Scary Ghost Stories & Tales of the Glories

Have yourself a scary little Christmas

By Danny B. Stewart

There are various pieces of holiday lore scattered around the world that might seem to fall more in the traditions of Halloween than of the jolly contemporary versions of the winter and Christmas Holidays. But these Winter Holidays have darker historical trappings than most people realize, as there are all manner of grotesque metaphysical beings and beasties that lurk about this time of year. Thus, the children who are generally afraid of sitting on Santa’s lap have far scarier things to worry about than the ominous, immortal toymaker whose elfish minions spend their days shadowing children to see if they are misbehaving.

On the topic of misbehaving children, our first dark helper comes to us from Germany, and is probably the most well known of the Holiday terrors. I speak of Krampus. Sometimes called Knecht Ruprecht, among other names, Krampus is counterpart to the immortal St. Nicholas, but whereas St. Nicholas rewards well behaved children with toys and candies, Krampus, a massive anthropomorphic “GoatBeast” who some might compare in appearance with what mortals call “The Devil”, seeks out misbehaving children and swats them with his thorny switch every Krampusnacht, or December 5th. Some depictions have him carrying the children away in a knapsack or basket he has hanging from his back.

Another Holiday spook comes to us from France. Hans Trapp, a mortal who was prosecuted for practicing black magic, was banished from his village and became a wandering hermit in the nearby woods where he continued to practice his incantations. He slowly began to lose his mind, started dressing like a scarecrow and developed a craving for the taste of human flesh. He also began seeking out children. Now, every Christmas Eve, parents warn their misbehaving children that Hans Trapp roams the night looking for naughty children to eat.

Now for a story a little closer to home. This was presented to me some years ago by a couple who wish to remain anonymous. The man claims to have seen a strange humanoid roaming across the wetlands of western Orem. It was December 17th, 2017. They were living in a neighborhood that bordered the links at Sleepy Ridge Golf Course and decided to go for a 1am walk.

It had been snowing hard all day, and still was. The two of them bundled up and headed toward the golf course. As they set out, the snow began falling harder. Pushing their way through the snow, they could see the far west edge of the golf course that led to the marshes that border Utah Lake. That’s when they noticed a thick fog bank coming towards them from the west. It was roughly forty-feet high and moving at a quick pace even though there wasn’t a strong wind that night, just falling snow.

The young woman became uneasy and wanted to leave the area immediately, but the man wanted a closer look, so he continued to walk toward the fog until he reached the edge of the wetland, about twenty yards away from the fog. From time to time there were random breaks in the fog where he could see into it. He claims that as he peered into the fog, he saw an “eight or nine foot tall white armless creature with long skinny legs and a thick block-like head walking north at the edge of the fog bank.” The man said he watched it for only a “brief moment, maybe thirty seconds at most”, before it disappeared back into the fog. After seeing this, he quickly rushed back to his girlfriend, took her by the arm and said, “Let’s get out of here!” When she asked him why, his response was ... “You don’t want to know.”

What could this have been? Was it a figment of “foggy” imagination, or was it some kind of holiday specter on the prowl for a naughty child? We may never know.

Daily Rise Coffee building in Ogden at 2865 Washington Blvd.

Where To Warm Up In Ogden

Specialty holiday coffees

By Cathy McKitrick

OGDEN — With a population of just under 87,000 residents, this mountainside city boasts its fair share of unique coffee shops. “We have a really strong coffee community in Ogden and everybody has their own kind of specialty that they all do, which is cool,” said Nick Morris, who co-owns two Kaffe Mercantile locations with his life partner Lance Smith.

Their east bench neighborhood shop at 1221 26th Street, opened in 2009, with the second South Ogden spot at 930 Chambers Street sprouting in 2015. A third downtown site succumbed to the Covid pandemic in 2020.

In addition to several interesting coffees, Kaffe Merc also serves up caffeine-free hot drinks such as Turmeric Chai and Roby Ginger Latte.

The Turmeric Chai contains organic turmeric. Also cinnamon, black pepper, cardamon, and clove, while the Ruby Ginger Latte has beetroot, organ-

ic coconut milk, cinnamon, ginger and ashwagandha root.

Morris anticipates brisk holiday foot traffic through the holidays. “From (Thanksgiving) on, it’s just go go go,” Morris said. “A lot of people are getting out of the weather, studying, or just taking a break.” In addition to drinks, Kaffe Merc offers vegan food options and fresh pastries.

The family-owned Coffee Links at 287 Park Boulevard in downtown Ogden also serves up food and unique, seasonal beverages.

Manager Mauricio Araujo said that customers tend to seek out hot chocolate, peppermint or pumpkin-flavored drinks as the temperature drops. But Head Barista Eric Bond also invented two noteworthy seasonal favorites.

The Grinch — which began as a Christmas beverage — contains white chocolate and Creme de Menthe flavoring, while Cupid’s Kiss substitutes raspberry flavoring for the mint. “He (Bond) loves his job, he loves making coffee to make people happy,” Araujo said. “When you have that kind of passion, you get a lot of ideas.” Araujo said they first opened in 2013 at a more remote spot before relocating to Park Boulevard in August 2017. Loyal customers considered them a hidden gem and followed them there. The cafe’s culinary fare includes sandwiches, quesadillas and salads.

Daily Rise first opened a drivethrough coffee spot at 2865 Washington Boulevard in 2004, then a second drive-through in Layton in 2008. And in 2012, owners Jeff and Beth Furton launched their own Layton-based roasting company.

Ogden gained its second Daily Rise at 2314 Washington Boulevard in the fall of 2018. Barista Kate Cline said she’d worked there for three years and business is brisk. And yes, with the weather growing frosty and the holiday season almost in full swing, Cline said that hot beverages rule the day — including their signature coffees, lattes and caffeine-free hot chocolate.

“We make our own special housemade mocha mix,” Cline said of their hot chocolate. “It’s a secret recipe, and it’s absolutely divine.”

This summer, a Daily Rise employee opened another location in Park City.

The Daily Rise roastery at 1989 Antelope Drive in Layton is woman-owned, and sells twenty different whole-bean options. Customers can also find crepes, several varieties of toast and breakfast burritos at Daily Rise.

Natalia Ferrada & Sarah Adams launched Cuppa at 552 E 25th Street in 2017. The coffeeshop/eatery features vegan fare and beverages.

“We’ve got hot chocolates and tea lattes that are pretty popular,” Ferrada said.

And unique as well. Take the London Tea Latte, for example. The black tea beverage includes lavender, vanilla, and the customer’s choice of steamed alternative milk.

“All our tea lattes are steeped so they’re all timed and portioned out, then blended together fresh to order,” Ferrada said, touting the large number of tea and milk options Cuppa offers.

Adams mentioned another Cuppa latte — this one caffeine free — sure to chase the chills away: “Our Golden Milk Latte is really good,” Adams

Coffee Links at 287 Park Blvd.

said. “We make our own spice blend — turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg — we steam it in with the milk so it’s a little bit spicy. So it warms you up for sure.”

The cafe features wide-ranging vegan food options and house-baked pastries, and live music is expected to make a comeback for Sunday brunch in December.

Bean-a-Colada first opened inside the Pleasant Valley branch of the Weber County Library system in 2009, and now has cozy cafes at the Library’s Main and Southwest branches as well. Heather Jensen took over ownership of all three locations this July.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and it seemed like the right time,” Jensen said. “I got the chance to jump in and take it over.” Their customer traffic took a hit during Covid, but Jensen said “it’s slowly picking up as we go, so that’s definitely helping out.” Along with coffee, its cold-weather beverages include hot chocolate and a peppermint option. And for customers who crave a little caffeine in their lattes, Bean-a-Colado serves up the Dirty Chai.

“It’s just like our chai latte, but it has an espresso shot too,” Jensen said. “They’re really delicious and are one of our very popular drinks.” Food fare at Bean-a-Colada includes salads, sandwiches and wraps. Weber County Library locations are listed on its website.

Outside of Lillie Bee and Commerce & Craft

Small Shops

This holiday season, shop small and shop local

By Alison Lafazan

Consumers have been shopping online at an increased rate since Covid-19 swept across our country. Many local stores had to close their doors early during the pandemic, and some were able to remain open with limited hours. Items that are usually bought on a trip to the local grocery store or home improvement store are now being purchased online more often.

Many consumers have been staying away from malls, grocery stores, movie theaters, and other crowded places, while choosing to shop safely online and follow CDC, state, and local Covid-19 guidelines. Local business owners Lisa Brady of Lillie Bee Emporium, Gail Piccoli of Commerce & Craft, and Nathan Hansen and Todd Olsen of Ward and Child - The Garden Store, are some of the local businesses that have managed to survive during the pandemic by

offering unique items with a personal touch.

“I feel like we do a lot to make our shop special and to cultivate a relationship with all of the people that come in,” says Lisa Brady, owner of Lillie Bee Emporium, Unique Gifts and Tea. “A lot of the people who come in prefer to shop at a small business rather than go on Amazon.”

“I don’t feel like Amazon is competition for me; Etsy would be my competition,” says Gail Piccoli, owner of Commerce & Craft, Authentic Handmade Marketplace, “Anyone who comes into my shop clearly wants something that is more of an emotional connection with what they are buying. You look at half of the stuff online and they might not appeal to you, but when you see how nicely they’re made, how good they feel, how pretty they look, and the fact that they are handmade, it hits a different chord.” “It’s a tactile experience,” says Brady.

“Amazon has its place and my shop has its place,” says Piccoli. “I’m very fortunate that I have it here in Sugar House.”

To survive, small businesses need to bring customers in and keep them coming back. “Finding cool things and presenting them in a way that makes everything feel special,” says Brady. “I buy things for the shop that I love and that I would want for myself.”

“A lot of thought goes into who I carry, why I carry it,” says Piccoli, “We all have people in our lives that want something a little different, a little special, a little more found, they can come into the shop and find something that resonates with them. You’ve got to see it and feel it.” When Covid-19 first started spreading, both businesses closed for a few months. They were able to open back up with the mask mandate.

“In this area people are really good about wearing masks,” says Brady. “I feel like they’re all community-minded. We’re happy to do things for the good of the community. Without support from the community, a shop like this could never survive. “I will do my very best to make it a fun, interesting experience to come in and see what’s here. I want people to leave the shop feeling happy.”

Nathan Hansen and Todd Olsen bought Ward and Child - The Garden Store, in March of 2020, one week before the first lockdown.

“We saw the closing sign,” says Han-

Todd Olsen and Nathan Hansen of Ward and Child The Garden Store

sen. “Todd and I have been shopping here for years and just loved it; we didn’t want it to close.” It’s been difficult having some of the goods delivered amid the global supply chain crisis. “We order from 200 different vendors; we sell furniture, outdoor concrete, a few textiles, scarfs. Some things are local, some things come from India. Teak wood for outdoor furniture comes from Indonesia,” says Hansen.

To compete with Amazon and other online retailers, they offer a personal experience. “People like to come into a place that gives them an emotional experience and camaraderie,” says Hansen, “We love to engage with our customers.”

“We try to make it more family,” says Mikeal Jensen, Manager of Ward and Child - The Garden Store. “We know their life, we know what’s going on in their world. We get a lot of repeat customers.” Besides the personal touch they offer at the shop, they also pride themselves on their curated, artisan, and Fair Trade products, as well as the garden supplies they offer in their store. “People know they can get something unique that they can’t buy somewhere else, and they can’t get them on Amazon,” says Jensen.

The highlight for many of their regular customers is a walk through the garden. It is like a mini Red Butte Garden with grapevines, wisteria plants, and different kinds of pears growing up and over the arbors, a pond with goldfish, and a bench to relax on.

“Come in and experience our shop,” says Hansen. “We’ve been told that there is nothing else like this in Utah.”