City Weekly July31, 2025

CITY

TIME KEEPERS

BY M’LISA DALL

S AP

“Bon Appétit” July 24 Opinion

What do I look for in my media? Jay Leno said it best: I don’t want to be lectured, which is what Wes Long always does when he gets to fill space. Ultimately, it’s all virtue-signaling, and I hate that most of all in media.

I grab a City Weekly every week to do the Sudoku and crossword. I quickly scan the letters and regular columns and, maybe once so far this year, I’ve read the cover story (which was a lot of reporting that added up to very little). I don’t drink and I save my money by cooking at home, so I

have no use for the entertainment features of the paper.

The Salt Lake Tribune actually had an editorial I agreed with: What’s going on with the “No Kings” shooting and killing? But the editorial ultimately only wanted the name of the shooter. How about you CW guys getting on this?

Laws about firing a gun are not that complicated; it seems to me the “peacekeeper” was reckless and should be charged. Governor Cox has already covered his butt by saying he “advised” organizers to not have armed peacekeepers. The wrongful death lawyers stand to make a fortune on this one—plenty of deep pockets.

As Leno said, a show should strive to include all audiences. I’d love to see City Weekly have some balance. If you want more local features to help Utahns, you can start by getting rid of the Modern World comic strip.

KENNER SIEBUS

Murray

“Utah’s

GOP Reps … Epstein files

vote” July 24 Smart

Bomb

Simply put, all those so-called Representatives who are against transparency and honesty are dishonest, unethical and well-deserving of the title “politician” and “bureaucrat.”

NISHAN BEGLARIAN Via Facebook

Liars, thieves, traitors, domestic terrorists and pedo sympathizers and enablers. Every last goddamned one of them!

CRAIGN PERRY Via Facebook

Literally the most disgusting, racist, greedy people this country has ever seen.

JULIA BRIGGS Via Facebook

I thought all those people were religious with a strong moral code? I thought they wanted to protect children?

SCOTT CLARK Via Facebook

Remember, Utah has Trump values. Sad. DENNIS OGDEN Via Facebook

GOP = Guarding Old Pedophiles. PUCK LEWIS Via Facebook

May your liberal filth paper burn like [the weekly Smart Bomb column’s] picture! Anyone with morals is a Republican. Otherwise, if they support liberal filth, then they support a party of baby murderers, unnatural marriage condemned by God, body mutilation by freaks and lawbreakers allowing 21+ million illegals into the U.S.A. Yes, Democrats are the army of Satan!

BOB ERICKSON Via Facebook

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

THE WATER COOLER

Have you ever met a celebrity?

Scott Renshaw

Just by the nature of my job, I’ve talked to a few on the phone, and a few in person. Not to name-drop, but I’ve got a few Disney princesses under my belt thanks mostly to FanX panels, and Sundance has provided a few more. Let’s just say it’s less than 50 and more than 10.

Bryan Bale

I met Penn and Teller on a trip to Las Vegas several years ago. But I’m not really unique in that regard. They always go out into the lobby after their shows to meet their fans.

Carolyn Campbell

I have met Robert Redford and Sigourney Weaver at different times, including one occasion at a funeral.

Paula Saltas

Colin Farrell at the London Heathrow Airport, I went up to him and said, “You’re my favorite actor, may I get a picture with you?” “Sure my love.” Boom! Meet and greet concerts: George Benson, Earl Klugh and Chris Isaak. In Vegas, in my 20’s, Redd Foxx who said I looked like a young Sophia Loren (sure buddy).

Mike Ptaschinski

I shook hands and enjoyed a short conversation with Jesse Owens after he gave a speech at Westminster in the mid-70’s.

OPINION

BY CHRISTOPHER SMART

Thong Song

OK Wilson, here we go again. Thong bikinis are causing a stir here, there and almost everywhere—but not in Brazil, of course. Ipanema Beach being, well ... Ipanema Beach. But sunning your buns in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, could get you a $464 fine or even jail.

Not so at Salt Lake City’s Sugar House Park, where the grassy hill north of the duck pond is popular with young women catching rays. That’s right Wilson, it’s perfectly legal. At popular Myrtle Beach, however, tanning the fanny is more than frowned upon.

The municipal ordinance does not allow “a state of dress or undress so as to expose to the view of others specified anatomical areas,” including, well ... you can guess what they are. Nonetheless, thong bikinis are hot (no pun intended), according to Women’s Insider: “Thong bikinis are outselling traditional bikinis and swimsuits, with women of all ages, including those over 45, increasingly gravitating toward this trend ... Fast fashion companies like Pretty Little Thing are cashing in on the trend with entire categories dedicated to thong bikinis, marketing them as “minimal” yet “maximally impactful.”

That’s what they said, Wilson, “maximally impactful.” Well, you’re right, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Speaking of which, the newest trend in women’s swimwear is sheer bikini tops and bottoms that are see-through when wet. Holy smokes!

How are the Myrtle Beach cops going to handle that? Well, maybe “handle” isn’t the right word. Oh well.

Indians and Redskins—Ah, the Good Ol’ Days

The President of the United States wants the Cleveland baseball team to change its name back to the “Indians” and for Washington, D.C.’s football team to retake the moniker

“Redskins.” Donald Trump has gone so far as to threaten D.C. municipal leaders with blocked funding for construction of a new stadium unless they make the switch.

Following suit, Utah state Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, wants Utah Tech University in St. George to revert to its old name, Dixie State University. Washington County was dubbed “Dixie” because early Mormon settlers there grew cotton in the warm climes of southern Utah. At least one of them was a former slave owner from Mississippi.

Ah, the good old days—back to the halcyon days of yore when it was OK to refer to Native Americans as “redskins.” And why not have Indians as a mascot, anyway? Here, the University of Utah adopted “Utes”—aka “Runnin’ Utes”— for its sports teams. Fun fact: the university’s use of “Ute” was approved by the tribe.

Trump would love it. He’s not a racist, as he’s said many times. It’s just that what some call the rolling back of civil rights is really leveling the playing field for white people, particularly white men, who have been discriminated against through progressive attitudes symbolized by DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled DEI as “bordering on evil.” Let’s get back to the time when people could feel comfortable in their white skin while rooting for the Redskins.

Forget Epstein, Obama Committed Treason—Or Not No Wilson, this has nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. It’s just a coincidence that all this “treason” stuff has come to light as the walls close in on Donald Trump and his relationship with the convicted sex-trafficker who mysteriously died in a New York jail cell.

Here’s the real news: Barack Obama is guilty of treason—no ifs, ands or buts. It’s complicated, according to Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence and a ouija board aficionado, but Obama should face criminal charges of “treasonous conspiracy” for manipulating intelligence in the Russian interference investigation. Obama was “promoting the lie that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government helped President Trump win the 2016 election.”

“Obama started it. This was treason,” Trump said. “They tried to steal the election. They did things that nobody’s ever even imagined, even in other countries.”

It’s true that Russians hacked Hillary Clinton’s campaign

and distributed her emails, according to an investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by thenSen. Marco Rubio. Funny, they found nothing implicating Obama. We know this has nothing to do with Gabbard trying to work her way off Trump’s shit list; ditto for Attorney General Pam Bondi, who screwed the pooch when she said the release of the “Epstein Files” was forthcoming. She should have known it was Kryptonite for Trump.

Biden filled the files with horrible lies, Trump said, explaining that he doesn’t even like teenage girls.

Postscript—That’s a wrap for another blurry week here at Smart Bomb, where we keep track of cooking with marijuana so you don’t have to. Yes, Wilson, we know you and the guys in the band have eaten your share of magic brownies. But what if you didn’t know you were eating marijuana and got stoned out of your gourd? Scary.

That’s what happened to 85 people who dined at Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton, Wis. The cooks mistakenly used THC-infused oil to make the pizza dough, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Seven people were hospitalized, complaining of dizziness, sleepiness and anxiety. Thirty-three others consulted health care providers. Hey doc, I’m feeling stoned and I don’t know why. No, Wilson, they didn’t know drinking tequila could bring them down.

Of course, people have been cooking with marijuana for a long time. Alice B. Toklas, the partner of ex-pat novelist Gertrude Stein, divulged her recipe for “Hashish Fudge” in The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book, published in 1954.

Our food consultants here at Smart Bomb don’t recommend cooking with hashish—it’s so strong you could lose a day hiding under the bed—but The Canna School website outlines how to safely use cannabis. Favorite recipes include weed butter that can be spread on toast or infused in fettuccine alfredo; weed pancakes; weed banana bread; and chocolate weed cake. Remember, it’s best to keep tequila close at hand just in case. CW

Private Eye is off this week. Christopher Smart writes the weekly “Smart Bomb” column, available online at cityweekly.net. Send feedback to comments@cityweekly.net.

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY

MISS: Whistling Dixie

Some of you might remember when Layton’s Steve Handy lost his Utah House seat to Rep. Trevor Lee in 2022. It was a stunning and stinging loss for the moderate Republican, who had misplaced faith in the caucus-convention system, and who didn’t gather signatures to get on the ballot. Since then, Lee has been trolling on X-Twitter and offering up curiously hostile legislation. His most recent mirrors the Trump administration’s desire to Make America White Again. He wants Utah Tech University to take back its “Dixie” name. Lee’s rationale is similar to when old Confederate statues were being replaced—it’s just history, stupid. Lee was the brains behind the Pride flag ban, and he also wants to force Salt Lake City to abandon the name Harvey Milk Blvd on 900 South. Then there was his anti-Muslim video last year. Lee’s not alone—Congressman Burgess Owens recently posted, and later deleted, a video in which a woman made false and hateful statements about Muslims, of which there are some 60,000 living in Utah. Apparently, Utah is a pretty great state for certain kinds of Latter-day Saints only.

MISS: Under God

We’re confident you’ve heard Utahns claim that Donald Trump will “return” the United States to being the Christian country it once was. Of course, it wasn’t, but Christian Nationalists have their own version of history. In February, the president signed one of his multitudinous executive orders, seeking to eradicate anti-Christian bias in the government. But while we have yet to see America become Christian “again,” there are state-centered efforts to start there. It may be one of those “be careful what you wish for” initiatives. The Idaho Family Policy Center wants to declare Idaho as a Christian state and is working on bills to promote Christianity in public spaces. Their focus, however, could exclude The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. In fact, it was only in 1982 that Idaho removed language from its state Constitution that disenfranchised LDS voters. Maybe Utah doesn’t have to worry in that regard.

HIT: Ballot Fatigue

You can almost hear the tiny screams coming from Utah’s mailed ballots— “we’re not dead yet!” Indeed, HB300, which passed at the Legislature last session, is the beginning of a phaseout of Utah’s universal mailed ballots, because GOP lawmakers think voters need more confidence in elections. One of the most vocal opponents of mailed ballots is Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson. He stopped paying for return postage on ballots in an effort to push voters to the polls. Suffice it to say, Utah County has had some voting problems. Now, Davidson says he wants to institute “fast cast voting,” where voters show their ID in person and scan their ballots into a vote counter. It’s one more attempt to stop all the fraud that isn’t happening. At least for now, the lieutenant governor put the plan on hold. CW

Common Sense

On May 13, Millcreek city officials, joined by community leaders and state representatives, celebrated the groundbreaking of Millcreek Common’s second phase. The group of dignitaries marked the occasion by trading shovels for mini-golf putters, highlighting one of the new amenities planned for the expansion, which is scheduled to be completed by spring of 2027.

The project, which sits adjacent to Millcreek City Hall and new multifamily housing developments, aims to expand recreational opportunities and connect the community through green spaces and activities.

“This phase is all about bringing our ‘Connected by Nature’ vision to life,” Mayor Jeff Silvestrini said. “It will have hundreds of trees and a lot more shade structures. It will also be a fun place for Millcreek residents.

The Phase 2 additions to Millcreek Common are planned to include a 19hole mini-golf course, a splash pad, a skate park, a children’s playground and various green and plaza spaces for outdoor gathering.

The expansion represents a partnership between federal, state, county and private stakeholders, with $8 million secured through the National Park Service, COVID-related state funding for open spaces, county tourism and recreational dollars and roughly $1 million in private developer impact fees.

“Millcreek hit this out of the park—or I think a better analogy is, they hit a hole-in-one!” said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. “If you are a Millcreek resident or will soon be, you have this amenity, which is incredible.”

Set to bring both improved functionality and plenty of excitement to the city, the Phase 2 expansion aims to solidify Millcreek Common as a go-to destination for family outings, community events and active lifestyles. This, coupled with the existing public market, serves as an incubator for entrepreneurs, making Millcreek Common a place known for innovation and fun.

“One of the things we were hearing from residents is that they needed a city center with a lot of activities,” explained Rita Lund, Millcreek City communications director. “We wanted to be sure to have a place where people want to come, and we plan to have ground-floor retail and restaurants. We plan to have this entire area focus on local businesses.”

Next year, on December 28, 2026, Millcreek is planning to celebrate its 10-year anniversary as a new city, an exciting milestone for the previouslyunincorporated area. Stay tuned for celebrations galore as this anniversary approaches and Phase 2 of Millcreek Common takes shape. CW

AIMEE L. COOK

A&E

Up on the Roof

Todd Tanner’s Walker Center Rooftop Tour offers a unique perspective on Salt Lake City.

BY CAT PALMER comments@cityweekly.net

I

t started with a simple idea: do something fun, a little offbeat, and totally different for date night. Dinner and a movie? Meh. Drinks? Predictable. Instead, my spouse and I found ourselves 20 stories above downtown Salt Lake City, soaking up skyline views and stories that could’ve been ripped from a vintage newspaper headline.

Welcome to the Walker Center Rooftop Tour, led by none other than Todd Tanner—Salt Lake City’s unofficial mayor of charm, storytelling and cool historical facts you won’t hear anywhere else.

Tanner isn’t just a guide—he’s a former Emmy-winning TV journalist and lifelong explorer who’s lived in all 50 states. He calls Utah “the most magical place” of them all. After spending a sunset hour with him on the roof of one of Salt Lake’s most iconic buildings, you’ll probably agree.

The Walker Center itself is a gem. Built in 1912, it was once the tallest building between Chicago and San Francisco. Its glowing rooftop tower still blinks out Morse code weather forecasts—something Tanner gleefully explains to every group:

Solid blue, skies are too, Flashing blue, clouds are due, Solid red, rain ahead, Flashing red, snow instead.

Charming? Yes. Forgotten by many? Also yes. But Tanner’s mission is to change that. “I’ve been drawn to the tiered roof with the lighted tower since I was a kid,” he told us. “It’s a timeless design. After 113 years, the Walker still stands out—even

among its newer, taller neighbors.”

And thanks to Tanner, a handful of lucky locals and visitors are now getting a rare chance to experience it up close. His rooftop tours, which launched in mid-May, have already become one of Salt Lake’s best-kept secrets. Sunset slots are selling out fast—not just because the views are phenomenal, but because the groups are intentionally small.

“I max out at six people on weeknights,” he said. “But that’s the point. I think keeping the tours small makes for a better, more personal experience—and I plan to keep it that way.”

And personal is exactly what it feels like. This isn’t just a history walk. It’s part storytelling session, part comedy show, part unfiltered city love letter. You’ll hear tales of pioneer grit, Gilded Age glamour and true crime shenanigans. Houdini’s upside-down escape? Check. The “Human Fly” who scaled the building with no gear? Oh yeah. But beneath the theatrics is something deeper.

“For me, the rooftop tour is so much more than a way to make a buck,” Tanner explained. “It’s an authentic, interactive experience that fosters community pride. When historic spaces are overlooked or lost, we lose more than bricks and glass— we lose our ability to see the humanity in others. These remnants tell the real stories of real people.”

Tanner isn’t just showing you a view; he’s connecting you to the soul of the city. And you can tell he means it. He doesn’t even advertise. There’s no Instagram, no marketing blitz.

“I never think of the guests as customers,” he says. “They’re kindred spirits, or they wouldn’t be there. So far, I haven’t bought a single ad. People find me through word of mouth, or by sharing their photos and experiences online.”

And honestly, that’s kind of beautiful. In a world full of curated content and big branding, Tanner’s approach is refreshingly real—just like the tour itself. By the time you reach the rooftop, the magic is in

full effect. The sun dips behind the mountains, the sky blushes into lavender and the city begins to glitter. Salt Lake transforms into something cinematic. You’ll forget you’re just a few feet above a busy sidewalk—it feels like another world.

And Tanner? He’s up there with you, grinning like it’s his first tour all over again.

Even if you’ve lived in Salt Lake your whole life, you’ve probably never seen it like this. With a breeze in your hair, a tale in your ears and the Morse code tower blinking away beside you, it’s hard not to fall in love—with the city, the history and,

yes, with the guide too.

So if you’re looking for a unique date night, an unforgettable visitor outing, or just a reason to see your hometown with fresh eyes, book the tour at slcrooftoptours.com. You’ll leave with a cellphone full of sunset shots and a head full of stories you’ll be dying to retell.

Just remember: Solid red, rain ahead; flashing red, snow instead. But with Todd Tanner leading the way, every forecast ends with a smile. CW

Scenes

theESSENTIALS

NPR’s Wait … Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

Given the recent news about the Senate’s decision to okay the Trump administration’s budget cuts to National Public Radio, the title of this weekly Peabody Awardwinning NPR comedy news quiz show rings with added irony. Nevertheless, it drives home the point that it’s incumbent upon each of us to stay informed. As a result, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes on more importance than ever, given that it challenges its listeners with leading experts in the realms of information and entertainment while testing their knowledge of current events.

Peter Sagal (a former playwright, screenwriter, director and actor who’s hosted the program since it began in 1998), and Bill Kurtis (the official judge, scorekeeper and former co-anchor of CBS station WBBM in Chicago) bring an authority to the proceedings, but it’s up to the audience to decide what constitutes real news and what’s simply been made up. That’s an added challenge these days, when practically every story that grabs the headlines seems so shocking. Nevertheless, there’s humor in happenstance when a rotating panel of comedians, writers and celebrity guests review the news, and contestants get the opportunity to win a custom-recorded voicemail greeting by a cast member of their choice. So while we’ve all heard the slogan “news you can use,” this could be considered “news to amuse.”

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! comes to Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $51, but are not available online. Go to saltlakecountyarts.org for more information or call ArtTix at 801-355-2787. Intended for ages 8 and up; no infants admitted. (Lee Zimmerman)

801 Day

We’ve all had some good fun in recent days with the trend of finding quirky meaning in specific dates on the calendar: 3/14 for “Pie Day;” 4/20 for all things cannabis; May the 4th for Star Wars; etc. So it perhaps was inevitable that someone would look at the longtime area code for Salt Lake City—801—and think, “Hey, maybe we could do something with that.” And so it has come to pass that Aug. 1—8/01, for those not keeping up—has been designated by the creators of the City Cast Salt Lake podcast and newsletter as “801 Day,” an opportunity to celebrate everything that’s weird, fun and distinctive about this place.

This first-ever event promises a party atmosphere, with a beer garden hosted by Second Summit Hard Cider, food trucks, dirty soda bar—c’mon, this is Utah, after all—and DJ music provided by The Siren Collective. You can celebrate and support local makers with a pop-up artisan marketplace, or check out other sponsor tables. But you can really show your SLC spirit by participating in the Salt Lake City icons costume contest, so dress up like your favorite Real Housewife, or Julia Reagan, or even a piece of famous/infamous public art.

The inaugural 801 Day party takes place at the Gallivan Center (50 E. 200 South) on Friday, Aug. 1 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The event is free to the public, but potential attendees are asked to RSVP via Eventbrite. Visit saltlake.citycast.fm for additional information, including RSVP link. (Scott Renshaw)

August Cultural Festivals

Now more than ever, it feels incredibly important to recognize that our country is built on many rich cultural traditions, and that celebrating those cultures can lead to greater understanding. This weekend, you’ll have several opportunities to experience those cultures, both as they exist in Utah and as they exist around the world.

The Springville World Folkfest returns at Spring Acres Park (700 S. 1300 East, Springville) for a full weekend of international dance and music. After a kickoff event on Wednesday, July 30 including folk storytelling from around the world, the main event takes place July 31 – Aug. 2 with gates open at 5:30, and performances by more than 200 dancers representing 10 countries beginning at 6:45 p.m. nightly. Individual day tickets are $7 - $18, with family passes also available. worldfolkfest.squarespace.com

The 13th annual Utah Pacific Islander Heritage Month kickoff takes place on Saturday, Aug. 2, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the West High School Field House and South Lawn (241 N. 300 West), with vendor booths and other events. Visit pik2ar.org for full schedule of the month’s events.

The free Steppin’ on Main series at the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) has been presenting terrific artists throughout the summer, and it continues on Friday, Aug. 1 at 8 p.m. with Culture Fire Events, an Indigenous non-profit organization that showcases Native American dancing and singing with a dance troupe featuring championship dancers from the powwow circuit. Other upcoming performances in this series include Samba Fogo (Aug. 8); Mariachi Festival (Aug. 22); and Bomba Marilé Afro-Puerto Rican dance (Aug. 29). saltlakecountyarts.org

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

While there are plenty of ways to make a coldbrew coffee, there are only a few consistent ways to make the experience a pleasurable one. Responsive service, creative presentation, and an inviting atmosphere all augment the flavors of one’s beverage. Based on the votes of our readers, the following are especially chill in this regard.

Coming-of-StoneAge

The documentary Folktales on finding yourself in the modern world, plus August special screenings.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Folktales BBB

As much as directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing embrace the specificity of their setting—Finnmark, Norway’s Pasvik Folk High School, an Arctic circle venue for learning age-old skills like wilderness survival and running a sled-dog team—they also find something impressively universal about the struggle of young people to understand themselves and their place in the modern world. The filmmakers focus on three students of the year-long program, watching as 18- and 19-year-olds wrestle with self-image issues, social anxiety and more, all within the context of a curriculum designed (as one instructor puts it) to “wake up your Stone Age brain.” There’s a satisfying framing structure built on Norse mythology, which combines with the gently observational character studies to suggest how important it can be for young people to unplug from the social cues that you’re not [whatever] enough, how hard it can be to figure out who you are in that context, and how easy it is to fall back into focusing on the wrong things once you’re back in modernity. Grady and Ewing definitely lean into their tear-jerking moments, perhaps to a fault, but it feels forgivable in the context that wants us to believe that the kids will be alright. It’s a beautifully-shot

crowd-pleaser, with protagonists who are easy to root for to find their bliss—and the love of a good dog—in this world. Available Aug. 1 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (NR)

AUGUST 2025 SPECIAL

SCREENINGS

“Return to Middle-Earth”: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: It’s been nearly 25 years since Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy saga to the big screen in an Oscarwinning trilogy of features. Now you can see those movies in theaters again—or for the first time—in the director’s cut extended versions. Beginning Aug. 22 with The Fellowship of the Ring, the three films will be screening individually at Megaplex Theatres locations for a limited time. Or, if you’re feeling particularly bold, you can attempt the 13-hour “mega-marathon” of all three extended editions, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, with optional add-on meals for the between-feature breaks. Tickets begin at $49.99. megaplextheatres.com

Catvideofest @ Broadway Centre: “The internet is made of cats,” some anonymous

wise person once opined—and decades later, thanks to Instagram, TikTok and various reels, it still feels true. Yet if you’re only getting your cat video fix on your tiny phone screen in your home, you’re missing out on the chance of sharing these goofy, delightful and fancifully feline videos. Oscilloscope’s annual Catvideofest returns for its 2025 incarnation, offering a curated selection of the best, weirdest and most original videos and animations. The Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas presents Catvideofest 2025 on Aug. 16 and Aug. 19, showtimes TBD at press time. Visit the website for tickets and additional information. slfs.org

Jaws 50th: Steven Spielberg’s breakthrough 1975 hit became the most successful movie in box-office history with its combination of character drama, adventure and sheer terror. If you’ve never had an opportunity to experience it on the big screen, you shouldn’t miss the chance with a special 50th anniversary theatrical re-release. Several local theaters—including the Broadway Centre Cinemas and Megaplex Theatres locations—will be presenting Jaws over Labor

Day weekend, with showtimes beginning Thursday, Aug. 28. Select locations will also be offering 3D and IMAX presentation. slfs.org; megaplextheatres.com

Sunset Boulevard 75th Anniversary: Billy Wilder’s 1950 feature isn’t just the source of the iconic “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille;” it’s a terrifically toxic takedown of the way the movie industry has always chewed up and spit out its own. The classic dark comedy returns to theaters for its 75th anniversary on Aug. 3 - 4, at Megaplex Theatres locations. megaplextheatres.com

“Can’t Stop the Serenity” @ Brewvies: The 2002 TV series Firefly might only have lasted one 14-episode season—followed by the wrap-up 2005 feature Serenity—but the science-fiction/drama from creator Joss Whedon has had an enduring impact, including fan groups like the Utah Browncoats. Their annual screening of the feature, “Can’t Stop the Serenity,” includes a fund-raiser auction, following the 5 p.m. presentation of the movie at Brewvies. brewvies.com CW

TIME KEEPERS

The Utah State Archives are part library, part laboratory and a whole lot of grandpa’s attic.

BY M’LISA DALL comments@cityweekly.net

DEPOT DISTRICT—With its floor-to-ceiling steel posts and girders stretching back a city block, it feels like we’re standing inside a giant Tetris game. We watch the automated storage retrieval system (ASRS) traverse rows and columns, find the requested item, pluck it from its place and deliver it back to us. This is done quickly and efficiently.

My host is Jim Kichas, assistant director of the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, and we are in the repository room of the Utah State Archives at 346 S. Rio Grande Street. The repository has been designed to store 75,000 cubic feet of government records—enough for 10 years of space. It is kept at a constant 65 degrees and 35% humidity to protect the archived items. In case of fire, a dry pipe system has been installed, which releases nitrogen gas to prevent the corrosion of materials. Kichas smiles broadly as he opens the steel safe that the ASRS brought to us, removes a set of books from its storage box and holds one up to be photographed. The book is beautiful, rather large—like a modern coffee table book—leather-bound and tooled with designs and metal medallions.

The set was crafted for the Utah Pioneer Jubilee of 1897, a celebration marking both 50 years of settlement and one year of statehood. They were named Books of the Pioneers, and the data and first-hand accounts they contain give a snapshot in time, as well as invaluable insights about the people of the Utah territory.

Stored along with the books are programs outlining the Jubilee’s events. The print and colors on the programs are clear and vivid, the paper so pristine and white it’s hard to believe they are originals and not reproductions. The fine condition of all these items can only be attributed to the care and expertise of the archivists at the State Archives.

“Archives exist to bring history to life,” Kichas said, “and primary records do not lie.”

The Utah State Archives are best described as part library, part laboratory and a whole lot of grandpa’s attic. Their resources seem almost endless, from the records of births, marriages, divorces and deaths to the photographs, maps and blue-

prints used by an alphabet of government agencies. The best part? The Archives exist to serve the public. If the subject of your inquiry is government related, then the Archives will have information for you.

Toward this end is “One Archive,” a new strategic plan meant to transform the Archives into one entity, rather than a collection of component parts. State Archivist Ken Williams explained that this re-envisioning of existing processes will be of value to the people of Utah.

“We remain firmly committed to providing access to this information and strive to meet our patrons where they are,” Williams said.

And Lauren Singer Katz, outreach and advocacy manager for the Archives, said the work is more than just keeping documents—it’s about preserving context.

“Archives help ensure that data isn’t stripped of the stories, decisions and systems that shaped it,” Katz remarked. “Without records that show how, why and by whom data was collected, it’s easy to misinterpret. What we preserve helps turn raw information into real understanding.”

Precious Cargo

The Archives don’t merely store data, they assist government agencies in records management. Following the state’s general retention schedule (which determines which records are permanent and which can be discarded) the division then barcodes and places in suitable storage those items that are deemed permanent.

Non-permanent records in the agency’s custody are sent to the 175,000-cubic-foot State Records Center in Clearfield, while the more fragile, permanent items are kept in the Archives repository and—in cases like the original state Constitution— inside of locked vaults.

One significant facet of the retention schedule is recognizing when to discard an item, as program manager Heidi Steed explained to City Weekly. “While it might seem out of place for an archivist

to say this,” says Steed, “getting rid of information can be as important as preservation.”

Steed said that the art of appraisal—or deciding what records to keep and what to toss—is a skill that those who work in archiving are constantly working to perfect.

“It is no easy task,” Steed observed. “But in the era of digital data [it’s] all the more important—if the information doesn’t have enduring value or has been superseded.”

Another aspect of data management is contemporization. Formats like microfilm, once considered cutting-edge technology, are now being replaced with digital records. This is done not only to ensure shelf-life, but also out of necessity, as vendors are no longer producing the raw film stock needed for that approach. One bonus is that this transition to digital materials also makes it easier for the public to access information.

But what will become of the old microfilm processing room? That space is already being used to expand working areas for conservation, which is another important step in the lifespan of a document. Despite archivists’ ongoing outreach efforts to train and certify government personnel on best practices, materials often arrive in poor condition.

This is not necessarily always due to neglect. Around the state, as older government buildings reach the end of their lifespans, they are replaced with newer structures that have been constructed with a higher level of modern conveniences, but a smaller amount of storage space.

When relocating, as archivists explain it, municipalities realize often for the first time that they are no longer able to cache their historic records, nor do they have room for all the new data they are creating. In these cases, the solution has often been to send both old and new documents immediately to Salt Lake for long-term preservation and access.

In consequence, workers at the Archives have lately been seeing an acceleration of imported records. These items periodically arrive folded, rolled up, brittle or worse, as few of the vacated venues have been equipped with optimal, climate-

controlled storage. Despite these hurdles, state archivists stress that they are just as responsible for the preservation of damaged materials as those items in better condition.

“I don’t think archivists try to be too prescriptive about how people will use records,” Steed said. “Rather, I think it is more to make sure the records are preserved in a way that helps people understand the context in which they were made.”

Rise of the Machines

Usually, the first step in rehabilitating a damaged document is to humidify it and make it pliable enough to be laid out and flattened. This is a tedious process and the work is done in small increments for document protection.

With a limited budget, and lacking much of the required industry-standard equipment, the Utah State Archives team have devised solutions to the many challenges they encounter. For example: hu-

midifiers have been jerry-rigged out of dollar store screens and plastic tubs, while old gym weight sets have doubled as dandy document presses. These ingenious responses are laudable, but preservationists continue to advocate for increased funding.

State archivists say they are always looking for ways to improve and innovate. With more than 1.5 million government records placed online and publicly available, digitization of data is certainly a success. More recent is the introduction of Artificial Intelligence.

Melissa Coy, a Digital Initiatives program manager with the State Archives, says that she is both most and least excited about the introduction of AI.

“It’s treated as some sort of mysterious solution to all of life’s problems, but it also only does what we tell it to do,” Coy pointed out. “There’s a lot of potential for automating transcriptions or making connections between different digital content, but it all needs to be developed.”

“What we preserve helps turn raw information into real understanding.”

What makes a person decide to work as an archivist? Katz said she came to the Archives from the nonprofit world.

“I wanted to continue contributing to work with a broader impact,” Katz recalls. “Being a civil servant has been incredibly meaningful—it reinforced how important it is to preserve our history so future generations can learn from it.”

Steed considers herself to be an accidental archivist. She said that she never set out to do this line of work, but the way it combines her interests can sometimes feel like fate.

“Being an archivist allows me to be a professional organizer, a detective and a journalist,” she remarked. “That is the beauty of making archives more accessible—allowing new voices to interpret historical records through their lived experience. It never fails to breathe new life into our old records seeing people find new ways to use the information they contain.”

CW

A program and other materials from the 1897 Jubilee celebrating Utah statehood and settlement.

“Getting rid of information can be as important as preservation.”

—Heidi Steed

Human archivists work with an automated retrieval system to locate and access sensitive materials.

—Lauren Singer Katz

Archive materials are increasingly digitized as older, film-based technologies die out.

Best Dressed

Sunday’s Best comes to the Post District with a new rooftop bar in tow.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

If you’re keeping up with Utah’s food scene in the slightest, you’ve likely had a close eye on the Post District. When Urban Hill and Level Crossing set up shop in the neighborhood, this little block on the corner of 500 South and 300 West became a hot ticket for downtown dining. It’s now home to a wide range of excellent restaurants, each of which has uncompromisingly leaned into their chosen concept.

It’s an exciting ensemble of walkable dining to be sure, and the team behind Sunday’s Best recently added its flagship concept to the Post District’s ranks. Sunday’s Best opened in Sandy in the summer of 2021, and has fully embraced its lush, pastel-ensconced role as a dining destination that thrives on social media. Founders Michael McHenry and Chef Tyler Stokes have crafted the restaurant space and its brunch-focused menu into a place where the camera always eats first. Each little nook and corner within Sunday’s Best is designed to be a prime backdrop for your visit, and the colorful menu items photograph particularly well in the restaurant’s warm lighting.

Based on the handful of times I’ve visited Sunday’s Best—always feeling slightly underdressed, I might add—I knew this was a place that would do extremely well with a downtown location. If you build a glitzy, boozy, Instagrammable brunch restaurant in a metropolitan

DINE

area, the socialites will come. Though its construction at the Post District was not without its share of unexpected delays, McHenry and Stokes officially opened the doors to their most recent iteration of Sunday’s Best.

As much as my inner curmudgeon likes to scoff at the online shareability of a brunch concept like Sunday’s Best, the place looks posh, posh, posh. Gorgeous peach, teal and gold tones, sunny lighting and velvet upholstery abound within the new space. Fans of the Sunday’s Best menu will find all their favorites plus a few surprises at the new location. The strawberry ricotta pancakes ($17) are perhaps the dish that gels most nicely with the decor, but they do have a tendency to taste as good as they look. That creamy ricotta does wonders with a stack of pancakes.

Brunch isn’t brunch without some eggs benny at the table, and the BLT Benedict ($17) is perhaps the best of the bunch. It encapsulates the heart and soul of brunch by combining a classic breakfast item with a classic lunchtime sandwich to create something smoky, bright and surprisingly sophisticated. With Chef Stokes at the helm, there are always going to be a few seasonal offerings that will show up on the menu, so it’s worth keeping tabs on this spot if you truly wish to walk the path of the hard bruncher.

One thing that the downtown location of Sunday’s Best has that you will not find in Sandy is the addition of a completely new second story that functions as a bar and rooftop patio lounge. Dubbed Sunday School, this new addition capitalizes on the Sunday’s Best brand of flashy production and bright design in very tonguein-cheek fashion. The bar itself is situated between two patios that offer lovely views of the Post District’s foot traffic. The name “Sunday School,” its pipe organ bar backdrop and the hymnal-style

menus poke a bit of fun at the state’s predominant religious faith.

The cocktail menu extends this running joke with drinks like the Confessional ($16), a citrusy blackberry gin affair, and the refreshing Baptismal ($14) which is rum splashed with a bit of coconut water. I particularly liked the Saint & Sinner ($18) for its smoky combo of reposado, lime and spiced bitters. Sunday’s Best also has a food menu, though it’s a bit more curated to fit the bar concept. Some standouts thus far are the deviled eggs ($25)—much of their appeal comes from the caviar and bacon jam—and the fries ($16). Don’t be fooled by the latter’s simple title as this crispy side dish gets sprinkled with some Parmigiano Reggiano and a grating of cured egg yolk. Each golden fry carries a cluster of rich flavors, and I was surprised by how good these were. The smoky chicken wings ($22) with blue cheese dip are also particularly snackable; just make sure you don’t have any excess sauce in the corner of your mouth before you post that #hotwings selfie.

As the Post District continues to be a new flashpoint in stylish and exciting downtown dining options, it’s starting to feel very relevant to local foodies. Sunday’s Best and Sunday School are very much suited for this developing area. Their strong central concept along with a proven ability to put asses in diningroom chairs seems to be the commercial standard for the area. Folks looking for destination dining in downtown SLC are quite literally eating good this year, and the momentum building around the Post District doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Czech One-Two” Czech Pilsner

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, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House

2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ wasatch

On Tap:  Top of Main Coalition Hellfire Chili Pepper Ale

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:  Centennial Steamer, California Common Lager

Epic Brewing Co.

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

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: Velvet Ridge Cider, Rhubarb Peach Wine

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: Aroma Therapy, Double Dry-Hopped Blonde

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Sake Rice Lager (collab with Tsuki Sake); Tropical Haze

New Launch: Fonio Fusion - 6.6%

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:  “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Mountain West Cider

425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Watermelon Blueberry Hard Cider

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company

358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Park City PalmerHard Iced Tea

Policy Kings Brewery

79 W. 900 South, Salt Lake City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

On Tap: Kings Proper Kolsch

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: Grand Bavaria

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: All Hail the Ale IPA

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cranberry Lime Seltzer

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com

On Draft: Strawberry Rhubarb Sour

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

On Tap: OPEN ROAD SERIES #3 - Barrel Aged Grand Cru

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

On Tap: SCION CIDER KOALA SHORTS 5.9%

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

On Tap: Blackberry Lime 6.5%

Shades Brewing 1388 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City

ShadesBrewing.beer

New Batch: Coyote Ugli (New England Style Double IPA)

Shades On State 366 S. State Street, Salt Lake City Shadesonstate.com

On Tap: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen

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. Bee Sting Honey Lavender Ale

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi

3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: “Blood For Ra” American Sour with Tart Cherry and Vanilla; “Pineapple Haze” Hazy IPA with Pineapple Strap Tank Brewery, Springville

596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

On Tap: “Orange Hopsicle” Hazy Pale; “Trouble” American Sour with Mango and Passionfruit

TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Twelve taps and high point cans available.

Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Lemon Bar sour; Huckleberry sour

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

On Tap: Death and Decay Rosé - 6.9%

Top of Main Brewery 250 Main, Park City, Utah topofmainbrewpub.com On Tap: Top of Main Brewery Utah Beer – An American Light Lager

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

Zion Brewery

95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com

BEER NERD

At Home at Home Range Brewing

Logan’s newest brewery is full of flavors and surprises.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Home Range - Crystal Visions: Of all the rituals in the world of beer, few are as pleasing as the drawing of a pint from a beer engine. The gentle, rhythmic pull of a hand-pump promises a beer served as the brewer intended—a living product presented with care and tradition. On this day, Home Range offered an English-style Golden Ale. This particular ale, a showcase of English craft, delivers on that promise beautifully. It pours a brilliant, gleaming copper with a tight, creamy cap of ivory foam that clings to the glass—the first sign of a perfectly conditioned cask ale. The aroma is a comforting embrace of rich, bready English malts, forming a foundation of biscuit and toast. Woven through this is a subtle, honeyed sweetness that draws you in, complemented by a bright, zesty perfume of fresh orange peel (a gift from the Jester hops). On the palate, the beer is simply superb. The flavor profile is defined by a robust yet smooth malty character, where those honey-like flavors truly come alive and pop with clarity. This rich, sweet base is the perfect stage on which the hops can perform. The Jester’s hint of orange peel provides a vibrant, citrusy lift, while the Brambling Cross adds a subtle, spicy complexity in the background. Thanks to the beer engine, the 4.8 percent mouthfeel is exquisitely soft and rounded, with a gentle carbonation that allows the nuanced flavors to coat the palate. The finish is clean, with a gentle bitterness that proffers balance. Verdict: This is not just a good beer. It is, without reservation, a brilliant cask ale—a harmonious and deeply satisfy-

ing pint that celebrates the very best of English-meets-American brewing.

Home Range - Don’t I know You?: Every so often, a beer comes along that doesn’t just fit a style, it feels like it’s inventing one. This IPA, brewed with an anonymous blend of New Zealand hops, is precisely that. It’s what I can only describe as a “Mountain IPA”—a style that doesn’t exist, but after this pint, dammit, it should.

The experience begins with an explosive aroma of ripe cantaloupe melon and a subtle whisper of mixed berries. It’s a beautifully vibrant and inviting nose that suggests a journey into lush, tropical territory.

The first sip delivers on that promise and then some. An immediate wave of melon and implied berries crashes onto the palate, quickly followed by a complex medley of stone-fruit, fresh papaya and a final, rounding note of bright citrus. The flavor profile is a harmonious salad of fruit—bold, expressive and utterly delicious. Oh my!

What truly sets this one apart is the texture. It possesses a wonderfully full and creamy mouthfeel, coating the tongue with a silky smoothness that belies its strength. Yet, just as you expect a sweet, lingering finish, it pivots. This 6.7 percent IPA concludes with a surprisingly clean and dry-ish finish that cuts through the fruitiness, leaving your palate refreshed and immediately craving another taste.

Verdict: This is the beer I want to drink on a summit after a long hike. It’s robust and packed with exhilarating flavor, yet finishes crisp and clean. I’m urging every local brewer I know to chase this profile. Let’s make the Mountain IPA a real thing, with this pioneering brew as its blueprint.

Home Range Brewing is located in the heart of Logan, at 186 N. Main Street. It occupies a 100-year-old building, and they are one of three breweries in the state that offer Foeder fermented beers along with their dedicated cask offerings. Home Range is a full bar, so leave the kiddos at home. And while you’re there, snag a couple of cans to go from their beer shop.

As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY AIMEE L. COOK

Josper Counter Experience

This exclusive experience brings you up close with the Josper oven, rotisserie and grill at Rouser (2 S. 400 West). A special menu curated by Chef de Cuisine Emilio Camara features dishes with an Asian flair, prepared in front of you using these legendary culinary tools. The new menu drops on Tuesday, July 22, and includes Grilled Hokkaido Scallop, Charred Wagyu and Iberico Pork Skewer, Josper Ramen with Dry-Aged Duck, and Yakimono Milk Custard for dessert. Each course has a select cocktail pairing for an additional charge. $100 per person / $50 cocktail pairing. Engage with the culinary team as they guide you through four courses that embody the Rouser identity. Pro tip: “Rouser” was the term for the people who worked on the railroad loading the coal-fueled engines.

Wine Club

The Rouser Wine Club offers exclusive opportunities and perks for $250/year, or free when you purchase a ticket to one of their wine events. Members enjoy a waived corkage on their first bottle and reduced corkage on additional ones each visit. Plus, unlock access to the member-only “Somm. Select” wine list, early reservations for events, and invitations to four wine tastings every year. It’s like joining a secret society—but better.

Chef’s Table

Gather your friends or colleagues for an intimate night at Rouser’s Chef’s Table. Curated by Chef de Cuisine Emilio Camara, this exclusive dinner series runs every Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and seats six to eight guests at $100 per person. Each dish in this five-course dining experience reflects Chef Emilio’s heritage and professional story, with flavors brought to life using Rouser’s signature live-fire and charcoal grilling techniques on the Josper charcoal equipment, created by Pere Juli and Josep Armangué in Pineda de Mar, Barcelona. With personal storytelling from the chef himself, every course invites you to explore the rich interplay of flavor, culture and craft.

Fellowship Hallapalooza

Fellowship Hall hosts a fundraiser music festival to help revitalize facility.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

If you’ve walked or driven down Windsor Street in SLC, there’s a good chance you’ve gone past Fellowship Hall (2060 S. Windsor). This nondescript building sits amidst a big parking lot, and while it may not look like much from the outside, a lot of good can be found on the inside.

“You drive by it, it’s just a yellow building, one door, and it looks more like a warehouse than anything else,” said David Vasquez, manager of Fellowship Hall. The Hall was founded in 1951, and has been at its current location since 1990. The sober club has served as a gathering place for those going through substance abuse programs to find support and connections.

“This place literally does save lives,” Vasquez explained. “We’re not a rehab, we’re not a detox; that’s not what the Fellowship Hall is, or the foundation is. What we are is, after you’re done with detox, after you’re done with the rehab, then learning how to live life without the drugs and alcohol, being around individuals who are now living a life outside of the drugs and alcohol.”

Since the Hall is nonprofit, they rely on membership costs ($12 monthly or $120 yearly) and donations from the community. Since becoming manager, Vasquez has been working hard to revitalize the Hall, reopening the kitchen and bringing in local musicians for open-mic nights.

This is how Vasquez met local singer/songwriter Sean Baker. Baker is heavily involved in the scene—he’s made music as a solo artist, currently plays in a full lineup and has curated an extensive list of locations that host openmic nights (see City Weekly’s July 17 Music Issue).

“I had this mind-blowing experience at the Hall,” Baker said. “It was the first time I’d ever been here, and the people who were here and how we were all received ... I was so excited to go back to the band and tell everyone, ‘We have to book more shows here.’”

Open-mic nights were scheduled regularly at the Hall, and soon became a huge hit for Fellowship members as well as the surrounding community. With the Hall needing a ton of help getting fixed up, Vasquez, Baker and other folks on their team had an idea: Why not host a fundraising festival? The idea came about when the team was sitting outside, shooting the breeze around a table at 2 a.m— which is when the best ideas come about.

The festival will be a great opportunity to raise some funds for the building, but Vasquez and Baker emphasized that this event is also about awareness and letting more folks in the community know that they are there to help those who need it. “We want to be able to make this a place that’s even more accessible to the community and to make it so that there’s more awareness. We want to bring people in,” Baker said.

Planning a festival is no small feat, but Vasquez, Baker and their team are working hard to bring it all together. The event will have three stages set up, and will feature fantastic local acts like Backhand, No Such Animal, The Drought and many more. There will also be improv performers, sober speakers and comedians. You’ll also want to come hungry, because there will be plenty of food vendors as well as local artisans selling their wares.

Dubbed “Fellowship Hallapalooza,” this event will be the largest fundraiser the Hall has ever hosted. “It’s been pretty amazing watching the whole evolution of it, because it did just start out with [Sean] and I talking out the back and a couple of people from the open mic that night. We were all just sitting at the table talking about it,” Vasquez related. Baker and Vasquez said that it’s been a bit overwhelming planning everything out, but their excitement outweighs the stress. “We do it one day at a time,” explained Vasquez. “It really is amazing how everything’s starting to come together.”

While there are plenty of vendors selling wares, there will also be ample resources to be shared with the community at the festival. “We’re trying to make sure that one of our top priorities is more awareness of the Hall and what we do with this space for the community,” Baker remarked. “Awareness of recovery, and of alcohol and drugs. It affects everyone,” Vasquez adds. Fellowship Hall is more than just a building that’s seen better days; it’s a place where those who have grappled with substance abuse can gather and have a sense of community while they heal and figure out how to live life again.

There are monetary goals the Hall team is shooting for, but even if they don’t meet them, they’ll still be excited to have had such a meaningful and lively event.

MUSIC

“[It’s about] making a safe, sober place for that community. I’m excited to see what comes,” Vasquez said. Fellowship Hallapalooza is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16, and will go all day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s a free event, and anyone is welcome. The team over the Hall are still looking for event sponsors, and those who are interested can reach out to info@fellowshiputah.com.

It’s high time that Fellowship Hall is built back up to become the wonderful facility it was meant to be. Fellowship Hallapalooza will be helpful in many ways, because as Vasquez said, “It’s time for a change. It’s time for us to do something more.” CW

David Vasquez and Sean Baker at Fellowship Hall

THURSDAY, JULY 31 FRIDAY,

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

Olivia Dean @ Soundwell 8/1

I first discovered Olivia Dean via her post-COVID performance Live at the Jazz Cafe, which was uploaded to YouTube. It was/ is a show-stopper. After this, I picked up her debut LP, Messy Besides the poetic approach, beautiful singing and unique rhythms, I found myself humming her songs days after having heard them. Her sophomore effort, The Art of Loving, drops in September, and I’m ready for even more earworms about love and all of its intricate forms. “Love is something that can feel quite mystical. It’s this thing we all crave but aren’t properly taught how to do,” Dean told Elle. “Why don’t we have a module at school? So the album was just me zooming into that and looking at the last two years of my life and everything I’ve learnt until now.” What makes Dean so special is a voice that is both clear and nigh-on-pitch-perfect, while at the same time able express openness and vulnerability via razor-sharp lyrics and beautifullyconstructed melodies. When I listen to her records, I feel I am not just hearing a singer tell a story or play a role, but that I know exactly the kind of thoughts, feelings and emotions she is going through in her life. When Olivia Dean sings it, I believe it. Catch this musician on the Across the Atlantic tour at Soundwell on Friday, Aug. 1. Doors open at 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Tickets for this all-ages show were sold out at press time, but can be found at stubhub.com. (Mark Dago)

Olivia Dean JAMES KENNEDY

MUSIC PICK S

Regina Spektor @ Sandy City Amphitheater 8/1

Even by the standards of pop music, Regina Spektor has a most unusual backstory. A childhood émigré fleeing persecution in post-Soviet Russia, Spektor settled with her parents in New York City when she was nine. Her classical piano studies continued at a conservatory, and she self-released her debut album, 11:11, at age 21. Six years later, she had earned prominent billing at the 2007 Bonnaroo Festival, playing in front of a massive audience. With eight studio albums and two live discs to her name, Spektor is now firmly established as a popular singer-songwriter. She has performed at the White House, supports a number of charities (including HIAS, the organization that helped her family settle in the US in 1989) and ventured into film work with a cover of the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for Kubo and the Two Strings . Spektor’s most recent studio offering is 2022’s Home, Before and After, a record that charted in five countries and, like most everything in her body of work, was received warmly by critics. Her catalog has recently been reissued on limited-edition vinyl. Spektor comes to the Sandy City Amphitheater on Friday, Aug. 1 at 8 p.m.; tickets are $61 and up at ticketmaster.com. (Bill Kopp)

Regina Spektor SHERVIN

Friends

Friends

MUSIC PICK S

Hozier

Hozier @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre 8/1-8/2

He’s an Irish heartthrob and a powerful storyteller with his poetic genius. Andrew John HozierByrne, better known to fans as Hozier, is coming to Salt Lake City this weekend as part of his Unreal Unearth Tour. For fans of folk, soul and indie blues, take a listen to his hit singles “Take Me to Church” and “Too Sweet” to hear his impressive vocal range and introspective writing. The themes of love, loss, spirituality and social justice are strong in Hozier’s artistry—both in his songs and live performances. For example, “Take Me to Church,” which put him on the international radar, is a metaphor for the transformative nature of love, using religious worship to explain the intense, all-consuming devotion and desire to surrender to love. Hozier really embodies what an artist can be when they free themselves from the constraints of other people’s expectations to create what they need to create. He gives a nod to the great tradition of Irish poetry and writing, which draws inspiration from folklore and mythology and evokes emotional depth. Like many Irish musicians, Hozier also does not shy away from social and political issues. He’s one of those artists that leaves such an impact that he cannot be un-heard. On Friday, Aug. 1, and Saturday, Aug. 2, Hozier plays at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre. Be ready to feel vulnerable, and likely shed a few tears witnessing Hozier’s passion. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are going fast—currently costing $100 at ticketmaster.com. (Arica Roberts)

Rockstock @ Smith’s Ballpark 8/2

I imagine that making music that creates a lasting effect on culture and music history has to feel good—and the songs that inspire such devotion can be powerful even when they’re not being played by the original artists. Legendary bands like Journey, Heart, Queen, The Eagles and many more have inspired tribute bands from all over the world to emulate their sound and show appreciation for the art. If you love watching these kinds of bands play, you won’t want to miss Rockstock. Some of the nation’s best tribute bands will play at the festival, bringing you “a full-sensory celebration of the music you grew up loving,” the event’s website reads. You may have not gotten to hear “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Crazy on You” or “Walk This Way” from the original bands in their heyday, but this is definitely a close second. Rockstock will be an incredible day featuring five bands, five hours of music and 50 hit songs. The festival is at Smith’s Ballpark, meaning you can bring your own seating (blankets and chairs) or pay for a stadium seat. You’ll be out in the fresh air, rocking out to some of the best tunes of the genre. Rockstock takes place on Saturday, Aug. 2 and starts at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3 p.m. There are a range of ticket prices depending on what you choose, starting at $67. Grab tickets at rockstocktour.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Rick Springfield’s “I Want My ’80s Tour” with John Waite, Wang Chung, Paul Young @ Red Butte Garden 8/6

It’s little wonder that the pop culture of the ’80s is often negated and ignored. Sandwiched between the culture change of the ’60s and ’70s and the deeper designs of the ’90s, the ’80s were generally dismissed as insignificant by comparison, full of prepackaged pop and bands whose claim to fame was mostly the result of repeated airplay on MTV. Nevertheless, Rick Springfield takes a hearty stab at stirring up nostalgia with a supporting cast of comrades who all made an impact on that otherwise unappreciated era. Springfield himself is best known for his irrepressible hit “Jesse’s Girl,” a song that garnered him a Grammy and led to four more Top Ten hits and a pair of best-selling albums. John Waite scored his success at the helm of his band the Babys, best known for their smash single “Every Time I Think Of You.” For their part, Wang Chung provided the party favorites “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and “Dance Hall Days.” Paul Young’s triumphs were originally confined to the U.K., but his breakthrough ballad “Every Time You Go Away” brought him to number one on the Billboard Top 100. Taken in tandem, the musical memories ought to encourage the audience to abandon any guilt while partaking in such pleasures. Rick Springfield’s “I Want My ’80s Tour” with John Waite, Wang Chung and Paul Young comes to Red Butte Garden on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $62 for Garden members, $97 for nonmembers at redbuttegarden.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

For many bamboo species, nothing visible happens for years after the seeds are sowed. Beneath the surface, though, the plants are developing an extensive underground root system. This is referred to as the “sleep” or “creep” phase. Once the preparatory work is finished, the above-ground growth explodes, adding as much as three feet of stalk per day. Dear Aries, I sense you have been following a similar pattern. Soon you will launch a phase of vigorous evolution and expansion. It might feel unsettling at first, but I predict you will come to adore it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

You are very close to uncovering interesting information about yourself—some new, some forgotten. But you will have to be brave and strategic to actually find it. If you manage to pull off this demanding-but-not-impossible trick, a series of breakthroughs may stream your way. Like what? Here are the possibilities: 1. A distorted selfimage will fade; 2. An adversary’s hex will dissolve; 3. An inhibition will subside, freeing you to unite with a fun asset; 4. You will knock down a barrier that has been so insidious you didn’t know how strong it was.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

In medieval music, “organum” refers to passages that feature two voices. One is sung in long, sustained notes, and the other performs intricate, faster-moving melodic lines above it. This is an apt metaphor for the roles I invite you to take on in the coming weeks, Gemini: both the drone and the melody. One way to do it is to hold steady in one realm as you improvise in another. Another is to offer your allies doses of stability and inspirational dreams. Welcome the duality! You are capable of both deep-rooted rhythm and visionary risk; both fortifying truth and playful fun.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Cancerian author Ernest Hemingway had a reputation for bravado, but he was adept at wielding the protective, self-nourishing skills your sign is renowned for. He was sensitive about works-in-progress, refusing to discuss unfinished stories. He understood raw creative energy needed to be sheltered until it could stand on its own. “The first draft of anything is shit,” he said, but he also knew that defending the right to write that mediocre first draft was essential for him to thrive. Hemingway’s ability to channel his emotional vulnerability into moving prose came from establishing firm boundaries around his generative process. I recommend you do all that good stuff in the coming weeks, dear Cancerian.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In ancient China and ancient Greece, the lion was not king of beasts, but guardian of gates—threshold keeper who asked, “Are you ready?” Now is a good time to bring this aspect of Leonine symbolism to your attention. You may soon feel a surge of leadership radiance, but not necessarily the stage-commanding kind. It will be more like priest and priestess energy. Gatekeeper presence. People and situations in your orbit are on the verge of transformation, and you can be a midwife to their transitions—not by fixing or moralizing, but by witnessing. So I invite you to hold space. Ask potent questions. Be the steady presence ready to serve as a catalyst.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The love-fakers and promise-breakers and delusionmakers are no fun, but I think you will ultimately be grateful they helped you clarify your goals. The reverse healers and idea-stealers and greedy feelers are perilous to your peace of mind in the short run, but eventually they will motivate you to create more rigorous protections for your heart, health and stability. In conclusion, Virgo, it’s one of those odd times when people with less than pure intentions and high integrity can be valuable teachers.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is built into a Norwegian mountain near the Arctic. Humanity’s backup garden, it stores over a million seeds from all over the world, serving as a safeguard for biodiversity. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to imagine yourself as resembling a seed vault. What valuable capacities are you saving up for the future? Are there treasures you contain that will ensure your long-term stability and security? Which of your potentials need to get extra nurturing? Bonus: Now is a good time to consider whether you should activate any of these promises.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

There’s a myth in Gnostic traditions that Sophia, the Goddess of Divine Wisdom, split herself apart and dispersed into the material world. She became embedded in every stone, plant and drop of blood. And she’s still here, murmuring truth from within every part of the material world. In Sophia’s spirit, Scorpio, here is your message: Wisdom isn’t elsewhere. It’s embedded in your body; in your grief; in the wood grain of your table and the ache behind your eyes. More than ever, you have a mandate to celebrate this gift. So for now, refrain from thinking that spirituality is about transcendence and ascendance. Instead, greet the sacred in the dust and mud. Listen for Sophia in the ordinary. She speaks in sighs and sparks, not sermons.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

When I do tours to promote the books I write, the range of encounters can be wide. On one trip, over 300 people came to see me at a bookstore in New York City. They listened raptly, posed interesting questions, and bought 71 books. In Atlanta three days later, I was greeted by nine semi-interested people at a small store in a strip mall. They purchased three books. But I gave equal amounts of energy at both gigs. The crowd in Atlanta got my best, as did the audience in New York. I invite you to regard me as a role model, Sagittarius. Proceed as if every experience deserves your brightest offerings. Express yourself with panache no matter what the surroundings are.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In ancient Egyptian cosmology, ka is the vital essence and the double of a person that lives on after death. But it also walks beside you while you live. It drinks, eats and dreams. It is both you and more than you. Dear Capricorn, I invite you to tune in to your ka in the coming days, and any other spiritual presences that serve you and nourish you. Be alert for visitations from past selves, forgotten longings and future visions that feel eerily familiar.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“Dear Rob Brezsny: I wonder what you are like in person. Sometimes I get a Gen X vibe, like you wear vintage T-shirts from obscure bands, are skeptical but not cynical and remember life before the internet, but are tech savvy. Other times, you seem like a weird time-traveler visiting us from 2088. It’s confusing! Are you trying to be a mystery? When’s your next public appearance?”—Aquarian Explorer. Dear Aquarian: I’m glad I’m a riddle to you. As long as I avoid being enmeshed in people’s expectations and projections, I maintain my freedom to be my authentic self, even as I continually reinvent my authentic self. By the way, I recommend you adopt my attitude in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In Norse mythology, Odin plucked out one of his eyes and hung himself upside down from the World Tree for 9 days. Why would he do such a thing? The stories tell us this act of self-sacrifice earned him the right to learn the secret of the runes, which held the key to magic, fate and wisdom. You don’t need to make a sacrifice anywhere near that dramatic, Pisces. But I do suspect you are primed for a comparable process. What discomfort are you willing to endure for the sake of revelation? What illusions must you give up to see more clearly? I dare you to engage in an inner realignment that brings metamorphosis, but not martyrdom.

Cementation USA, Inc. seeks

an Occupational Safety & Health Specialist in Sandy, Utah. Applicants interested in applying for this position should visit: https://cementationusa. applicantpool. com/jobs/ and follow the procedures set forth there to locate this position and submit an application for it.

urban LIVING

Cost to Own

The New York Times recently offered a quiz for new home buyers about the costs related to buying a home and closing the contract. It’s relevant enough to give a Utah version with costs my clients have experienced as of late:

1. You saved up for a down payment, but the lender and title company are going to charge you closing costs on top of that. How much are the charges generally? Answer: between 2% and 3% of the loan amount.

2. You’re ready to move from an apartment in Utah County to a new home in Salt Lake County, but your friends all seem busy and can’t help you move. How much does it cost to hire professionals? Answer: Hourly rates can vary between $90 and $120. But to hire movers just to unload your pod or container averages around $385.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Phineas’s brother

5. French painter Edouard

10. Like extremely successful comedy, so to speak

14. Reason for a spotlight during an opera

15. From the beginning, in law

16. One not on the level

17. Casual shoe for professional use?

19. Puts a stop to

20. Only U.S. state with a Great Seal designed by a woman

21. How some text might be highlighted

23. Prefix with “evangelist”

24. Person asking too much about a BLT ingredient?

29. For tacking on

31. “No more seats” Broadway sign

32. Hoppy option

33. Things to split

35. “I’ll think ___”

36. The viper of virtue?

41. A little horse

42. One with steal-y resolve?

43. Hurricane center

44. “You’re the Worst” actress Cash

3. Before the movers get there, the home needs a fresh coat of interior paint. The house is 1,800 square feet— what’s the cost of hiring painters? Answer: Painters can charge between $2 and $6 per square foot.

4. You don’t have to go to a laundromat anymore, but must buy a washer and dryer for the new place. How much are appliances like this? Answer: Depends on brands—a Samsung electric pair averages $2,000, a Whirlpool set is roughly $1,400 and an LG WashTower is between $1,753 and $1,799.99.

5. Oops! Movers put a hole in your drywall. What’s the cost of an experienced maintenance person? Answer: between $20.75 and $25.80 per hour.

6. You didn’t notice when you were buying the home that one of the trees is dead. What’s the cost to remove it? Answer: The taller the tree, the more likely the removal service will have to bring in a crane so that the tree being removed doesn’t fall and cause damage to the home or neighboring houses. A crane costs roughly $1,000 per hour, with the tree removal costing $3000 to $5,000, depending on its size.

7. Come fall, you notice leaves are probably clogging up your gutters. What’s the cost of having someone clean them out? Answer: Roughly $400, but it depends on how many gutters you have around the home.

8. You’ve always wanted a swimming pool, and your new back yard has space for it. What can you expect to spend putting in a pool? Answer: A gunite, or shotcrete, in-ground pool will start at $50,000 and could cost well over $100,000 depending on size, grade of soil and depth of the pool.

9. In the meantime, you want to enjoy a hot bath, but you learn the water heater may be giving up the ghost. What does a new one cost? Answer: The heater is between $1,300 and $1,700, but a tankless heater may be twice as expensive. This doesn’t include installation charges—plumbers can charge $20 to $30 per hour.

10. As fall approaches you’d like the fireplace to work but it’s still a wood burner. What’s the cost to put in gas lines? Answer: Depends on how far your gas line is from the fireplace. The average is around $3,000. ■

47. Blackboard items

51. Gastropod that works on cars?

54. ___ de mer (sea sickness)

55. Recorded

56. Baroness who wrote “The Scarlet Pimpernel”

58. Be sulky

60. Peak achoo?

63. Ash holders

64. Cookies making up an entire wall display at the Museum of Failure

65. Apiary dwellers

66. Substance

67. With 40-Down, “SNL” alum on “Weeds”

68. Helper, for short

DOWN

1. Marinated meat in a tortilla

2. Ate away at

3. RisquÈ

4. Big party

5. Author Rita ___ Brown

6. Law school org.

7. Company based in Finland

8. Calendar entries

9. Lethargy

10. Howerton of “It’s Always Sunny in

Philadelphia”

11. “Old MacDonald” repetition, maybe

12. “A Shropshire ___” (A.E. Housman poetry collection)

13. AMA members

18. Fair

22. “Equal” prefix

25. “Chocolat” actress Lena

26. Unembellished

27. “The Andy Griffith Show” kid

28. Butter bit

30. Greeting to a matey

34. Retired jet, for short

35. Stumblebums

36. “La Tauromaquia” artist

37. Quick bout length

38. Old New York ballpark

39. Apple voice assistant

40. See 67-Across

41. Take down a ___

44. Insurance co. rep.

45. “Fine, whatever”

46. Have a goal

48. Hosts

49. Teases

50. Most devious

Toledo treasure

___ polloi

ID with dashes

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

52. Fidgety

53. Triangular Mideast desert

57. Singer McEntire 58. Quizzing site

NEWS of the WEIRD

Creme de la Weird

Neil Hopper, 49, a vascular surgeon from Truro, England, has been the subject of a 2 and 1/2-year investigation after he allegedly tried to defraud two insurance companies, The Guardian reported on July 23. Devon and Cornwall police said that in 2019 he “made a false representation to insurers, namely the injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted.” Hopper is accused of amputating his own legs in the scheme, hoping to gain $320,000 from one company and $314,000 from the other. Before his legal problems, he was shortlisted in the European Space Agency’s search for an astronaut with a disability. He was scheduled to reappear in court on Aug. 26.

Saw That Coming

Or not. Several victims reported on July 19 that they had been subjected to an involuntary “golden shower” at The Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Smoking Gun reported that 30-year-old Matthew Day “entered the rooftop bar ... and urinated from the balcony onto the sidewalk,” according to police, with urine striking people on the ground. Security officers saw the incident and showed Day the door; he was charged with disorderly conduct and released on $500 bond.

The Tech Revolution

The South Florida Water Management District is working with the University of Florida to develop a new strategy for managing invasive pythons in the Everglades, WFLA-TV reported on July 23. Solar-powered toy bunnies that emit heat and are equipped with cameras are alerting staff to python activity, which sends them out to capture and euthanize the snakes. The district said it is “committed to protecting this delicate ecosystem.”

Clothing Optional

A couple in Oklahoma City were startled by a “big, fat, naked, crazy guy” entering their home around 6 p.m. on July 21, KFOR-TV reported. Homeowner Blake Overstreet said the perp, Korey Sisco, was 6-feet-2 and 400 pounds. When Overstreet and his wife pointed a gun at him, Sisco exited through the back door and skipped to the neighborhood pond, where he jumped in. “It was very strange,” Overstreet said. He noted the pond is full of snakes and snapping turtles. Sisco lingered in the pond for about an hour until police coaxed him out.

Fashion Faux Paw

For more than a year, Natasha Lavoie of British Columbia has been receiving phone calls about her missing cat, Torbo, United Press International reported. Problem is, her cat’s name is Mauser and is very much not missing. The mix-up mystery was finally traced to a T-shirt sold by Wisdumb NY, which features a lost cat poster that includes Lavoie’s phone number. Wisdumb NY said the shirt is no longer available and the “use of a real number within the art created was not intentional.” But Lavoie doesn’t want to change her number. “I’ve had my number for 20 years,” she said. “I’ll just keep not answering.”

News You Can Use

■ For five days every summer, a flotilla of rowboats is unleashed on the River Thames in London, where carefully selected, scarlet-coated oarsmen are tasked with Swan Upping—a census of the swans, the Associated Press reported. These swans belong to the Lord of the Swans, otherwise known as King Charles III, and they must be marked and checked for disease or injury. Veteran King’s Swan Marker David Barber sees the ritual as more than tradition: “I think it’s serving a very useful purpose. It gives us an indication of what’s going on throughout the country.” The census dates back to the 12th century, when swans were important food sources for royal banquets.

■ The National Police Agency in Japan is urgently warning parents and others about a “Real Gimmick Mini Revolver” that has been found among the prizes in claw machines around the country, Oddity Central reported. The plastic toy, which comes with eight plastic bullets, reportedly can also fire real bullets. Sixteen thousand of the toys have been imported from China since December; the added danger is that shooting a live bullet could cause the plastic firearm to blow up in the shooter’s hand.

Truth Is Stranger Than Netflix

On July 19, 36-year-old Stephen Blasetti allegedly stole a boat and took it for a joyride on the Hudson River in New York, WABC-TV reported. Blasetti, notably, wasn’t wearing any clothes when he committed the theft, for which he was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and reckless endangerment. He was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in New York for a psychiatric evaluation, but early on July 23, Blasetti slipped out of his handcuffs as the police officer guarding him slept, borrowed a doctor’s lab coat and left the hospital. He was last seen on surveillance video walking down a sidewalk, barefooted.

It’s Come to This

At the Ryde Hotel in California, FOX 5 Atlanta reported, peacocks and peahens are part of the appeal as they wander about the property. But on July 20, after a guest reported seeing two men loading one of the birds into a cage on a pickup truck bed, the hotel’s general manager, David Nielsen, initiated a count of the flock, realizing that only four of about 15 remained. “We’re not sure why anyone would do anything like this,” he said—but the male birds are valued at about $2,000 and the females at $1,000. The colorful birds have become tame and like pets to the staff of the hotel. Police are depending on tips from the public to locate the animals.

Ewwwww!

Leanna Coy, a flight attendant based in Connecticut, couldn’t help but share the yuck factor after she made a discovery on the floor of a plane, the New York Post reported on July 24. “Those are toenails,” she captioned a TikTok post. “The passenger clipped their toenails mid-flight and left them.” Commenters had no empathy for the long-in-the-toenail flyer: “No-fly list!” said one. “What dirtbag did this?” asked another.

Great Art

People magazine reported on July 24 that 33-yearold Jane Labowitch of Maryland is making a living, and a name for herself, with her Etch-a-Sketch artwork. Labowitch’s subjects include Russia’s St. Basil’s Cathedral and Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.” She said when she was little, her grandmother wouldn’t let her watch TV as much as she wanted, so with her Etcha-Sketch, she just “started from staircases.” She hopes the classic toy “isn’t going anywhere. I think that it’s got a lot left to give the world.”

Suspicions Confirmed

On July 23 in Tallahassee, Florida, police took a famous mouse into custody: Chuck E. Cheese. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Mr. Cheese, aka Jermell Jones, had been fingered as the person who stole a patron’s credit card in June and made fraudulent purchases with it. When police arrived at the famous restaurant, Jones, wearing his giant costume mouse head, was handcuffed and escorted out the front door in front of patrons young and old. Officers found the stolen credit card in his possession.