Utah Stories Contributors

Gail Veley

Gail Veley has one particular mentor to thank for influencing the way she writes today. His name is Bob Jackson, who, back in the early 90’s, was the editor of a tabloid type promotional “newspaper” she regularly wrote for. However, during one particular meeting they had, he greatly stressed the importance of not only painting a picture, but also infusing smooth and easy to follow transitions from one sentence or paragraph to the next. Transitions may have been her shortcoming then, while she was in her early 20’s, but now at age 55, Veley feels as though it has become one of her strengths as a writer. She took Jackson’s advice to heart, and never writes one article without seeing his face or hearing those words.

Today she regularly writes magazine articles for 13 state deer farming associations and gives horseback riding lessons, which is her other lifelong passion. She has also written a book entitled “My Top Ten Favorite Horse Stories — and the lessons learned”. It is available on Amazon or the Kindle bookstore.

Rachel Fixsen

After growing up on the east coast and earning degrees in English and Art from the University of Maryland, Rachel moved to Utah in 2010 and fell in love with the deserts, mountains, rivers and canyons. She has worked as a wildland firefighter, a park ranger, a field research technician, and a builder. She now lives in Moab, where she writes for the Moab Sun News and the Moab Area Real Estate Magazine. She loves rock climbing, hiking, trail running, and summiting mountains. She also enjoys learning more about Utah’s history and culture, and how we are all adapting to a changing world.

Heather L. King

Heather is a food and beverage writer and anonymous restaurant critic for a variety of publications in Utah. She’s happy to have reported on Utah’s changing food landscape for more than 20 years. When not dining out, you’ll often find her at local farmers markets shopping for fresh produce and meeting local vendors. During the pandemic lockdown, she spent her time perfecting gin cocktails — often using locally produced spirits and garnishes. She shares her love of great food with her husband and two Great Danes. Her passion for traveling is fueled by experiencing the food cultures of other countries and regions. She owns SLCLunches.com, and you’ll find her sharing her favorite dishes @slclunches.

Letter from D Harr. In response to: ‘Girls Wrestling Boys’ Article by Dan Potts

Great Article!

You know, as a woman, I embrace our transgender sisters. I embrace them because they are about to discover what it really means to be a woman.

I didn’t always feel this way. Then I watched a Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lrYx7HaUlMY.

In this, I realized that those of us born as women are raised to know or understand, not in any real or tangible way, that many of us are raised as being “less than” everything else … exclusively because of the quirky ways we practice “religion”, and that in some groups it really sucks to be female.

We, those born this way, are raised NEVER UNDERSTANDING ANYTHING OTHER THAN [BEING] LESS THAN A MAN.

You can watch another Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edLQdf4o0cg.

It is sad that the most POWERFUL VOICE we have is not from those BORN FEMALE. Our most POWERFUL VOICES are happening from within the transgender portion of being a woman.

They went through all these surgeries so that everything would be “right” and be “happy”, only to find there is this other sector of “reality” that females have been SCREAMING ABOUT and well, yeah … it's a shocker once you become a woman. When you aren’t raised with all this “happening to you”…

As a woman, I can only apologize that we “DON’T HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO OFFER”… men with dicks can’t hear us.

They are our voice, and sadly the first VOICES with a bit of power.

HOWEVER, Look, in athletics, THERE USED TO BE ONLY A MALE PLATFORM.

WOMEN FOUGHT FOR THEIR OWN PLATFORM.

TRANSGENDER --- YOU AREN’T the same and every time you step up on the woman’s platform, YOU TAKE IT FROM A FEMALE THAT WAS BORN THAT WAY.

RAISE WOMEN UP, fight for your own PLATFORMS, just like we as women had to. Don’t take ours. RAISE US UP.

We got our own platform. It wasn’t easy, and WE WILL HELP YOU GET YOUR OWN ATHLETIC PLATFORM.

However, if you feel there is no difference, we might just say FINE --- THEN NO SEGREGATION.

ONE EVENT, ALL SEXES. Let's see where that goes.

And boys … the best of us are better than your lower “skill branches”.

WE WILL START TAKING PODIUMS FROM YOUR SIDE.

If sex doesn’t matter … let's try it your way.

We should embrace our Transgender Sisters. We should exercise more compassion for them. They were not born into this being, okay? We don’t talk about it in society, we ACCEPT it. They freaking DIDN’T KNOW, they couldn’t see, they couldn’t hear. Well ...

There are many leaders out there [that] have had their eyes opened in ways they never knew were closed.

Visit UtahStories.com for exclusive online content including our Utah Stories podcasts.

follow us on Facebook & on Instagram

Residential Carpet • Commercial Carpet Area Rugs • Discontinued Styles Slight Irregulars • Vinyl Flooring • Remnants

VISIT OUR NEW 50,000 SQUARE FOOT IN-STOCK WAREHOUSE AT

3663 MAIN STREET IN SOUTH SALT LAKE CITY Open Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-2 Closed Sun and Mon 801.266.1788