City Weekly April 24, 2025

Utahns are using ketamine to treat drug-resistant mental illnesses.

By Zach Abend

S AP

BOX

Freer Trade

Many of my friends and acquaintances disagree with Donald Trump’s “trade war” antics. His constant, inexplicable flip-flops and 180-degree turns make them nervous, and they can see that his unconstitutional tariff policy (the Constitution gives only Congress the power to tax) is already costing them money.

But many of my friends—including those on the putative “left”—also support tariffs and “protectionism” in general. They dislike the constant uncertainty that comes with having Trump

in charge of the matter, but they’ve spent decades complaining about how “free trade” has “hollowed out the middle class” and “sent American manufacturing abroad” ever since the 1994 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

They want something done, usually couching that desire in calls for an “industrial policy” that brings factories back from Latin America and Asia, offering them the same low prices on the same cheap goods, only with “Made In America” on the labels.

Before addressing their complaints, let’s get one thing straight: NAFTA was not “free trade.” It was governmentmanaged trade, just like before, only on freer terms. It cost some Americans their jobs, and created other jobs for some Americans too.

Example: Once NAFTA came into effect, the company that made French’s mustard closed its plants in Mexico and Canada and expanded its plant in Springfield, Missouri, creating hundreds of new union jobs. Perversely, as a union worker at that

plant, I occasionally worked in a warehouse that had previously been a television factory before that company moved its production overseas.

Jobs came, jobs went under the fake “free trade” agreement. But what has the American economy looked like since?

Well, the real median U.S. wage went up from $30,200 per year in 1993 to $42,220 in 2023 according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. “Real” means “adjusted for inflation.” Both of those numbers are in 2023 dollars.

Americans are 28.5% wealthier now than we were the year before NAFTA went into effect.

Manufacturing output? Also up about 28% since 1993. Manufacturing employment went up, not down, with NAFTA. It began falling in the early 2000s—due not to “free trade,” but rather to increased automation.

What didn’t go down was employment in general. As of last month, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, below the 5% rate that economists think of as “full employment” (there are always some

people looking for jobs, and some people who aren’t looking for jobs).

More people are working—and they’re mostly working in jobs that don’t involve eight hours a day at a sewing machine, or on a forklift, or wrangling a welding rig or rivet gun. If you’ve never done factory work, believe me when I tell you that’s a good thing.

The real problem with Trump’s trade war nonsense isn’t that he’s a mercurial nitwit, although that’s true. The real problem with Trump’s trade war nonsense is that freer trade makes us richer and economic “protectionist” schemes make us poorer.

But you don’t need me to tell you that, do you? You’re learning it right now.

THOMAS L. KNAPP

William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism

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THE WATER COOLER

If you could change one thing about the way that you were raised, what would it be?

Mikey Saltas

If my mommy made me graham crackers and milk more

Bill Frost

My parents really should have supported my pro-skateboarder aspirations more. I could have been doing vitamin commercials with Tony Hawk by now.

Eric Granato

To be encouraged to go to college.

Scott Renshaw

I hit the parent jackpot—supportive, no dysfunction, etc.—so it feels greedy to think I missed out on something. Maybe not growing up in Bakersfield, California?

Wes Long

I honestly can’t think of anything to change, as all that contributed to my development, whether positive or negative, have made me what I am today. I am grateful for that.

Benjamin Wood

I grew up on the wrong side of a rural UDOT highway, just outside of “town.” I realize now how isolated that made me, compared to if my exact same childhood home had been located just one halfmile west of where it is.

BY WES LONG

OPINION Media Play

Ilove what I do for a living. Not everyone can say that— so I routinely remind myself how rare it is to find a job that nourishes rather than merely sustains.

Those who work in journalism often have a difficult time finding outlets through which they may consistently pursue their craft, especially with the leeway that City Weekly affords. It’s humbling and exciting to offer my meager abilities.

Not having started out as a journalist—but nevertheless being an enthusiastic latecomer—I had long absorbed the maxims regarding the importance of the fourth estate for an informed public, the bedrock for a functioning democracy. I still believe that. Having grown up loving films like All the President’s Men and TV series like Lou Grant, I had a rough notion of what “healthy” journalism looked like and the environment in which it best flourished.

Edifying as those depictions might have been, and as important as the principles of a free press remain, I have come to the realization that I have never actually seen or experienced a completely healthy and “free” press in all the years of my life—struggling, as the press does, to survive with unstable revenue sources. Nor, for that matter, has any other American since perhaps the 19th century.

As with all ills, commercialism can be found at the root. But when anyone suggests improvement to the American system—an outlier upon the world’s stage—there are inevitable shrieks of resistance against governmental (but ideally, public) solutions, followed by incantations that our media industries can regulate themselves. The conversation has changed little for decades.

In his book America’s Battle for Media Democracy, Victor Pickard studied popular efforts to reform the American radio and newspaper industries in the 1940s that were prematurely abandoned, the consequences of which continue to be felt in the policies of today.

Back in that post-war period, Pickard wrote, efforts around social democracy sought a less commercialized media landscape, preferring one that “prioritized the collective rights of the public’s ‘freedom to read, see, and hear’ over the individual rights of media producers and owners”—that is, fostering “positive” freedoms for a common good rather than the “negative” freedom from such things as regulation.

The negative version is the media landscape we have known, Pickard writes, one in which “particular kinds of state intervention—copyright, relaxation of media ownership restrictions and generally any measure that privatizes what had been previously in the public domain (such as the public airwaves)—are embraced, whereas any measure that aims to curb profit-seeking behavior is scorned as regulatory and therefore anti-free market.”

You don’t need to look too closely in order to see how this libertarian sophistry was applied to television and the internet in the years that followed, and what damage it has wrought to our self-conception as citizens, our freedoms and our standards.

Today, we’ve confused multiplicity for diversity, with so many media “options” that nevertheless have little to say. Substantive reporting is rare amidst an ocean of sincere, if ill-informed commentary (at best) and a tidal wave of pernicious propaganda (at worst), all clamoring to fill the void.

Wonder not why so many have been radicalized to violence or polarized with partisan nostrums. Years of hermetically sealed indoctrination will do that.

“Fewer companies and fewer journalists are covering fewer stories with fewer resources,” lamented the late media scholar Robert McChesney. “Reporters are stretched thin and increasingly rely on the shortest path

to an ‘objective’ story, regurgitating official press releases from both sides of any given issue—thus ‘balance’ but not always truth or even analysis.”

With a media system that engenders little public understanding or action on issues—not to mention owners whose interests lie invariably with capital—we are dealing with a landscape that has been in need of structural reform for well over a century. It has been enormously impactful upon how we perceive the world about us as Americans and does indeed bear responsibility for our current national woes.

Were it not for the fawning support or vapid credulousness of our commercial media, would tenth-rate showmen like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump (or their circles) ever have been able to obtain the normalization and influence they have upon the national consciousness?

The poet Archibald MacLeish considered the American press of the 1940s as little better than that of Germany’s under Adolf Hitler, whose project was “to produce the intellectual perplexity, the emotional disorder, the doubt of truth, the distrust of all declarations of principle, all measures of value, all standards of decency, in the midst of which, like thieves in the confusion of a manufactured panic, the gangsters of the age may have their way.”

It is against such a crisis of communication and social plunder that I implore all to seek for non-commercial approaches to media, for journalists to venture beyond stenography, and for policymakers to reconsider for whom the freedom of the press was intended. (Hint: the postal service originally offered subsidized rates for newspapers so that citizens would have secure access.)

In the meantime, we can and should support the local journalism we have; while journalists can spend more time at public meetings and less time on political theater. Or as City Weekly editor Ben Wood often says: “Stay local and get creative.” CW

Private Eye is off this week. Send comments to wlong@cityweekly.net.

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE

HIT: Getting Schooled

It’s not over till it’s over. But for now, education in Utah can bask in a win or two. First, let’s talk about vouchers. A judge ruled that the Utah First All Scholarship is unconstitutional because it doesn’t “fit all.” Of course, the ruling will be appealed, as legislative leadership thinks it takes away parents’ ability to seek the best outcomes for their kids. Voucher advocates say students have already had transformative experiences—although there is no data to prove it. Meanwhile, the Utah Education Association and other labor groups submitted the most referendum signatures ever collected in Utah to overturn a law banning collective bargaining. The governor said he never liked the bill, even though he signed it. Sponsor Rep. Trevor Lee, RLayton, unsurprisingly blamed outside money and influence, although it is the Legislature that makes referendums expensive and difficult.

MISS: Study Abroad

OMG KSL

Raise your hand if you’ve ever used KSL Classifieds to buy or sell something. Now put your hand down, because I can’t see you or your lightly-used beige sectional with six cupholders.

The Classifieds page at KSL.com is the only useful part of the KSL Borg that includes a TV station, a radio station and daily glossed-over “news” takes about whatever region of Trumpy the Clown’s plentiful ass Gov. Spencer Cox is smooching at the moment. It’s a place to sell stuff, buy stuff and read some of the most outthere descriptions of stuff ever committed to pixels.

Here are but a few very real listings from KSL Classifieds’ “Free” section:

In the United States of Trump, foreign students are just as suspect as any undocumented people. International students at some eight Utah colleges have had their visas revoked as Homeland Security searches for any reason to shrink the nation’s brain trust. Chillingly, students are also being warned they could be deported to a third country—there’s a Salvadoran prison whose doors are open and waiting. Several students and the ACLU are suing. Millcreek and its mayor are having none of it. They are trying to make sense of deportation letters sent to residents who are in the country legally. Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini is reaching out to Rep. Burgess Owens, who has praised Trump’s deportations. “This is an affront to constitutionally guaranteed rights to all persons in the United States,” Silvestrini said. And attorney Jim McConkie is representing a Venezuelan family who fled for safety reasons. These days, a traffic violation could send you to the gulag.

MISS: Dry Land

It goes without saying that Utah does not like red tape—especially if it’s from the federal government. Now, we’re fully behind Trump’s withdrawal of the BLM’s Public Lands Rule to ensure conservation of public lands. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown called the rule a museum-type management approach. While Gov. Spencer Cox insists that Utah knows how to do conservation, the Trump administration is laser-focused on drilling—or rather, “energy development” on public lands. They might want to be drilling for water now that Utah and two other states are suing to make nuclear reactors great again. Small nuclear reactors are kind of the thing these days because they’re “small.” But Smart Water Magazine notes that one reactor needs billions of gallons of water each year, requires

and still generates

“Free Puppy: Got this for my son, but he doesn’t want it.”—Damn. You might want to check the back of your son’s head for a 666 birthmark. But if it’s a 999, no worries.

“Free Bumbo: None of our kids enjoyed it. If you want it, you can have it.”—More problem children. FYI, a Bumbo is a floor seat for babies aged 3 to 12 months, a demographic notorious for blasé product reviews.

“High-End Piano Free: This piano is beautiful with original ivory keys. Only one (insignificant) key is stuck.”—Which piano key is considered “insignificant”? C# has been marginalized for too long.

“Free Cuervo Mix: Free, unopened Cuervo mix for margaritas. Refrigerated, no alcohol.”—Hey, Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner.

“Free Cosequin for Dogs: My sweet little dog crossed the rainbow bridge, and I have about 20 tablets left.”— Yes, it’s a sad listing, but you’d be able to treat your achy joints for at least a few weeks after Leon Musk chainsaws your Medicare.

“Free Bags of Inflated Balloons: We used these for a bridal shower, and I hated to throw them away if someone could use them.”—There are several extremely cheap wedding planners with eyes on this one right now.

“Free King Mattress: The stain is only Coca-Cola.”—The specificity isn’t suspicious at all.

“Free Microwave With Broken Door: Works fine, but the front door is broken.”—Open-air microwaving is really healthier for you, anyway. I read it on Goop.

“Looking for Free Boats! If you have any boats that you are trying to get rid of that have titles, I am more than happy to take them. Just looking for some boats for the summertime.”—This was placed by either an 8-year-old or the characters played by Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly on Step Brothers.

“Free Rocks: Used rocks, 3.5 million years old. Original owner. Low miles.”—[Slow clapping] Bravo, sir, bravo. CW

Stage Presence

Comedian Steve Hofstetter on his comedy origins, dealing with hecklers and how a Utah appearance helped define his on-stage sensibility.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Stand-up comedian Steve Hofstetter has made a 20-year-plus career out of material that’s both personal and unapologetically progressive, occasionally taking on icons like Larry the Cable Guy in the process. Ahead of appearances at Wiseguys Gateway April 29-30 (wiseguyscomedy.com), Hofstetter talked to City Weekly. This interview has been edited for length and for clarity.

CW: What do you remember about your first time performing stand-up?

SH: I remember every moment. It also helps that I have the tape. And it’s physical tape. I got real lucky, in that the woman my friend was dating at the time was this aspiring videographer. This was 2002, before everyone was recording everything. So, actually having the footage of it, for someone who started when I did, is rare. I’m a bit ashamed for things that not only I found funny, but that the audience agreed with.

How long did it take you to figure out what your own comedy voice would be?

There have been several realizations over the years. One of the biggest ones is, early on, I was just doing stuff I found funny, and it would sometimes be stuff the audience didn’t find funny, because it was political. Then I started writing towards getting laughs, and getting gigs. And I started realizing I was a better comic in 2008 than I was in 2011. I did a college gig

that was terrible. They had me standing on a table instead of a stage, everything about it was bad: It was poorly promoted, the table collapsed two seconds in. It was horrific. And I realized the part I liked the least about it wasn’t that I bombed, but that I bombed with material I wasn’t even proud of. I decided then, “Write what you want to write.”

You’ve shared a lot of videos about dealing with hecklers. When it becomes clear to you that one of these incidents is about to emerge, what goes through your head at this point?

The fact of the matter is, I’m not physically afraid for my safety. I’m a big person physically, but also have hundreds of people in the room on my side. It’s really just a case of, I’m offended on behalf of the audience. For me, the rest of the crowd bought tickets, traveled there, some of them got babysitters, and made that night about that show. So it’s not ego; it’s “you are spoiling this for everyone else.” It’s a very “how dare you” kind of thing. I didn’t perform for almost a full year [due to the COVID pandemic], and the first tour I was back, the first time someone interrupted, I launched into [Liam Neeson’s] monologue from Taken. Because I have a particular set of skills. I don’t enjoy smacking someone down, but I enjoy that I can.

You’re obviously pretty open about your own politics in your act. But since [President Trump’s inauguration in January], do you feel that the vibes have changed at your shows in any way?

I’ve been watching audiences go through the stages of grief. My first few shows after the election—I was on tour, like, three days later—it was sadness. A vibe of just being confused, and disbelief. And almost denial, because there was a dramatic shift after the inauguration. … We were saying how bad this was going to be, but we didn’t know how bad it was going to be. There’s been a sense of relief [at shows], because it’s a room full of like-minded people. Being in a room full of people who are just as upset about this as you are, can be very comforting.

You mentioned that one of your big careerchanging moments took place in Salt Lake City.

I was doing a show at the University of Utah. It was before I had a big social media presence, and I didn’t have a ton of media online. Someone was recording on a flipcam in the back of the room. I don’t know who made the decision also to promote the show on BYU campus, but it was a very dumb decision. It was a 10 p.m. show, … and in the opening joke, I used the word “shit.” And a couple of people get up, and a third of the crowd walked out in the

first five minutes. It was difficult to stay on track. But the 2/3 that stayed, I got a standing ovation. And when I posted the video of the show, there were comments saying, “The reason we like you is you don’t back down.” And that was the first time I really understood that: People want a loud voice in the face of hypocrisy. It’s cathartic to see someone say what you’d want to say. CW

An expanded version of this interview can be found online at CityWeekly.net.

Comedian Steve Hofstetter

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RDT: Deux

At its most literal level, the title of Repertory Dance Theatre’s seasonending production Deux of course just means “two,” referring to the two celebrated choreographers featured as part of the evening’s program. Yet it’s also possible to think about the entire idea of dance as partnership—between individual dancers on a stage, between dancer and choreographer, between performers and audience. There’s a strength that comes from mixing artistic visions as well as perspectives, and as RDT’s mission celebrates the rich history of modern dance, this program provides evidence of how that history is improved through diversity.

Opening the evening is pioneering Mexican-born choreographer José Limón’s 1966 work The Winged, with movement inspired by the graceful flight of birds. It provides a showcase for the “Limón technique”—a focus on the gravity of the body, on weight and illusions of weightlessness—in a piece that the Washington Post referred to as “a marvelous work, both spacious and delicate—a distillation of what it means to float, to flutter, to soar.” Following that are excerpts from Zvi Gotheiner’s 1992 work Chairs, a dynamic interplay of choreography between dancers and chairs that conveys the themes of connection, tension and transformation.

Repertory Dance Theatre’s production of Deux comes to the Rose Wagner Center’s Jeanné Wagner Theatre (138 W. 300 South) Thursday, April 24 – Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. General admission tickets are at three variable tiers, with patrons able to choose between $15 (Arts Enthusiast), $30 (Arts Supporter) and $45 (Arts Champion) levels. Visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets, and rdtutah.org for additional event and presenter information. (Scott Renshaw)

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival

Every season in Utah brings its own unique pleasures, from the snow sports of winter to the concerts and outdoor festivals of summer. But don’t sleep on the delights of spring, as the state emerges from its wintry blanket for occasions like the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival, which for more than 20 years has been one of the Beehive State’s most delightful multi-sensory celebrations of springtime renewal.

As the event’s title indicates, the central appeal comes from its displays of tulips—more than 400,000 this year, and every year in a brand-new landscape design. But there are also more than 500,000 blossoms of other kinds, including hyacinths, daffodils and poppies, in a dazzling array of colors and types. The event also features a full festival experience of live music, concessions, food trucks, vendor tables, play areas, classes and unique photo opportunities. And on April 26, intrepid runners, joggers and just-plain-walkers can participate in the annual 5K through the gardens, presenting one of the most fragrant courses you’ll find anywhere. It’s an amazing experience for the entire family, rich with natural beauty.

The 2025 Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival continues now through May 17, Mondays – Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. (opening 9:30 a.m. April 26 after the 5K). Time-ticketed reservations are required. Admission is free to Thanksgiving Point members Monday – Friday, discounted on Saturday; regular admission is $17$29 based on age and date of visit, and additional charge for in-person ticket purchases. Go to thanksgivingpoint.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids

Local cinephiles are still mourning the announcement that the Sundance Film Festival will soon be relocating to Colorado, but that doesn’t mean the end of the line for exciting and innovative movie programming in Utah. In addition to the ongoing work of the Salt Lake Film Society, there are the many special events and screenings presented by the Utah Film Center. And that includes the wonderful family-friendly occasion that is the Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids. For one day, young movie-lovers and would-be movie-makers can gather for a day of great stories, workshops and more. The festival program includes I Accidentally Wrote a Book, a charming fantasy about a 13-year-old girl’s dreams of becoming an author; the animated adventure Puffin Rock and the New Friends (pictured); and the return of the 2013 Spanish tale Zip & Zap and the Marble Gang, about kids fighting the evil administration of their summer school. Attendees can also experience a wide range of workshops—many of them led by industry professionals—covering topics including cinematic special effects, movie camerawork and lighting, acting in movies, character design for animation, screenwriting podcasting, special-effects makeup and stop-motion animation.

The 2025 Tumbleweeds Film Festival for Kids comes to the Salt Lake County Library’s Viridian Center (8030 S. 1825 West, West Jordan) on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Film screenings are free with online reservation, though donation to the Utah Film Center is suggested; workshops are $25 per person. Visit tumbleweedskids.org for full schedule of screenings and workshops, plus additional event information. (SR)

Weird Play

The Accountant 2 returns to a world of disparate elements, for better and for worse.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

I

n the event that you’ve forgotten about The Accountant—and you could be forgiven, since it’s been eight-and-a-half years since its theatrical release—permit me to bring you back up to speed: That movie was weird. That starts with the central premise, involving a neurodivergent man named Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) with a couple of very particular sets of skills. On the one hand, he’s a mathematical savant who makes big bank handling the accounting of criminal organizations, and occasionally ratting them out when they violate his personal moral code; on the other hand, he’s a badass trained in martial arts and military weaponry. Throw in a convoluted plot involving a treasury department investigation, flashbacks to Christian’s time in prison learning his criminal trade and a revelation involving Christian’s long-estranged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), and you’ve got one oddball variation on action drama, even before you get to the thorny question of whether Affleck’s performance amounted to a kind of autism minstrelsy.

The Accountant did a modestly successful $150 million worldwide in the fall of 2016, nothing that would immediately scream “franchise,” and it certainly seemed like the moment for a follow-up would have passed after nearly a decade. Yet here we are, revisiting the world of Christian Wolff with the original creative team of director Gavin O’Connor and screenwriter Bill Dubuque. And you know what? It’s still

weird. Maybe weirder, even, though that’s not necessarily the same as “good.”

Part of that expanded sense of oddness comes from how much it’s willing to swing tonally from broadly comic to dark. We’re reintroduced to Christian as he lives his itinerant life in (for the moment) Boise, engaging in a speed-dating event where he uses his abilities to game the algorithm and gain a lot of interest from various women—until his personality quirks alienate them. Yet that goofiness ends up colliding with a central plot involving human trafficking, as Christian heeds the call of federal agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson, also returning from the first film) to help find out what information her former boss, Ray King (J.K. Simmons), uncovered that led someone to kill him. If you’re able to withstand the whiplash between “Christian learns how to line-dance in a honky-tonk bar” and “children held prisoner in a Mexican camp and threatened with mass-murder,” you may have come to the right place.

The big selling point, however, has been turning the sibling relationship that was The Accountant’s big third-act twist into

a focal point of this narrative—and at times, it’s kind of delightful. Bernthal gets a couple of showy, amusing solo scenes reminding us both of Braxton’s gig as a freelance killer and his occasionally hairtrigger temper before Christian contacts him, asking for help on this whole human-trafficking thing. Dubuque’s screenplay earnestly wants to make it matter that Braxton yearns for a connection with Christian that the latter’s autism makes challenging, and the scenes in which they attempt their own version of bonding— particularly sharing beers atop Christian’s Airstream trailer—generally prove entertaining. They’re also an odd fit in a movie that’s going to include plenty of broken bones and gunplay as the brothers try to track down a missing boy and the mysterious assassin (Daniella Pineda) Ray was meeting with before his death.

Oh, but wait! I’ve somehow forgotten to mention the secret team of hackers operating out of the care facility for neurodivergent youth that Christian finances. Again: I will leave it to others far more knowledgeable about such things than I am to determine whether there’s anything

problematic about the way these movies portray people on the autism spectrum. But these particular people on the autism spectrum don’t really seem to have lives before waiting to be called into action by Christian, and their scenes are mostly used as comic relief. For, you know, trying to stop all the human trafficking.

The Accountant 2 ultimately settles into a big climactic shootout, which I suspect is the reason most of the folks in the audience will be coming. In theory, I dig the idea that it takes quite a few loopy steps to get there; we need more movies that feel idiosyncratic in their sensibility, and fewer like the AI-generated version of a genre crowd-pleaser. Sometimes, weird is good. And sometimes, weird is just … well, weird

Free Your Mind

Utahns are using ketamine to treat drug-resistant mental illnesses.

BY ZACH ABEND comments@cityweekly.net

Lisa, a 55-year-old widow and mother of two living in Sandy, has been working in therapy to overcome severe childhood trauma, as well as the loss of her late husband.

And for the last two and a half years, Lisa (who asked to withhold her last name because of privacy concerns) has been treated by Morgan Gonzales, a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) at Therapy Transformed in Salt Lake City. Part of that therapy includes ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.

“I was beaten by my adopted father,” Lisa said. “I watched my adopted dad beat my mom and abuse her emotionally. I endured a lot.”

The ketamine, combined with therapy, has helped Lisa immensely. “Emotionally, it opens up the doors to things you never thought you could do,” she reported. “You look and think differently at things.”

Ketamine has come a long way from what it was originally intended to be used for. It was developed in the mid-20th century and used as an anesthetic during the Vietnam War. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies it as a Schedule III controlled substance.

However, due to a legal loophole, ketamine can be prescribed “off label,” meaning it can be administered as medication outside of the purposes specifically approved by the FDA.

That’s why today, ketamine is increasingly being used to treat a variety of illnesses, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain.

Practitioners employ the psychedelic and dissociative properties of ketamine to

achieve results for people whose symptoms are resistant to traditional talk therapy and SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) medication.

And like many emerging alternative treatments, ketamine has reportedly offered relief to many people who were suicidal due to their severe depression.

The financial rewards for prescribing ketamine are significant, and clinics catering to people who want to try ketamine treatments have sprung up all over the country, including Utah. Clinics charge anywhere between $350 and $500 per session, and insurance companies don’t always cover these treatments, which puts ketamine out of reach for many Americans.

Ketamine clinics exist in a regulatory gray area and government agencies have struggled to keep up with the changing landscape of psychedelic medicine.

Jenny Johnson, Assistant Communications Director with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email that, to prescribe ketamine, most providers will fall under the regulation of the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL).

“The Utah Department of Health and Human Services would only license them

NEWS

saying this. There should be an honor to this type of work.”

In fact, she feels so strongly about it that, along with Dr. Stephanie Coleman, Gonzales is working with the State of Utah to help create an ethical framework for practitioners who wish to incorporate ketamine into their treatment of clients.

“We are working with DOPL to help facilitate discussions about making Utah the standard of practice for other states,” Gonzales reported. “We want to be the best state and give the most ethical care we can.”

Solid Ground

The psychedelic pioneer Timothy Leary once said, “I am 100 percent in favor of the intelligent use of drugs, and 1,000 percent against the thoughtless use of them, whether caffeine or LSD. And drugs are not central to my life.”

In that vein, many practitioners agree that a regulatory framework to protect patients would be ideal, because if it’s administered correctly, ketamine can help to save lives and give therapists additional options in treating severe depression.

if they meet the outpatient rule requirements,” Johnson explained. “However, if this was the case, they would be identified as outpatient clinics, not ketamine clinics specifically.”

Patrick Fitzgibbon, a spokesperson for DOPL, said via email that the division is responsible for licensing healthcare practitioners. “However,” he said, “we do not license clinics or have specific policies regarding ketamine use.”

In the same vein, when asked what longterm approach the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) was going to take to regulate and enforce the sale of ketamine to the public— especially since ketamine is being used offlabel by so many clinics—DEA Public Affairs Officer Steffan W. Tubbs said via email that the DEA is committed to preventing the diversion of controlled substances, which can lead to addiction and harm to patients.

“We will continue to hold accountable any practitioner who operates recklessly outside the usual course of practice,” he expressed.

Morgan Gonzales at Therapy Transformed doesn’t pull any punches about some of the ketamine clinics in Utah.

“It’s hard to find ethical people doing this work,” Gonzales said. “I’m not popular with other providers and clinics because I keep

Sherilyn Gustafson, a 55-year-old stayat-home mom who is undergoing treatment at American Fork’s Utah Ketamine Clinic for severe depression, said that ketamine changed her life.

“It’s definitely taken away all my suicidal ideation and thoughts,” Gustafson noted. “I definitely want to live. I didn’t think anything would work for me. I still take antidepressants, but [ketamine] takes away the desire not to live.”

Tasha Seegmiller—a 46-year-old English Professor who is being treated for persistent depressive disorder, C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) and generalized and social anxiety disorder—echoed Gustafson. “I had significant suicidal ideation and an overwhelming desire to just be done,” Seegmiller recalled. “Ketamine not only stopped that, but gave me some solid ground to start climbing out of the seemingly endless abyss.”

Peter Brownstein is a 65-year-old retiree being treated for depression and anxiety by Dr. Ben Lewis, director of The Huntsman Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program (KAP) at the University of Utah. Brownstein said that he’s been using ketamine in therapy for about six months.

Zachary Taylor

Tasha Seegmiller

Sherilyn Gustafson

Morgan Gonzales

Dr. Ben Lewis

“I definitely want to live. I didn’t think anything would work for me.”—Sherilyn Gustafson.

“It seems to increase neuroplasticity,” he said. “It lets you be more open minded and try new things.”

Zachary Taylor, co-owner of the Utah Ketamine Clinic, said that he has a success rate close to 72% with his ketamine patients. Taylor is passionate about ketamine as a tool for severe depression and is glad the drug is available today as an option.

Utah Ketamine Clinic was one of the first clinics in the state to administer ketamine as part of therapy.

“This isn’t our primary source of income,” Taylor said. “It’s a labor of love.”

Lewis said his clinic treats a variety of people—those whose depression and anxiety do not respond to traditional treatments as well as those who are uninterested in the standard psychopharmacological approach.

“Our KAP clinic involves a robust psychotherapy process as well,” Lewis said. “So it selects for people who are interested in doing that kind of work alongside ketamine treatments.”

Gonzales, of Therapy Transformed, uses a “psycholytic” approach to incorporating ketamine with therapy. She explained that psycholytic refers to work done when a patient is under the influence of some sort of substance, hypnosis or deep meditation.

“I work when the person is coming out from under a larger dose of ketamine,” she said.

Gonzales added that she has seen this work result in profound changes with deep-seated trauma.

“The psycholytic approach can be particularly valuable for individuals seeking to address deep-rooted psychological issues and explore their inner world in a safe and supportive environment,” Gonzales said. “By working with a skilled therapist during the post-psychedelic integration period, individuals can gain valuable insights, heal from past traumas and cultivate greater self-awareness and emotional well-being.”

Gonzales is very proud of her success rate. She said she’s never had a client who expressed regret for incorporating ketamine into their mental health regimen.

“I’m not sure, numbers-wise, but all of my clients get better if they want to do the work,” she observed. “Our ketamine work is not easy, because we want to get to the root cause of issues and not keep taking money and giving a drug.”

Path Forward

Given the laissez-faire atmosphere surrounding some Utah ketamine clinics, experts suggest that prospective patients should vet practitioners and clinics before settling on one. And Taylor—who has a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) and is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)—said that understanding the nuts and bolts of how ketamine works should be something your therapist is familiar with, as a bare minimum.

“My background is anesthesia,” he said. “Ketamine was used as an anesthetic. As such, if a provider doesn’t have a basic understanding of ketamine, that’s a big red flag—or if a provider can’t tell you how it works.”

Lewis added that while ketamine is a useful tool, it is not a panacea.

“We feel strongly that it is important that patients are evaluated by a psychiatrist and that any ketamine administration involves direct on-site MD oversight and support,” he said.

Gonzales also had a few suggestions about what to look for, or avoid, in a ketamine clinic. In particular, she suggested that patients should work with in-person therapists and “integrationists” who have specific training in using the drug itself, and in harm reduction strategies.

“I have seen the wild west of ketamine these past eight years and we call it the McDonalds of ketamine,” she remarked. “There is no integration, or [there are] non-family members sitting with clients. People are just being sent home with lack of follow up care.”

Gonzales also worried about people practicing outside their area of training.

“This is not just a clinic issue.” she said. “Therapists are getting in trouble and practicing outside of their scope, having someone prescribe sublingual ketamine and having a client come into a therapy office take ketamine and there is no medical monitoring.”

“This work should be done in partnership,” she continued, “in relationship with each other as providers, and not solo.”

Lisa echoed this. “I have met people and they have done ketamine at places that weren’t reputable,” she mentioned. “You need to be in an environment that is supportive. You have to do the work too—it’s not an automatic cure.” CW

Swipe and Vape

CanPay’s approved provider status means patients can use a debit card to purchase medical cannabis.

BY BENJAMIN M. ADAMS comments@cityweekly.net

In most states, buying medical or recreational cannabis means paying with cash. Many banking institutions won’t work with cannabis businesses, as they operate in a gray area—legal at the state level but still in conflict with federal law, as cannabis remains a Schedule I drug.

That situation won’t change completely until cannabis is descheduled at the federal level. But as local cannabis industries gain public support in many states, legal workarounds are taking shape.

Last October, CanPay was named by Utah’s Division of Finance as an approved payment provider for medical cannabis pharmacies statewide. This approval means many patients can swipe a debit card inside of a medical cannabis pharmacy to pay for their medicine, potentially saving a stop at the ATM.

But how is it possible, given the limited relationship between banks and cannabis businesses? “The State of Utah has a unique approval program for payment providers that was created to enhance transparency for the state’s medical cannabis program,” CanPay CEO Dustin Eide told City Weekly. “The application process is outlined in the related statute, and includes the submission of CanPay documentation around compliance, transparency with its banking partners, and consumer and merchant security.”

The company also launched an app that allows patients to pay medical cannabis pharmacies in Utah with a debit from their checking account using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network.

“CanPay operates its pay-by-bank platform exclusively on the Automated Clearing House Network, which is the only network available for legitimate and transparent at-the-counter cannabis purchases,” Eide explained. “Through a quick and simple account creation process, the customer can link their CanPay account to their bank account and immediately begin making fee-free payments at any participating dispensary.”

At many medical cannabis pharmacies in Utah, patients have been able to pay with a card after their bill is rounded up to the nearest $5 and with ATM fees applied. This also means patients receive a small amount of cash back, which is helpful if the patient chooses to tip the pharmacy associate (or budtender).

This same system is now being applied in other states to allow medical cannabis patients to use payment cards. Beyond Utah, CanPay serves over 1,000 dispensaries in other states.

“This includes multiple locations across Utah, for delivery payments, and at over 1,100 dispensaries across the country,” Eide said. “CanPay is glad to be in partnership with the State of Utah.”

The CanPay platform enables payments from over 14,000 financial institutions spanning across other industries.

THC patients can skip ATM fees with CanPay.

CanPay was founded in 2016, and is one the largest multi-retail and ecommerce pay-by-bank payment networks. Its services are geared for emerging markets and businesses in highly regulated industries like cannabis.

Credit card companies in general haven’t warmed up to cannabis businesses, and many banks still do not allow full services. While MasterCard and Visa routinely enforce a ban on providing banking services to businesses that touch cannabis, the tides are turning.

A record number of banking institutions report that they’re catering to state-legal cannabis businesses. This takes place amid increased pressure on Congress to enact broader protections for financial institutions that work with cannabis businesses.

A long-term solution has been in the works for years at the federal level. The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act aims to provide state-legal cannabis businesses access to traditional financial services.

It would do so by providing federal protection for financial institutions that offer services to cannabis-related businesses operating legally.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held a hearing on February 5 on debanking practices by regulators and banks. While the initial point of the hearing was cryptocurrency, senators from both sides of the aisle called attention to cannabis banking.

At the meeting, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) highlighted the inability of the cannabis industry to use traditional banking services. Warren explained that the vast majority of over 10,000 complaints the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received were about cannabis companies. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also called for reexamining federal laws to give cannabis businesses some clarity.

Similar actions are taking place in the House. At a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee on Feb. 6, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) called for a cannabis banking bill to finally finish the crossing line. Several attempts have been launched before, such as the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act.

At the local Utah level, a $3 per-transaction fee that goes to the state will be halved to $1.50 under SB8, which recently passed. For now, using a debit card is an option at medical cannabis pharmacies, but it will take time until all credit card companies and banking institutions fully come aboard. CW

COURTESY PHOTO

Cannabis at the Capitol

New amendments to Utah’s medical cannabis system will slash patient fees and add two pharmacies to rural areas.

BY BENJAMIN M. ADAMS comments@cityweekly.net

Utah’s medical cannabis program is ever-changing as lawmakers iron out wrinkles in the system. New bills approved during the most recent legislative session will add two additional medical cannabis pharmacies in rural areas—bringing the state’s total to 17—while reducing the fees that patients pay.

A few things stand out that make Utah’s system unique, including that it is among the states to use licensed pharmacists. Proponents of this model argue that a licensed pharmacist can offer on-site assistance to patients, like explaining the potential side effects of combining cannabis with overthe-counter medications. Utah’s medical cannabis system also continues to formally ban smoking, and lacks provisions for growing cannabis at home.

Most neighboring states allow patients to grow cannabis at home. Colorado, for instance, allows patients to grow six mature plants and up to 12 immature plants. Nevada allows for six plants per person and 12 per residence. Most other states allow smoking, while Utah permits only vaping and other flame-free dosage forms.

But Utah’s restrictive, yet refined, medical cannabis system continues to draw attention from other states. And improvements are on the horizon that aim to refine several facets of the local industry. These changes address the numerous fees that add to the financial burden medical cannabis patients incur and the distances they must travel to access their medicine.

Market Forces

Advocacy and lobbyist groups worked hard to push for change during the 2025 legislative session, which concluded March 7. Among the bills that passed, HB357 will simplify the legal definition of a “physician,” combining two types of doctors who can recommend medical cannabis.

The bill drops some fees for physicians, podiatrists and nurse practitioners, and allows physicians to recommend cannabis without registering with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

It also adds a pregnancy warning to be displayed on cannabis product labels, starting in January.

Another bill, SB64, created new product information requirements showing side effects, dosage and contraindications. The bill further defines the parameters of Utah’s medical cannabis system, but one of its most controversial changes is a prohibition on medical professionals issuing “recom-

mendations”—the state’s version of a prescription—for medical cannabis as part of an event that is held within 500 feet of a medical cannabis pharmacy property.

Meanwhile, cannabis can be purchased by any adult in one of the four recreational cannabis states that border Utah—Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Patients can drive a few hours to West Wendover, Nevada, or east to Dinosaur, Colorado, to get recreational cannabis without a medical cannabis card.

But keep in mind that carrying cannabis products back over the Utah border is illegal. People can also buy an eighth of cannabis in a Ziploc bag from an illicit dealer instead of going through Utah’s highly regulated medical cannabis pharmacies, where the same amount is likely more expensive.

Several new amendments to Utah law aim to refine the medical cannabis system, with one goal being to better compete with the black market. Lawmakers want to attract patients to medicate legally by refining the program and making it more appealing.

“The intent is to correct some structural issues that many of us—members of the legislative Medical Cannabis Oversight Working Group—see as hindering progress on strengthening our medical cannabis program in ways that encourage patients out of the black market and into regular utilization of the medical program,” Salt Lake City Democratic Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost told City Weekly

Dailey-Provost sponsored HB203, which initially set out to increase the number of cannabis pharmacies in the state to 25. But she and other lawmakers and advocates faced opposition from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Drug Safe Utah and the Eagle Forum, among others. While the LDS Church does not entirely oppose medical cannabis use among its members, the organization pushes for a highly regulated version of the law in Utah.

Ultimately, two additional medical cannabis pharmacy licenses will be issued, but details on their locations have not yet been revealed. Both licenses must be awarded to locations in one of the state’s smaller counties and in an area designated as medically underserved by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Rep. Paul Cutler, R-Centerville, said the odors from cannabis facilities

need to be managed better.

Vernal and Moab have been floated as contenders for the two rural dispensaries. Moab Mayor Joette Langianese, the Moab City Council and local law enforcement leaders all are in favor of bringing a medical cannabis pharmacy to the tourist town.

Since the nearest pharmacy is in Price, many patients in the Moab area simply cross state lines, where recreational cannabis stores are closer. It’s difficult for patients in Vernal to travel long distances as well, which makes the recreational products in Dinosaur, Colorado, tempting at just a 36-minute trip away.

Dailey-Provost also sponsored legislation to crack down on hemp products that get people high. Another facet to Utah’s black market is the hemp-derived cannabis market. Many hemp products contain active ingredients like delta-8 THC. Both concerned parents and the cannabis industry itself oppose these potent products, as it poses competition for medical cannabis pharmacies and its safety profile is less known.

Dailey-Provost explained how the situation is often described as a pseudo-recreational market and that these products can be found in grocery stores, convenience stores and mall kiosks.

“HB54 is a department-requested bill to make sure that regulators have the tools and resources they need to make sure that industrial hemp products that are sold in unregulated retail spaces do not have THC in them,” Dailey-Provost said.

Delta-8 THC and other similar compounds generate a great deal of controversy between hemp companies, who say they are safe, and patients who oppose the use of those compounds.

The bill allows a patient to view a medical cannabis product’s back panel before purchase, allowing them to see what terpenes and compounds are inside before committing to a strain or product. Pharmacies must post a picture of the back panel on the medical cannabis pharmacy’s website.

Good Neighbors

Other legislative efforts aim to control odors emanating from cannabis production facilities. HB343, sponsored by Rep. Paul Cutler,

Rep. Jennifer

said new changes to Utah’s cannabis law aim to keep patients out of the illicit drug market.

R-Centerville, addresses unwanted smells that bother some neighbors.

“We have learned that cannabis odors, emitted at certain cycles of the growing and production cycle, can have a significant impact on neighboring businesses and residents,” Cutler told City Weekly. “HB343 requires cannabis production facilities in an industrial zone to proactively plan to mitigate odors and be responsible, good neighbors to those around them.”

Proponents of medical cannabis noted that there are unwanted odors from other industries that go unchecked, such as biosolids drying beds in Rose Park that emanate pungent smells, or the fishy smell produced by asphalt plants.

Another bill, SB8, reduces many stateimposed fees, a welcomed change for many patients. It drops the transaction fee applied to every pharmacy purchase from $3 to $1.50 and slashes the patient renewal fee from $15 to $8. Several other fees for caregivers and guardians were also reduced.

While competing interests continue to shape Utah’s medical cannabis industry, reduced fees and more pharmacies in rural areas could improve access and prevent people from crossing state lines for products.

Medical cannabis proponents say they worked on many other provisions with competing interests in a back-and-forth process that patient advocates in the state are used to.

“We work on this during the interim, and then we get to the session and all of what we needed comes to fruition, and then we have years like this when it doesn’t,” said Desiree Hennessy, executive director of the Utah Patients Coalition.

Like many other parents in Utah, Hennessy pushed for medical cannabis after seeing it help her adopted son Hestevan, who has cerebral palsy.

What’s next for Utah? It could be recreational cannabis. A recent poll conducted by Noble Predictive Insights and commissioned by the nonprofit Keep Utah Medical found that 52% of Utahns support the legalization of recreational cannabis, while 38% do not and 9% are unsure. Despite the slim margin, the poll suggests recreational cannabis might have the support needed to pass a ballot initiative in Utah. CW

Dailey-Provost, D-SLC,

Brunch with a Venezuelan Twist

Skillets is the neighborhood breakfast spot you need in your life right now.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net

@captainspringer

The brunch vibes along the Wasatch Front have had a pretty substantial glow-up over the past few years. We’ve had a few local restaurants really go hard with the whole brunch concept. It’s true that they’ve yielded some interesting results, with their social media-savvy decor and build-your-own Bloody Marys, but they’re a bit much for a quiet misanthrope like myself.

Since I do love it when people bring me waffles, I set off to check out Skillets, a new breakfast, brunch and lunch place near the Maven District. Based on my experience thus far, I think this new spot is perfect for people who want to enjoy cute breakfast vibes without feeling selfconscious about the number of Instagram followers they have.

Before Skillets moved into the 900 South spot that used to belong to Barrio, owners Jorge and Will Garcia-Kesler operated a popular food truck that was known for putting a Venezuelan twist on breakfast burritos—you know, the ones that snagged a Best of Utah Award last year. Fans of the food truck will be happy to know that it’s still in operation, and the brick-and-mortar store has turned into a beacon of morning and midday dining for the nearby neighborhoods. I

DINE

can already tell that the Skillets patio is going to be the place to be on those sunny weekend mornings that are on the way. Those who are looking for a menu item that offers a sense of spectacle should look no further than the Tower for Two ($35), or the smaller waffle fondue ($17). On top of being gorgeous, they’re also both excellent samplers of what the restaurant has to offer. The Tower for Two is a triple-stacked structure that includes plenty of sourdough toast complete with three flavors of house-made cream cheese. The aforementioned waffle fondue is also represented here, and it comes with Nutella and pistachio dipping sauces. The bottom layer is replete with savory favorites like eggs, tater tots and sausage. If you’re in a duo and are not sure what to get, you can’t really go wrong here.

If you’re like me and curious about how Skillets incorporates Venezuelan flavors into its menu items, I’d recommend starting off with the Skillets Poutine ($17). I mean, I’d also recommend it because poutine is awesome, but that’s beside the point. This poutine is assembled in hearty layers of rosemary homefried potatoes, cheese curds, Venezuelan shredded beef and some finely chopped peppers and onions. It also gets topped with a fried egg and some hollandaise sauce that has a nice smoky kick. Though my experience with Venezuelan food is limited to the handful of regional restaurants that have opened up around town, I do know that it’s a cuisine that takes its meat and cheese very seriously. Based on that experience, the shredded beef on this poutine is a resounding success. It’s got a vibrant, slightly acidic seasoning profile, and it’s been roasted to tender perfection. It provides the ideal centerpiece to a dish that has layers upon layers of savory richness. Anyone who

enjoys a breakfast skillet—or just food piles in general—will absolutely love this. On the sweet side of things, Skillets is making some serious moves with its French toast. The menu includes three types of French toast, but you can also get the French toast flight ($19) that gives you one of each. I went with the stuffed French toast ($15), because Nutella is one of my most beloved breakfast condiments, and this guy is slathered in the stuff. Oh, and there are strawberries too. That makes it healthy, right?

Skillets uses thick slices of nice fluffy brioche for its French toast, and you get a lot of it. It’s served with a cup of homemade caramel syrup and sprinkled with powdered sugar. When you hear the word “brunch,” this is the image that pops into your mind. Now, I’m fully aware that French toast isn’t a complicated dish, and it’s pretty much good whether you’re making it in your own kitchen or ordering it at a restaurant. However, there were a few moments during this meal that gave me pause. I loved the cinnamon and sugar caramelization happening on the surface, and that caramel syrup is dynamite.

On the spectrum of local brunch spots, Skillets manages to hit all the right bases regardless of what you’re looking for. It’s great for those after Instagram likes and spectacle, but you’re also not beholden to that vibe if you just want to have a nice, colorful breakfast served by a friendly staff. I’m excited to see how Skillets continues to evolve and make use of its gorgeous interior and exterior spaces. This is a restaurant that has a lot going for it, and it’s definitely going to be an MVP on my breakfast and brunch rotation. CW

282 E. 900 South 801-900-9988

Skillets Poutine

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Piney Peaks “West Coast IPA”

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC

BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale

BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, German Pale Ale, On Tap: Munich ‘Dunkel’, California ‘Steam’ Lager

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:  High Pressure Haze, Hazy Pale Ale

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: Wassail Cider, Pineapple

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

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: Equinox

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Now with a full bar license & draft beer cocktails!

On Tap: Fonio - 100% gluten free beer; Schwarzbier

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co., 550 South 300 West, Suite

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Fruit Bat Sour Ale

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: Lavricot Bloom

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: ALES for ALS - 5.0% hazy pale

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

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: Anniversary Releases, Above the Clouds Hazy IPA, The Great 8 OenoBeer

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: EL Doce Mexican Lager

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

SaltFireBrewing.com

On Tap: Where my Peeps at? -

Marshmallow Porter on draft

Salt Flats Brewing

2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: FOG LIGHT - JUICY IPA

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com

On Tap: Scion Sapsucker 9.2% ABV

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider. com

On Tap: Pear Taragon Pink Peppercorn 6.5%

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: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen; Black Cloud Lager

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

Squatters Corner Pub –Valley Fair 3555 Constitution Blvd, West Valley City squatterscornerpub.com On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Acapulco Gold Mexican Lager

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Dog Lake American Pale Ale

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

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi

3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: “Ostara” German Amber Lager with orange and lemon peel; “Virgil the Guide” Italian Pilsner

Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: Candy Cap English Mild

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com

On Tap: Strata Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Chop It Up Pale Ale; Strawberry Kolsch

Thieves Guild Cidery 117 W. 900 South, SLC thievesguildcidery.com

On Tap: Divine Smite - Golden Russet single varietal, deep bitter apple notes, 10% ABV

Top of Main Brewery

250 Main, Park City, Utah topofmainbrewpub.com

On Tap: Top of Main Brewery Off The Tree Juicy IPA

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com

On Tap: Golden Grant 5% ABV. Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com

Wasatch Brew Pub 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ wasatch

On Tap:  Top of Main Utah Beer: An American Light Lager

Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

Zolupez

205 W. 29th Street #2, Ogden Zolupez.com

BEER NERD

West Coast Pilsners

An American interpretation of a classic style

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

This week, we’re going to get into two local examples of West Coast Pilsners. First off, what is a West Coast Pils? They’re typically made the same way as your traditional pilsner: They’re lagered, and for the most part are brewed with 100 percent pilsner malt, though some brewers can use a blend of malts. Hops are generally American Northwest varieties like Citra, Mosaic, and Centennial.

Now you’re probably thinking, “Sounds like an IPA to me.” And you may be right. However, the main difference is that West Coast pilsners generally have a broader reliance on hops to do most of the heavy lifting, as their malt profile is much lighter than your typical IPA. Taste-wise, look for a dry and moderately bitter lager with a familiar, bready pilsner malt flavor, paired with solid tropical fruit hop flavors.

TF - West Coast Style Pilsner: Hopped with a combo of Strata CGX, Nelson Savin, Cascade and Hallertau Mittelfruh, it also has a malt bill of pilsner malt and rice. The pour shows a well-refined appearance that’s polished to the nines: rather light-looking, brassy yellow in the glass, with some mellow shine and a high, airy white head. It’s pure and clean, visibly light in body. Dank herbal notes of melon, grapefruit, berries and cannabis are all over the pungent 6.8 percent aroma.

The first gulp hits like a Northwestern IPA in a way, while also remaining delicate. It’s not just abusively hopped, and it flows well—green lawn and verdant herbal character from the hops up front, more melon and citrus zest as it moves along. You also get some dankness and possible pithy bitterness on the the back of the throat. There’s a little

weedy thing happening next that adds some bolder melon-like oils, but never makes it heavy. It’s fast-finishing overall, nearly gone after the swallow. The pils malt is light, providing just enough of a foundation for these hops; anything less would be overwhelmed, and it’s cool how dry they let it get.

Verdict: This is a very flavorful and summery WC Pils. The broad hop selection here is restrained enough to make this a ripper when served cold, or something to savor when it’s a bit warmer. Another gem in TF’s Lager Portfolio. Red Rock - Everybody Wins: Red Rock’s latest entry into their WC Pils portfolio starts with a very pale straw color and a rocky white head. Vigorous carbonation emerges, with small, medium and larger sized bubbles. The beer is essentially clear, but it may have a very faint haze.

I get dank notes with orange, mango and pineapple, some strawberries also. There’s also a touch of pepperiness. A subtle, doughy malt profile hovers in the background, with a hint of chewable vitamins toward the end.

Take a swig and you may find a good dose of grapefruit, which is interesting. There is a lot of citrus character, yet it’s not particularly juicy; it’s about the pithy, rindy, bitter nature of the citrus, bringing a lot of aromatics. There is some juiciness, but not a lot. The beer is pretty simple in its flavors, and everything works well together—a dry, crisp lager with lots of citrusy hop character. There’s a good deal of bitterness here, but it does not linger long on the finish. A subtle sweetness comes through from the cracker-like malt, especially after the hops subsides. The beer’s 5.0 percent ABV is light-bodied, nicely carbonated and boasts a clean, crisp, dry finish. Very drinkable and refreshing!

Verdict: I hope more of this will come around for summer drinking, as it seems perfect for 90 degree-plus temperatures.

Seek out Everybody Wins at Harmons and Red Rock’s Beer Store. I don’t believe it’s available at the restaurants (as of this writing). TF’s West Coast Pils is only at their brewery, and probably won’t last another couple of weeks.

As always, cheers! CW

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Riverhorse Eateries Recognized by Utah Restaurant Association

The Utah Restaurant Association (URA) recently presented its annual Taste Utah Award to three Riverhorse Hospitality Group (riverhorseparkcity.com) restaurants. Riverhorse on Main, Palomino and Salt Box Eatery were all recognized at the URA Industry Awards Gala, which took place in Park City on April 22. The award was presented to these Riverhorse entities for their lasting influence on Utah’s restaurant scene and their ongoing efforts toward excellent hospitality. All three restaurants are doing great things in their respective spheres—Riverhorse on Main remains one of the best Park City fine dining options, and you can’t go wrong with a bite and a drink at Palomino.

Cinco de Mayo Taco & Margs Crawl

May is almost upon us, which means it’s time to start planning your annual taco and margarita crawl. What? You haven’t even thought of that yet? No worries: I got you covered, muchacho. Bar Crawl Nation has organized a seasonally-appropriate Cinco de Mayo Taco & Margs Crawl on May 3. The event will kick off at 12 p.m. at Gracie’s (graciesslc.com) with a pre-crawl party that will feature prizes, professional photography and live entertainment. From there, it’s a margarita-fueled stroll to some of Salt Lake’s finest watering holes, each of which will be serving tacos alongside their drink specials. If you like tacos, margaritas or both, you’ll want to check this out.

Frankie & Essl’s Closes

After closing due to a burst pipe that flooded the space, the team behind Frankie & Essl’s has decided not to reopen the restaurant. The announcement was delivered via Instagram (@frankieandessls), where the team expressed its love for the community that it built and all the great people that came to find an excellent breakfast sando in the Liberty Park neighborhood. It’s a harsh blow to that area, as Frankie & Essl’s really went above and beyond to create a welcoming space filled with comforting eats. The world needs as many breakfast sandwiches as it can get, so one less place to get them is truly a loss indeed.

Quote of the Week: “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk.” – Ernest Hemingway

“This is a genuine rare find. The food is excellent. The atmosphere is perfect for a small group or date night. The wait staff are friendly and attentive in the style of a community family. Many people there are clearly regular customers who interact with the wait staff like they’re old friends. This place is on my very short list for Salt Lake City!”

- Spencer

“Wow! I’m well traveled in the Middle East, and Mazza was perfectly designed to give you the experience of going abroad to the Levant. The restaurant has a traditional vibe, appropriate decorations, and a family owned feel. The professionalism and cleanliness and flavors were noteworthy. Extremely pleased. “

-Mariyah

Songs of Love and Loss

New local albums by David Lindes and Von Masse bring the emotion to the musicality.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

David Lindes, Peace

With a Lion

SLC singer/songwriter David Lindes has been releasing singles from his new album Peace With a Lion since last November, and the full album is now available in its entirety. This new work is about Lindes baring his wounds and moving towards healing—his effortlessly bilingual voice has notes of Cat Stevens when singing in English, and Juan Luis Guerra in Spanish.

You’ll hear Lindes flawlessly blending elements of various genres and inspiration from different cultures. Hearing Lindes explore deep, complicated and heartfelt feelings here is cathartic, and will make your heart go out to him, and might even help with your own inner healing.

The Guatemalan-born singer touches on heavy topics like leaving home, being abandoned by his father and experiencing physical and emotional abuse in childhood. The songs on the album approach these wounds in metaphors. Opening with the bluesy “Gold in the Ashes,” a soulful bass line offers a greeting before Lindes’ smooth vocals come in. It continues like

that before acoustic guitar and keys join in, creating a soundscape that’s peaceful and goosebump-inducing at the same time. The aforementioned physical abuse is the fire that burns Lindes’ body to ash in “Gold in the Ashes.”

“Te Vengo A Perdonar” (“I’ve Come to Forgive You”) was one of the first singles released for the album, accompanied by a music video. Much like “Gold in the Ashes,” this track also deals with facing childhood trauma and finding a way to accept it and transform it into wisdom, compassion and even beauty. The lyrics put a forceful end to a self-imposed sentence of pain that only ends with forgiveness. Even for those who are not bilingual, the depth of emotion of “Te Vengo A Perdonar” is poignant.

“If I can take my past, exactly as it is, and turn it into a story and a song, maybe that will bring me a little closer to not wanting a different past,” Lindes said last November when the single was released. “And if I like the story, and I like the song, someday, I might even embrace my past.”

The title track is a moving folk ballad, with Lindes likening his father’s abandonment to a vicious, crippling attack by a predator, asking with both urgency and bafflement, “How do you make peace with a lion?” The weight of this song washes over you immediately, with Lindes’ pain and heartbreak on full display. At the same time, there’s a hopefulness present that offers solace. Even if you don’t know the backstory of this song, it still packs an emotional punch—listeners can easily draw their own parallels with life experiences. Everyone has a “lion” with which they struggle to make peace.

There are also more cheerful tracks on Peace With a Lion that are inspired by the healing power of nature. Themes like mental health forgiveness are wrapped up in tracks like “Lluvia,” and a tropical ballad about the nourishing power of rain, “Jardinero,” describes the steady, affec-

tionate, healing hand of a gardener. Similarly, “Florecer,” is sung from the point of view of a seed eager to bloom and grow.

Peace With a Lion is a beautiful and moving album, and although it touches on sorrowful topics, the gleams of hope Lindes weaves throughout are touching, making it easy to listen to again and again. It’s streaming everywhere now.

Von Masse, Coil

A little late to the game on this one, but better late than never, right? Since February, Von Masse has been giving listeners their first new music since 2022, and I’m here for it. The psych/glam/ shoegaze group dropped singles before giving us Coil at the end of March.

“This debut full-length album is a deep dive into the cycles of love and loss, decorated in a haze of psychedelic and dreamy sounds and punctuated by heavy rhythms,” they announced on Instagram the day of the release. “We self-produced the record over the last two years, carefully learning the mixing process as we went on. Most of the songs were conceived on GarageBand as simple demos, but took on whole new shapes as we crafted each one. Once all hands were in, they turned into something I couldn’t have expected at the start. The final result is something we’re proud of, and hope you enjoy diving into the sonic realm we created.”

This debut album is dreamy, punchy and full of delightfully delicious effects, driving guitar solos and impeccable vibes. They note on their BandCamp page that Coil was recorded over the past couple years between full-time jobs, other bands and life happenings in general. It’s always so great to listen to an album you know took a great deal of effort to make happen, and to cheer it on from the sidelines.

The album opens with “Dazer,” a strong start that pulls you in immediately with its atmospheric resonance. As it continues you get tracks like “Burst” and “Motion Sickness” that bring funky bass grooves to the forefront, and “Psych(e)” that finishes the album with out-of-this-world keys/ synths that permeate your headphones. Even if you don’t listen to a ton of music in this genre, you’re sure to find a song on Coil that you enjoy and gets you bobbing your head.

Coil is streaming everywhere now, but consider supporting them by buying the album on BandCamp. CW

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Schmear, Molotov Dress, Early Bird @ Kilby Court 4/24

What’s better than a good old bagel with schmear? How about just the schmear, in the form of an awesome local rock band? Schmear released their debut single “Holding Onto Anger” at the end of February, giving listeners a chance to finally take the band on the go. Schmear can be found around town playing fun and energetic shows, and hopefully we’ll get more recordings from them soon. “Holding Onto Anger” is dark, crunchy and full of epic screaming vocals. Also on the bill for this local lineup is Molotov Dress, another band that specializes in knowing how to have a raucously good time. They describe themselves as “SLC’s finest authorized retailers of scum, debris, copper wire and home goods,” and their sound encapsulates that description well. With a perfect amount of cheekiness and boisterous sound, Molotov Dress is sure to get you on your feet and have you easily singing along. Last and certainly not least, Early Bird puts a perfect bow on this wonderful night of chaos and debauchery (meant with the highest compliments, of course). Come hang out on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Associate Attorney to review immigration applications, explain concepts, and present strategic solutions. Prepare legal briefs, meet clients, manage case milestones, and represent clients at government interviews. MonFri, 40 hrs/wk. Req : Juris Doctor (J.D.) from accredited U.S. law school, active bar license in any U.S. state, and fluency in Spanish. Mail resume to Gaertner Torres, PLLC, 6783 S. Redwood Rd., Ste 101, West Jordan, UT 84084.

MUSIC PICK S

Bou @ Boxpac Project 4/25

Mohamed Amine Bouguenna—known professionally as Bou—is a significant contributor to the evolution of drum & bass, hailing from Manchester, U.K. where D&B continues to reign as the supreme subgenre of electronic music over the past few decades (growing from the U.K. jungle scene of the 1990s). Listeners in the States are starting to catch up, though. At the 2020 Drum & Bass Awards, Bou secured Best Producer, Best Breakthrough Producer, Best Breakthrough DJ and Best Track for “Veteran” featuring Trigga. Three years later, he produced one of his most well-known songs, “Closer,” in 40 minutes, using vocals from Slay (Dale Smith). When he uploaded a clip to Soundcloud, Bou told DJ Mag in 2023 that “nine or ten major labels [were] emailing my manager wanting to sign it.” He chose Island Records due to its drum & bass culture. That same year, he also released “Baddadan” with Chase & Status, which includes the iconic fast breakbeats (165-185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, samples and synthesizers that define the subgenre. While he’s an absolute legend in the world of U.K. drum & bass, he’s sure to gain some fans in Salt Lake City over the weekend. Mutiny Music Collective is bringing Bou to Boxpac Project on Friday, April 25 at 9 p.m. This is a 21+ show. Only $30 Tier 3 tickets are left at press time. Go to seetickets.us for tickets and additional event information. (Arica Roberts)

MUSIC PICK S

Cancer Bats @ Aces High Saloon 4/27

After a 17-year career that’s yielded seven studio albums, five Juno Award nominations (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) and a series of international tours, the Cancer Bats have proven that a heavy-handed approach needn’t prevent them from staking a claim as populist provocateurs. Especially popular with metal-heads, they’ve received write-ups in Kerrang!, Exclaim!, Revolver and Rock Sound while securing their standing. So too, rave reviews of their latest epic offering, Psychic Jailbreak affirm their status as hardcore heroes. Currently comprised of lead vocalist Liam Cormier, drummer Mike Peters, bassist/guitarist Jaye R. Schwarzer and touring guitarist Jackson Landry, the band’s had its share of personnel changes. That flux, however, has allowed their combustible sound to morph to a degree over the years, while still managing to maintain the initial intensity gleaned from such seminal influences as Black Flag, Led Zeppelin and Entombed. That said, they occasionally opt for a secondary stance, one which finds them paying tribute to Black Sabbath under an alter-ego as “Bat Sabbath.” As for their other name, they apparently figured that combining a dreaded illness with a scary flying mammal would attract the notoriety needed. That may be true to a degree, but given their penchant for edgy intensity, there’s sound reason to take notice regardless. Cancer Bats with special guests Strawberry Girls and Fight the Future perform a 21+ show at Aces High Saloon at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 27. Advance GA tickets cost $20 plus $5.52 service fee at 24tix.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Ty Segall @ Metro Music Hall 4/29

California-born Ty Segall is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer known for his prolific output—17 albums and counting under his own name, plus numerous side projects—and his command of diverse musical styles. Working out of San Francisco in the late 2000s, Segall emerged as a leading light in the indie and garage rock scenes. His unalloyed sonic approach blended punk, psychedelic rock and noise, and his early efforts (beginning with a 2008 self-titled album) showcased his dual passion

for lo-fi recordings and high-energy performances. Throughout his career, Segall has been praised for a remarkable facility for creating music that’s both abrasive and rooted in melody. A critics’ darling, Segall oversees projects that almost always earn effusive praise. Standouts among his body of work include Melted (2010), 2011’s Goodbye Bread and Manipulator (2014). On those and other releases, a common thread is Segall’s use of fuzz-laden guitar riffage, inward-looking lyrics and experimental, nonstandard musical structures. An enthusiastic collaborator, Segall has worked with many bands including stoner-rockers Fuzz, GØGGS, Epsilons and Party Fowl. Ty Segall plays a solo acoustic set—with frequent collaborator Mikal Cronin as his opener—Tuesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Advance tickets for this 21+ show are $35 and available at 24tix.com. (Bill Kopp)

Denzel Curry @ The Complex 4/30

A Denzel Curry performance is a show. Not a gig. Not a concert. It’s the sort of thing where, over the following few days, you find yourself thinking about it and realizing how lucky you were to have been in attendance. His 2024 mixtape, King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2, brought back that raw early 2000’s Dirty South energy that I’ve always loved. The influence of Three 6 Mafia is undeniable, however it’s much more than a homage to sounds that have shaped a culture. “We had a whole decade of producing great records, and people look forward to the album experience more than the single when it comes to me,” Curry told Grammy. “This is what it is, and I just want people to enjoy it. It’s not something to put too much effort or thought into. It’s something you can bump into the club, or you could go to a show and turn up to it. That’s where I’m at with it.” It is worth mentioning, considering just how much Denzel reinvents himself and his sound with every project, that it’s nothing short of impressive to make records that are so consistently good.

Only a handful of artists come even close to that mark. Kenny Mason, 454 and Clip open. Catch these acts on the Mischievous South tour at The Complex on Wednesday, Apr 30. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $45.50 and can be found at thecomplexslc.com. (Mark Dago)

Denzel Curry

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds or precipitation to create the ideal ambiance. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source. It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful lifeform. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, like us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers, and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions—what she called divine guidance—to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for over 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention. You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Sagittarian anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn’t study other cultures from a distance with a detached perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves—or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment. These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, Biblical texts, and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors. That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

urban LIVING

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

IHC Health Services, Inc. (dba

Intermountain Health) seeks an Interface Administrator in West Valley City, UT. Position may telecommute three days per week from home within reasonable commuting distance of West Valley City, UT. Apply at https:// imh.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/

IntermountainCareers or email resume to mary.hansen@imail.org.

Salary: $85,000 – $95,000/yr.

WITH

Is it a Gain?

April 15 has come and gone. That means you either filed your federal and state taxes—or you didn’t! Some of you may have sold a primary residence last year and may or may not have had to pay taxes on the profit on that sale, called “capital gains.”

Back in the day, homeowners had to keep track of all the improvements to their property before selling, according to IRS tax rules. But taxpayers would basically get a “once in a lifetime” deduction of real estate profits if they were 55 years old or older in what was called the “rollover rule.”

This rule allowed a home seller to postpone taxes on the profits (gains) on their sale as long as they bought another home of equal or greater value within two years.

That was a difficult formula to figure out and, unfortunately, many older folks still think this is the tax law in place because they haven’t sold a primary residence in decades. In 1997, then-President Bill Clinton signed into law a much simpler revision: if you’re single, you can write off a profit of $250,000 on the sale of your home; or $500,000 if you’re married.

Given that homes have doubled or even tripled in value over the past few decades, this law has benefitted millions of taxpayers. For example, if you bought a Sugar House bungalow for $350,000 several years ago and are single, and if you sold it last year for $750,000, that would mean you have a gain of $400,000. If you deduct the $250,000 as a single taxpayer owning a primary residence, you’d have a tax liability of $150,000.

And no, that doesn’t mean you would owe $150,000 to the IRS. Your annual income would come into play—one online calculator finds that a person making $80,000 per year would owe $88,840 in taxes on the sale described above.

Then again, if you sold for less than you paid for the home, you’d have a loss and would not have to pay taxes on that sale. And the rules are different if the taxpayer acquired the home as a gift from a relative or as part of an inheritance.

Sen. Bernie Sanders believes that the current capital gains tax is a “tax break” that excuses investors from paying their fair share, while many Republicans—including President Donald Trump—want to lower the tax rate to supposedly increase individual savings and investments.

I’m not a CPA, and after taking required accounting classes for one of my college degrees, I knew I never wanted to be a bean counter.

But I am happy my sister elected to be one, so I didn’t have to figure out the myriad of tax forms every year! For more info, go to irs.gov/formspubs/about-publication-550. n

ACROSS

1. Nearly boils, as water

7. “Drugs are bad, ___?” (“South Park” line)

11. Sea-___ Airport

14. Bruce Springsteen’s “Greetings from ___ Park, N.J.”

15. “Arrested Development” star Michael

16. Unexpected

17. The most fortunate member of the Scooby Gang?

19. Rank under cpl.

20. Last part of “Aida,” e.g.

21. Broadway star McDonald

23. ___ apso (small terrier)

26. Footwear with spikes

29. Meal component?

30. Half a Robert Louis Stevenson title character?

32. “I’ll just pop out for ___ bit ...”

33. What a flag made up of green, white, grey, and black stripes represents

34. Battery terminal, for short

35. Old sitcom’s new chance?

37. Bite-sized Chinese dishes

39. ___-Lytton Fiction Contest

42. Map section

44. Birthplace of Albert Einstein

45. “Much ___ About Nothing”

46. “Free Willy” creature

48. Instructions before weeping?

50. Comedian ___ Lina

51. Completely reliable

53. John on the Mayflower

55. Bit of a giggle

56. Traffic sign verb

58. Prefix meaning “upon”

59. Vegan block for Laura Ingalls Wilder?

65. Hairstyling stuff

66. Shredded

67. Stewed fruits

68. NPR’s Shapiro who hosted the latest season of “The Mole”

69. Booty

70. Quaking trees

DOWN

1. “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner

2. Fort Collins sch.

3. “Doctor Odyssey” network

4. Haas of “Inception”

5. University that doesn’t allow alcohol

6. Pt. of DOS

7. James of “X-Men” movies

8. Ale container

9. Braz. neighbor

10. “Get Yer ___ Out” (Rolling Stones album)

11. Direction to put in laundry, in some machines?

12. Like most paid streaming accounts

13. Music holder in a tower, once

18. Stock market peaks

22. Rental truck brand

23. Mutual fund charge

24. Comedian Kondabolu

25. Super-spicy pepper?

27. CEO, for instance

28. Lacking force

31. Joker portrayer Cesar

36. Scrapyard scourers

38. Chinese zodiac animal

40. Nurse Jackie portrayer Falco

41. “Hot To Go” singer Chappell

43. No. on a business card

44. Bovine milk source

46. “High School Musical” director Kenny

47. Ebert’s partner after Siskel

49. Trying (for)

on some

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

52. Back-to-school mos.

54. Slacken

57. Daytime TV host Kelly

60. Sudoku section

61. Old Notre Dame coach Parseghian

62. Number ___ Observatory Circle (current residence of Kamala Harris)

63. Boggy land 64. Letters

battleships

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY

Awesome!

Serendipity Books in Chelsea, Michigan, got a hand—or 600—with a big project on April 14, NBC News reported. Owner Michelle Tuplin was wondering how she was going to move more than 9,000 books to the store’s new, larger location without closing the business for days. The community came to the rescue, and more than 300 people showed up, forming a human conveyor belt that stretched around the corner and into the new location. “It was just a joyful experience,” said volunteer Donna Zak. In less than two hours, the entire inventory had been transferred— all in alphabetical order. “It was overwhelming,” Tuplin said. The new store will open on April 26 to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day.

The Passing Parade

Star Wars fans, listen up! If you’re free on May 4, you can hop over to The Little Vegas Chapel in Nevada and tie the knot with your knight or princess. United Press International reported that the chapel is offering two special packages for the special date: “Yoda One for Me” and “Love Star.” Both feature an officiant dressed as either Princess Leia or Darth Vader, Star Wars music, professional photography and video and a special themed wedding certificate. You may want to stop at the blackjack table first, though—the packages cost $600 and $860. May the Fourth Be With You.

Weird in the Wild

Well, almost wild. At the San Diego Zoo on April 14, the animals reacted to the magnitude 5.2 earthquake, too, United Press International reported. Video from the elephant enclosure showed the pachyderms’ behavior even before the shaking started; the adults ran to form a circle, facing out, around the juveniles, Zuli and Mkhaya. “This behavior is known as an ‘alert circle’ and is intended to protect the young—and the entire herd—from threats,” said zoo spokesperson Emily Senninger. She said the elephants can feel sound through their feet.

Compelling Explanation

Four men in Baker, Louisiana, rode horses into a Walmart on April 8, the New York Post reported. They trotted and galloped through the aisles as shoppers and employees looked on. The riders, who call themselves the Cutthroat Cowboys, all turned themselves in on April 11, with one, Mason Webb, 18, explaining that they had no real purpose for the stunt, other than it was something fun to do. “We didn’t wanna hurt nobody. That’s my emotional support animal,” Webb said. The riders were charged with entering and remaining after forbidden, unlawful post of criminal activity and disturbing the peace.

Unclear on the Concept

Visitors to Abbey Road in St. John’s Wood in England are voicing their disappointment on Tripadvisor, Your Local Guardian reported. The street, made famous by the eponymous Beatles album, is a favorite spot for a photo op, but some tourists were expecting ... more. “Disappointed doesn’t cover it ... My disappointment in not finding street sellers, either side of the road, selling cheap T-shirts and merchandise was a surprise,” one commented. Another said, “I am a massive Beatles fan, but there is really nothing to see here. It’s just an ordinary zebra crossing.” It’s no Penny Lane, that’s for sure.

Sweet Revenge

Joshua Lowe, 19, was sentenced to eight months in prison on April 14 for a stunt he pulled in January 2024, NBC News reported. Lowe, who was living with his girlfriend’s family, became angry that they went on a cruise and left him behind to care for the pets. So he sent an email to Carnival Corp. after the cruise had departed, warning of a bomb on board. Prosecutors said the ship’s crew had to check more than 1,000 rooms. FBI agents traced the email to Lowe, who apologized to the judge.

Animal Antics

The Blavatnik School of Government building at the University of Oxford features a glass roof, the BBC reported. But as of mid-April, the building has been closed after a cheeky seagull broke the glass by repeatedly dropping a stone on one of the glass panels. Seagulls are known to drop shellfish on the ground to try to break them open. A spokesperson said they hope the building will be “open as normal again soon.” No word on the fate of the seagull.

Clothing Optional

■ About 700 women gathered at Glenwood Springs, Colorado’s Sunlight Mountain Ski Resort on April 11 for the Boot Tan Fest, a three-day event that includes the “naked lap,” The Denver Post reported. The festival started four years ago with just a few friends but has grown to include live music and women-owned brands peddling their wares. Participants ranged in age from Gen Z to retirement and stripped down to celebrate women’s bodies. For instance, Lisa Harper of Dillon wrote on her stomach “3 weeks postpartum.” “This is what’s real, having your baby pooch and still skiing,” she said. Another skier gushed, “Here you belong; everyone belongs.”

■ At Disneyland’s New Orleans Square on April 12, an unnamed naked Canadian man climbed a building, exposing himself to people below, KABC-TV reported. He was taken into custody for trespassing, public nudity and being under the influence of narcotics.

Ewwwww!

Darren McConachie, 30, of Glasgow, Scotland, assumed he was going deaf or had an ear infection when his hearing became impaired, the Daily Record reported on April 15. But one night he woke up to a surging feeling of pressure in his head and felt something start to move. “I thought my ear had ruptured,” he said. “Then I felt something small and hard sort of pop out. I was absolutely terrified.” He used his phone light to check out the object, which turned out to be a “tiny piece of pink Lego, covered in wax.” McConachie said he hadn’t played with Legos since he was a small child. “I don’t remember sticking the brick in my ear. I genuinely had no clue it was in my ear all that time.”

Inexplicable

Crystal Gauss, 47, is the director of food and nutrition for the South Western School District in York County, Pennsylvania, WGAL-TV reported. She is also facing charges after an incident on April 7 at a Royal Farms convenience store. Police allege that Gauss arrived at the store and walked into the beer cooler around 5 p.m., where she pulled her pants down and defecated. Surveillance footage captured her arriving at the store and inside the beer cave. Royal Farms estimates it lost about $80 worth of product. Gauss was charged with scattering rubbish, open lewdness, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Recent Alarming Headline

On April 13, after a United Airlines flight took off from Denver International Airport, the pilot had to make an emergency landing because of a fire in one of the engines, ABC News reported. After being told the apparent cause, the pilot responded, “Rabbit through the number 2, that’ll do it.” A bunny— not the Easter bunny—had been sucked into the engine. Passenger Scott Wolff said he experienced “a loud bang, and a significant vibration in the plane. Every few moments (as the plane was climbing) there was a backfire coming from the engine, a giant fireball behind it.” Passengers were loaded onto a different aircraft and proceeded to Edmonton, Alberta. Rabbit strikes are fairly rare, experts say.