top. The limited-time variety is being offered in a collaboration with Dungeons and Dragons and is called “Goblin Pizza.”
It’s a Mystery
George Oliver of Calvert County, Maryland, often walks the beach looking for fossils, NBC News reported. As he strolled along Chesapeake Bay on Nov. 4 during low tide, he spotted a coffin in the water. Inside was a nearly whole human skeleton. Oliver removed the skeleton and dug the mostly submerged coffin out of the water. “When I first found it,” he said, “you could not tell that there was human remains. You just thought that it was full of beach sand.” Oliver called the sheriff’s department, who called an archaeological society. Based on the construction of the coffin and the condition of the body, it’s believed to be at least 100 years old. Kelcey Ward, a crime scene technician with the sheriff’s office,
said the skull showed signs of “a gunshot wound or blunt force trauma of some sort.” The remains and coffin will be interred at a local cemetery.
Rude
■ Starting on Jan. 1, the Garden of Remembrance cemetery in Stoke-on-Trent, England, will welcome visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, the Stoke Sentinel reported. But should family members want to visit at other times, they’ll be required to buy a VIP pass for 5 pounds (or 10 pounds, if they also want to visit the rose garden). “Now I need to pay a membership fee to visit my dad’s grave,” groused Jode Bourne, whose father, Mark, is buried there. “This is an absolute disgrace.” A posted notice says the new rules will make “the site secure for our staff, families and visitors.”
■ A prop gravestone for Ebenezer Scrooge, left behind after a 1984 movie adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, was smashed on Nov. 24, the BBC reported. The cemetery next to St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England, was part of the scene where Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come; much of the movie was filmed there. Town council clerk Helen Ball said the stone is “in multiple pieces. I think it’s one of those things that’s very dear to everybody’s hearts.” She said the council would determine whether the stone could be repaired.
No Good Deed ...
Nigel Carter, 64, of Comrie, Perthshire, Scotland, collected 500 bikes to send to a charity in Sudan that helps people who need cheap transportation to school or work, the BBC reported on Nov. 22. But a Scottish Environment Protection Agency inspector said the shipment could not leave the port because some of the bikes needed minor repairs, such as oil on chains and new brake cables. Carter said he found it “ludicrous” that the bikes were returned to him. A SEPA official said he had a duty to ensure that Scotland’s waste was not dumped on another country, but Carter said the Sudanese charity had picked out the bikes and were happy with their condition. They will likely be returned to the recycling center where they came from and scrapped.
The Golden Age of Air Travel
■ On Nov. 25 at Boston’s Logan International Airport, two planes got a tad too chummy on the tarmac, Fox News reported. An American Airlines Boeing 777 was being towed when its wing clipped the wing of a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 that was parked at a gate, the Federal Aviation Administration said. There were no injuries reported to passengers, but all passengers exited the planes, and American removed its plane from service. Frontier said all passengers would receive a $100 travel voucher, as well as the option to rebook on Frontier or receive a full refund. An airport spokesperson called it a minor incident.
■ On Nov. 16, aboard United Airlines flight 502 from Austin, Texas, to Los Angeles, one traveler lost his composure and started beating up ... his seat. The New York Post reported that the unnamed man, dressed in sweats, stood on his seat and repeatedly kicked its backrest as bystanders watched and took video. “The flight attendant walked by a couple times, nobody was doing anything,” said witness Gino Galofaro. He and two other passengers decided to take matters into their own hands, zip-tying the irate passenger’s hands and feet and strapping him into a seat. About an hour later, as the flight landed, law enforcement met them at the gate. United Airlines said he has been banned from future flights.
