City Weekly July 10, 2025

CITY WEEKLY

Pulp Fiction

19th-century tabloids couldn’t get enough of the Latter-day Saints.

by Zach Abend

By Zach Abend

SLC FORECAST

S AP

BOX

“Wicked Witch of the West,”

July 3 Cover Story

[Water Witch is] my go-to bar when in SLC!

THEABSINTHEMINDEDGIRL Via Instagram

That’s actually so cool! I’m a foodie that can’t eat so I watch a lot of food shows and want to eat at a Michelin star restaurant or taste something that was recognized by the James Beard Award peeps. Instead, I watch The Bear and live vicariously, lol. Congrats, that’s really awesome.

LORRAINEJARAMILLO1234 Via Instagram

There’s room on the broom! FISHERBREWING Via Instagram

Well-deserved accolades.

MCAPUTO801 Via Instagram

Best of the best.

MRJESSEWALKER Via Instagram

“Praying for Sanity,”

July 3 Private Eye

Asking us to pray for rain is bold when [Utah Gov. Spencer Cox] doesn’t have the spine to be a leader.

NETTE JENSEN Via Facebook

Prayer doesn’t work fools!

JOSE MANUEL LUGO Via Facebook

It’s like I’m living in 1750 right now.

FOODSHOOTR Via Instagram

It’s a monitor-your-watering grab, and sheep will follow.

MILLSJADA Via Instagram

F--k praying! Do something productive, not performative.

DANIEL HALBRITTER Via Facebook

“Astra-Nomical,” June 19

Small Lake City

In regard to the Small Lake City column in your June 19, 2025, issue, the headline says it all: Astra-Nomical. The praise for the new skyscraper at 89 East 200 South is astronomical. Please ask the column’s author, Aimee L. Cook (or someone else), to write a sequel column about the building’s effect on migrating birds after she consults experts at Tracy Aviary, the Audubon Society and Friends of Great Salt Lake. Every morning are there dead birds on the pavement at the base of the new skyscraper?

WILLIAM VOGEL Salt Lake City

“Featured Prizes,” June 27 Online

Thank you [Salt Lake City Weekly] for the great reading material and crossword puzzles.

LAURIE AUSSERESSES 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

What is a fun fact about YOU?

Scott Renshaw

The fun fact that I’m the kind of person who freezes when asked to describe a fun fact about themselves.

Paula Saltas

Scott Renshaw stole my line—same. I know it is shocking because I am such an outgoing person!

Mike Ptaschinski

Back in 1973, a buddy and I parachuted out of the old Alta Sky Airport in Sandy. Twenty years later, at what is now Flat Iron Mesa, I watched my kids play baseball. That static line jump, where we worked our way out on the wing strut and then let go, was the perfect combination of terror and exhilaration.

Carolyn Campbell

I once won the CHAOS contest, which stood for “Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome,” because the entrant’s house was so cluttered and disorganized. I was declared the person with the most clutter in Salt Lake City. The prize was having two efficiency experts come to my house to help me get uncluttered. It was a lot of fun, and I still give a talk about it every once in a while.

Benjamin Wood

I’ve been the front page for the Deseret News, the Tribune and City Weekly, and I nearly had Des and Trib on the same day.

BY RON YENGICH

OPINION Art of the Deal

They sat in the well of the United States Senate like young girls on a bench outside the principal’s office in the black-and-white film, To Kill a Mockingbird. Obviously nervous, they—Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins—realized that they were accused of the unforgivable. They were threatening to vote against the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which they knew was also a Big Bag of Political Porkshit.

They understood the bill might likely increase illness and death for 17 million poor and middle-class Americans, who would lose their Medicaid and Medicare benefits while a few thousand corporations and wealthy scofflaws laughed all the way to Fort Knox, their Teslas brimming with the real payoff.

As the two huddled in hushed conversation, a vestigial remnant of conscience reminded them of other political cowards—like fellow Senators Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Utah’s Mike Lee—who had already crumbled like Benedict Arnold.

They all feared the bloated Orange Serial Liar. But, these experienced women had been through this before with our iconic trope of a bully president, who operates only with the broad-brush strokes of his hate and pursuit of petty grievances. They knew their mob-boss-wannabe party leader and U.S. President—Donald Trump—often delivered bellicose tweets and derogatory nicknames.

“What will he call us, Susie?” asked Lisa. “I don’t know,” she replied, “maybe Broken LeaseAH and Susie the Blue-State Floozie.” Neither laughed. They realized their talent as United State senators rested in honest effort, not

on playground name-calling. Then, what they really had been praying wouldn’t happen, did happen.

Out of the mists of verbal inanity, yet another iconic figure emerged: the backstabbing, slackjawed, southern Senator Mitch McConnell. Their dreams had been for Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch to sternly look at them, and with a honey tongue of southern charm to bolster the courage he gave Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. They wanted to be Scout. They wanted to defend Boo Radley.

Instead, they got Mitch “The Grinch” McConnell from the Commonwealth of Ol’Kentuck’, who told them that it was colder than a well-digger’s ass where they would be goin’ if they didn’t vote for Br’er Rabbit’s BBB. His only missing items were a white suit, three-ribbon tie and a white handkerchief to wipe his red face of sweaty graft and dirty conscience. Maybe it was the promise of Kentucky Bourbon, but Lisa quickly gave in to the tinkle of silver hitting the ground.

The Federalist Papers warned our nation—and the framers of our Constitution realized—that Congress was more likely to act like Ratso Rizzo and claim the roadway was for them and theirs only. So, to control the rats that have an election every 24 months, senators were given six-year terms and were expected to act like they cared about all of us.

Afterward, Lisa said she was unhappy with the BBB while secretly hoping the House of Representatives would fix it, knowing that the House of Rats had already voted on this killing field of legislation and they were highly unlikely to stand in the way of this death knell for 17 million Americans.

By the time we were celebrating 249 years since facing down the tyrant King George on Independence Day, July 4, 1776, the current class of rodents did the opposite: they passed the bill favored by Old Orange Boca Raton himself, the man who would be king.

Lisa Murkowski sold her honor (as did every other Republican senator, save Rand Paul, Thom Tillis and Susan Collins) in order to water down the BBB for a small

percentage of her Alaskan constituents. She left the full force of the consequences of the cuts to rural hospitals and natal care for women and their babies in every state but her own.

How should that make folks in Parowan, or West Valley or Marysville feel? Murkowski cut a Trump Family deal for her own political life and left 17 million folks to drift into Donnie’s Red Sea without a life raft or vest. Quite a deal, Lisa Two-Faces. Quite a deal.

Murkowski did not actually push the BBB over the top of the dirty trench—the Senate of the United States. Her vote was the tie vote that just dropped it on the desk of Vice President JD “Just Daydreaming” Vance. It was he who cast the tie-breaking vote, true as it goes.

She was the 50th vote, a tie-maker which once was called as cringeworthy as “kissing your sister.” That comparison only lasted until our country witnessed real cringe, like the time Trump told Howard Stern about his own daughter in a way that makes us understand his relationship with a dead guy named Epstein. But I drift.

When Jovial Dunce Vance rubber-stamped his approval, it immediately added three trillion dollars to the national debt. Such dalliance was what he and his fellow fiscal conservatives formerly claimed to be the province of the tax-and-spend Democrats. On cue, the bill was passed along to Donnie Hancock for signature.

Trump should call his Veep “Bagger Vance,” as in the golf movie of similar name. It’s no irony that The Legend of Bagger Vance is less about golf than it is about redemption—neither Vance nor Trump strong suits.

The BBB does nothing to impede his billionaire buddies from making a killing—pun intended. After the bill was signed, and as he was heading out the door to jet to Mara-Lago for another trip that taxpayers would foot the bill for—and to cheat at 18 holes—it’s easy to imagine Trump saying, “Hey, Bagger, thanks for carrying my bags. If they complain, let ‘em eat Baked Alaska.” CW Private Eye is off this week. Send feedback to comments@ cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY WES LONG

MISS: In the Air

Utah is such a winner—a pretty, great state and all that. And we keep on winning. The Environmental Protection Agency just awarded Utah the No. 2 spot for total toxic chemical releases. We like to hail Kennecott Copper Mine as the largest open-pit mine in the world and now it’s so much more, releasing millions of pounds of arsenic, lead, selenium, mercury and other chemicals for our brains to take in. Have we mentioned that Utah is No. 1 as the only state totally in a drought? It’s not as though we didn’t know this. Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment had been trying to get the attention of lawmakers and the governor, whose innovative solution is to pray for rain. The Great Salt Lake is drying up and emitting toxic dust, just as the dry Sevier Playa potash mine ramps up to elevate pollution. And air monitors are side-stepping federal protocols. But don’t despair— take a deep breath and hold it.

MISS: Highs and Lows

Do you follow our junior senator, John Curtis, on social media? He’s the guy with the unstoppable smile, whose “Highs and Lows” are curious in that the lows are rarely what you might think. One of his “lows,” for instance, was hating to wear a suit in the rain and, well, it rained. Of course, he’s more serious than that, but the idea that the “Big B-ful Bill” was a high is ridiculous. He’s not the only one; the entire Utah delegation just loved it. Cleverly, the GOP decided not to have Medicaid cuts kick in until after the 2026 election. That way, they can say “promises kept,” Medicaid wasn’t touched—they just didn’t say for how long. No, we haven’t read the massive bill, but we do know that children are the big losers, the environment loses out, and billionaires get what’s coming to them: more money.

HIT: On Tap

Main Character

Peter Marshall typically starts his workday before even the proverbial rooster has had a chance to stir. Getting to Utah Book & Magazine (327 S. Main) hours before dawn so as to straighten his store for its 7 a.m. opening, he maintains a pattern long established within his family’s legacy of urban shopkeeping.

“After 109 years, you get kind of a routine,” he told City Weekly during a recent interview. “I do it every day.”

He fervently adheres to the advice bequeathed to him long ago by his father Earl “Bud” Marshall Jr. (1921-1986): “Son, if you want something done, do it yourself.” And ever since his personal entry into shopkeeping 62 years ago, the vigorous Peter—affectionately known by his downtown neighbors as the “Governor of Main Street”—has found those words to serve him well.

“There’s something new every day,” he enthused.

Indeed, his bookstore—a uniquely challenging endeavor in itself—has shown remarkable resiliency amidst an ever-changing downtown landscape, shifts in population and taste, a global pandemic and even the occasional vice squad. And yet, Marshall finds the effort rewarding, even to this day.

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, and I believe that,” he expressed. “It’s a lot of fun.”

The Marshall story really begins with Earl L. Marshall (1889-1972)—an “ornery son of a bitch,” laughs grandson Peter—from whom Peter’s father, siblings and he all learned the shopkeeping trade. Earl Sr. started out with a lucrative downtown taxi service in 1916 before going into hotels, moving and selling furniture and peddling antiques.

“My dad and grandfather always had businesses,” Peter recalled.

He labored alongside both men from a very early age. When he turned 17, it was only natural that he should seek to prove that he could follow in their footsteps. Starting with an initial stock from his father’s Utah Coin and Antique shop, Peter chose to focus on books.

There is some good news and then there’s some news about alcohol in Utah. Here are the few high spots: It looks like the long-vacant Fisher Mansion could once again be the home of Fisher Brewing. The mansion has been slated for renovation, partly to revitalize the Jordan River corridor. There are plenty of plans in the making. The mayor would like to see a bar or restaurant with nonprofit offices above, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. On another front, a couple who own acreage in the Kamas Valley are planning a mountain cidery— apples instead of grapes—set to open in 2026. All this comes on the heels of a new director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services—but she reportedly doesn’t drink anything alcoholic. It’s not like we want a drunk in charge of DABS, but some experience could help. CW

“We got it all stocked and my dad and brothers looked at me and asked, ‘What the hell are you going to call it?’” he recalled.

The characteristically direct Peter soon found his answer to the question: Utah Book & Magazine.

Starting in the old Fuller paint store building that once stood at 211 S. State, Utah Book & Magazine subsequently merged with Utah Coin and Antique and has occupied a couple of different locations around the city before finding its current (and longest-lasting) position. The store’s merchandise—drawn from the odd garage or estate sale— remains an attraction for students and especially interior decorators, while the store itself has even been a filming location for films like Jared Hess’ Gentlemen Broncos.

“I’m 70 years old and I’m still learning,” Marshall said of the business.

While there have been plenty of difficult times along the way, for him there’s only one suitable response: “If you want it to work, you’ll make it work.” Peter Marshall has made it work. CW

Finch Lane, Mitsu Salmon’s Erosion and Becoming

Art-er Than July

A roundup of this month’s local art exhibitions and installations.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

There are many seasonally-specific activities in Utah’s summer season, from cultural festivals to outdoor entertainment. But that doesn’t mean the visual art community takes these months off; there’s still plenty of fascinating work to be seen and experienced. Here’s just a sampling of some of the things you can see at local galleries and arts spaces in July; visit gallerystroll.org for an even more complete listing of local galleries and their current shows.

801 Salon: First Rodeo by Scout Invie: The iconography of the American West is a huge part of Utah’s legacy, but that same iconography also provides a unique opportunity for artists to get thoughtful and playful with it. Utah-based artist Scout Invie, in conjunction with the arts non-profit 801 Salon, explores the mythology of the West in the one-night-only installation experience First Rodeo, juxtaposing images that have been used to market the West as an idea with the artist’s own personal experiences of growing up in the West. The evening is scheduled to include interactive elements like a dressing station, along with a giant jackalope sculpture, a tumbleweed stream-of-consciousness installation and costumed local movement artists. Live music will also be

A&E

provided by Pearly Blue Works, and guests are invited to attend in costume appropriate for the theme of “rhinestone cowboy/cowgirl.” The event takes place Friday, July 11 at The Gala (412 S. 700 West, Suite 120), 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., with the live performances taking place 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Tickets are free, but registration is recommended via Eventbrite.com.

Sandy Brunvand: Ecotone / Mitsu Salmon: Erosion and Becoming @ Finch Lane Gallery: Notions of the physical and emotional terrain of transformation connect two summer exhibitions at the Salt Lake City-operated venue. Salt Lake City artist Sandy Brunvand uses drawing, printmaking, painting and mixed media to investigate her own relationship to Utah’s trails, exploring the spaces where personal and natural landscapes intersect. In an artist statement, Brunvand describes the definition of “ecotone” by educator Florence Krall as “a transitional zone between two adjacent communities, containing species characteristics of either, as well as other species occurring within the zone. At the edges, where differences meet, where diversity makes a stronger … space, ecology, community, human.” In Erosion and Becoming, meanwhile, Mitsu Salmon looks at the intersection between geology and the body, employing paint infused with breastmilk and infant formula. As Salmon explains, “Created during the transition to motherhood, these works reflect the disorientation and awe of this period.” The exhibitions run at Finch Lane Gallery (54 Finch Lane) through July 25, with a Gallery Stroll artist reception on Friday, July 18, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Visit saltlakearts.org for regular gallery operating hours.

New Exhibitions at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art: Launched in late June, five new exhibitions at UMOCA

cover an astonishing array of materials and thematic ideas. Carlos Rosales-Silva’s site-specific mural exhibition Mariposa (pictured) takes materials including glass beads, crushed stones and acrylic paint for a colorful evocation of the monarch butterfly’s migration from Canada to Mexico, which itself serves as a metaphor for the movements of Mexican migrant workers. Oscar Tuazon’s Salt Lake Water School, an outdoor modular structure focused on the Great Salt Lake, and designed to move with the natural water cycle. William Cobbing’s Inner Horizon marks the London-based artist’s first American solo exhibition, using multi-channel video installation to chronicle his travels through the Utah basin and range landscapes. Josh Winegar’s Future Monuments presents photographs of historic monuments and sculptures that twist them into often-unrecognizable forms, suggesting a cautionary tale for the idea that anything is permanent in a violent world. And the group exhibition Something from Everything finds 19 participating artists exploring the use of found objects and everyday materials in their works. Exhibition run dates vary; visit utahmoca.org for details, including regular museum operating hours.

“A” Gallery Summer Solstice Group Exhibition: The spirit of the season is bright and lively, and that includes the work represented by “A” Gallery’s represented artists in a group show of painting and sculpture. Participating artists include Andy Taylor (“Spring Creek 2” is pictured), Marci Erspamer, Emily Robison, Brian Christensen, Linnie Brown, Tiana Godfrey, Nathan Mulford and Jeff Juhlin. The exhibition runs through July 25 at “A” Gallery (1321 S. 2100 East), with a closing Gallery Stroll artist reception Friday, July 18, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Visit agalleryonline.com for additional information about the participating artists, and gallery operating hours. CW

801 Salon, Scout Invie’s First Rodeo

A Gallery, Andy Taylor’s Spring Creek 2

UMOCA, Mariposa

10-16, 2025

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Meanwhile Park: Vacation and Red Devil

Live theater can take place in a variety of venues, whether indoor or outdoor, but it’s definitely not common to find productions being mounted in the backyard of a private residence. Meanwhile Park founder/producer Jeff Paris, however, had that vision after redesigning his back yard, and deciding to create a play-writing prize to turn that space into a theater in 2023.

“I realized that the new set-up would work for performances,” Paris shares via email. “Because there’s so much great theatre in Salt Lake City, and because I think live story-telling should be an opportunity to gather and build a sense of community, I wanted to add a ‘party-style experience’ to make theatre at Meanwhile Park like nothing else in Salt Lake City. I fully expected the whole thing to fail. I was surprised as anyone when things went so well the first year and audiences loved both the play, the space, and the experience.”

For 2025, Meanwhile Park presents two one-act plays. Nathan Johnson’s Vacation, a darkly comedic “queer spy-vs.-spy romp;” Red Devil similarly finds humor in an unusual place, dealing with three women going through treatment for breast cancer. Paris notes that the Meanwhile Park plays have gravitated toward works with a sense of humor and diversity in the characters—plus the simple logistics of being able to be staged in a back yard.

Meanwhile Park’s production of Vacation and Red Devil runs July 10 – 20, with performances Thursday - Sunday at dusk/doors 8:30 p.m., at a Salt Lake City address provided upon purchase. Tickets are $42 including drinks and snacks (21+ only); visit meanwhilepark.com. (Scott Renshaw)

Wasatch Wildflower Festival

When you live in a climate with actual seasons, you can appreciate all the unique things that come with those seasons. In the Salt Lake Valley, that includes the riot of color that comes to the local mountains in the summer— an occasion that is celebrated every year by the events and presentations offered by the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation for the two weekends of the Wasatch Wildflower Festival.

The event is split up over four days, with a specific resort location as the focus for each day. The first weekend focuses the Big Cottonwood Canyon resorts, with Brighton centered on Saturday, July 12 (in conjunction with the Brighton Days Festival) and Solitude Mountain Resort on Sunday, July 13. The second weekend moves to Little Cottonwood Canyon, with Snowbird on Saturday, July 19 and Alta on Sunday, July 20. Each day will feature guided walks and activities that are designed to be fun, family-friendly, non-commercial, free of charge, and accommodated to a range of ability levels, from easy walks to more difficult. Volunteers share their knowledge and enthusiasm for an amazing variety of species on a variety of beautiful walks. The tours also reinforce careful stewardship and awareness of the ecology of the watershed environment.

The 2025 Wasatch Wildflower Festival runs July 12 – 20 at the Cottonwood Canyons resorts, with activities daily from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.; prepare with sunscreen and weather-appropriate attire for the outdoor walks and experiences. All events are free, but registration is required; visit cottonwoodcanyons.org for registration and additional information. (SR)

European Cultural Festival / Cedar City Midsummer

Renaissance Fair

’Tis always time in the popular consciousness, it seems, to idealize eras of the past. And it’s fine to be able to celebrate the fun stuff about those times, even when it conveniently ignores what it would actually have been like for most people to live in them. So don’t sweat about taking time this summer to be festive in environs celebrating olden days in the Olde Country, enjoying the libations, pageantry and music, and not so much the cholera and serfdom.

A pair of events this coming week dive headlong into celebrating European culture covering a range of eras. At University Place in Orem (575 E. University Parkway), the 7th annual European Cultural Festival at The Orchard offers a familyfriendly experience full of traditional music and dancing, including Harp Irish Dance Company, Flamenco Del Lago, Heathen Highlander’s bagpipes and Salzburger Echo folk music from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Entertainment includes performances by fully-armored knights of the 13th Legion (pictured), games, food vendors and a Pirate Ship play area. The event takes place Saturday, July 12 from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., and is free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, in Cedar City—whether or not you’re pairing the experience with a trip to the Utah Shakespeare Festival—the Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire takes up residence at 200 N. Main St., celebrating 43 years of merrye entertainment. Experience a range of entertainment, vendors and traditional costumes, plus sword-fighting, rides, food and more. The event runs July 16 – 19, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, and is open to the public. Visit umrf.net. (SR)

Look! Up on the Screen!

A ranked list of Superman’s cinematic history.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

The arrival of James Gunn’s Superman in theaters marks the latest attempt to re-launch DC Comics’ centerpiece character. Here’s a ranked retrospective of the nearly50-year history of the Son of Krypton on the big screen as a solo act (no team-ups).

6. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987): As dire as its reputation, mostly since it feels so cheap and slashed to ribbons. The screenplay is desperately unfocused, but mostly, it’s just dumber than ass: Superman acquiring new powers out of nowhere, like his “rebuild the Great Wall of China” vision; Superman being smart enough to tow Nuclear Man to the moon in a sun-blocking receptacle, but too dumb to know that maybe a guy who needs sunlight for his powers could be dropped ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE EFFING MOON; etc. It’s nice to have that Reeve/Kidder rapport back and some more Hackman, but what a sour final note for this series.

5. Superman III (1983): Weird and dopey, but also kind of hard to hate completely. It was clearly nuts to think you could make a Superman movie that was also a Richard Pryor movie, without ever trying to integrate those things and instead simply alternating between them. The slapstick is almost uniformly terrible, and Pryor often looks absolutely lost, but I do love the buxom bimbo henchwoman (Pamela Stephenson) as secret Kant-reading genius, and that the primary effect of synthetic kryptonite on Superman isn’t really to make him a villain, but just to make him kind of a dick.

4. Superman Returns (2006): Awkward to watch, thanks to subsequent revelations surrounding Kevin Spacey and director Bryan Singer turning it into a sex-pest festival. It does boast the best action sequence in any Superman movie: the airplane rescue, which feels genuinely dangerous

and tactile. But it’s hard to take seriously on its own when everything it does feels built on nostalgia, from Brandon Routh attempting a Christopher Reeve impression, to the use of John Williams’ score, to re-creating the iconic Action Comics cover that introduced Superman. The result is genuinely well-crafted, but without a sense that it has a soul of its own.

3. Superman II (1980): It’s plenty of fun, picking up the pace of the straightforward comic-book action in the confrontation between Superman and General Zod’s Kryptonian traitors. But it really does foreshadow the key story beats of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2: an opening credits sequence montage of key moments from the first film; the hero losing his powers for a short time; the hero inadvertently revealing his true identity to the woman he loves; the hero voluntarily (and ultimately temporarily) giving up being a hero to have a normal life; ordinary people rallying to his aid against the villain(s). Considering the salvage job we now know took place in the transition between directors Richard Donner and Richard Lester, this is quite an enjoyable adventure … but Raimi did it better.

2. Man of Steel (2013): Mostly, I respect the script by David S. Goyer (from a story co-credited to Christopher Nolan) for attempting something completely different. Yes, it’s a re-telling of the origin story, but the focus is genuinely on the idea of Superman as a character, and the question of how he navigates his identity as an alien and an adopted son of Earth; Cavill’s performance is less Boy Scout than Shakespearean protagonist. It is kind of quaint, though, to consider how the Reeve Superman features were so careful to make it clear that not a single human died, while this one goes full apocalypse.

1. Superman (1978): As a tween circa 1978, fresh off Star Wars, this wasn’t the kind of fantasy adventure I was looking for; as an adult, I recognize that Superman was something much more unconventional. Leaving aside the long origin prologue, this becomes a story about the burden of being Superman, first indicated in the miraculous moment of physical acting where Reeve reappears as Clark after his first flight with Lois, and briefly considers revealing his identity. Then, the big earthquake climax finds Superman trying to figure out where to go to do the most good—which means not being there when Lois dies. Donner presents that moment from a distance, without sound, letting the individual loss sink in. Anyway, time has given me an appreciation for wondering when you have a duty to something beyond your own desires. CW

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

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19TH-CENTURY TABLOIDS COULDN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

BY ZACH ABEND comments@cityweekly.net

“Oh! in the social (very social) system of the Mormons, a wife may be subjected to the grossest insult one moment and obligingly caressed the next. Her husband may—such is the caprice and so coarse the passions of some men—greet her with apparent affection, while the kisses of some one of the courtesan wives of another man are still warm upon his lips.”

“The former fanaticism has degenerated into mere licentiousness, under the spiritual wife system.”

The above quotes are excerpts from Boadicea: The Mormon Wife, Life Scenes in Utah, written by Alfreda Eva Bell in 1855. This book, along with scores of cartoons, newspaper articles and dime-store novels, was part of a burgeoning, and popular, genre of antiLatter-day Saint literature that was billed as “exposé,” but intended to achieve the twin goals of demonizing the new LDS faith while titillating its readers—and selling books—at the same time.

As early as the 1830s, newspapers like the Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate published breathless accounts of “ecstatic sexual laxity among a portion of the earliest Ohio Mormon adepts,” according to Rick Grunder, former first chairman of the BYU Library Bibliographic Department and author of the five-volume historical reference work, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source

There was definitely something in the air.

“One of the things going on in the 19th century is a lot of sexual experimentation,” observed Dr. Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, an associate professor at Montana State University. “For people, this is interesting—like the TV shows on TLC today. They are exoticized and, also, you wouldn’t want to participate in it. So, reading a book or watching a show about it is a way to keep it at an arm’s length.”

This re-examination of American sexuality that ensnared Latter-day Saints in the popular imagination manifested in different ways. John Humphrey Noyes’ Oneida Community embraced communal marriage and ejaculation control for men. The Shakers believed in equality of the sexes and celibacy. Feminists like Victoria Woodhull and Mary Gove Nichols espoused free love.

What all these approaches shared was that they were all disturbing to the majority-Protestant social order in the United States.

In addition to the sexual experimentation that blossomed in the 19th century, Americans started linking a woman’s agreement to marriage as being analogous to individuals voting for democratic government and choosing their preferred candidate.

“When the U.S. becomes a nation, people start talking about consent in marriage as being important,” said Dr. Hannah Jung, an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama. “There was this idea of marital consent, and

monogamy is projected onto state and order. They didn’t think it was possible for multiple women to consent [to polygamy] and saw it as inherently coercive.”

Harems of the West

The suspicion toward non-Protestant marriage and sexual norms was by no means limited to Latter-day Saints. Roman Catholics were also viewed warily and widely caricatured in books and cartoons.

“Another parallel is when there is a scare of polygamy, there are a bunch of books coming out about nuns written as ‘exposés,’—leering abbots and monks taking advantage of these poor nuns,” explained Dr. Matthew Bowman, an associate professor of religion and history and the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. “Religion and sexuality are intertwined in how Protestants view[ed] life and morality.”

In fact, the cultural battle between Catholics and Protestants in the United States was far more pervasive than the battle between Protestants and the Latter-day Saints, according to Dr. Patrick Mason, the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture and director of the Religious Studies Program at Utah State University.

“The battle between Protestants and Catholics was well established,” Mason said. “So, these are well-worn tropes and established narratives that they co-opted to use for Mormons. A lot of lurid details were written about abuses in nunneries.”

The LDS ‘exposés’ trafficked in gendered stereotypes and usually consisted of “the lecherous patriarch who is interested in lots of sex, and polygamy [as] a way to facilitate that in the minds of outsiders,” according to Dr. Paul Reeve, Chair of the History Department and Simmons Chair of Mormon Studies at the University of Utah. “The white slaves are the women. None of the pictures [of the time] show men being enslaved. It always shows men seducing and entrapping women. Missionaries are shown as promulgating the message of the lecherous patriarch.”

Focusing on people’s private sex lives may seem to some as a waste of time, but it reflects more than just sex, experts say.

“Sexuality is deeply ingrained with how people look at morality and order in society,” said Bowman. “[19th-century Americans] imagined these harems of the east being replicated in the west as decadent eastern living.”

Excerpts from The Mormon Prophet and his Harem, by Catharine Van Valkenburg Waite, published in 1867, illustrate this dynamic:

“In the face of the direct and positive teachings of Jesus and his Apostles, the ‘Latter-Day Saints’ of Utah, or rather their leaders, have instituted the heathenish and horrible practice of polygamy. And to add to the blasphemy of the scheme, it is all done

in the name of the Lord. In this nineteenth century, they have reduced women to the heathen and Jewish standard.

Foremost in the ranks of their oppressors stands Brigham Young. Following in the footsteps of Mohammed, he declares that women have no souls, — that they are not responsible beings, that they cannot save themselves, nor be saved, except through man’s intervention.”

A Degenerate Race

In addition to being fetishized for their sexual practices, Latter-Day Saints were seen as racially and religiously different from mainstream America.

Dr. Terryl Givens, senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University, noted the writing of Edward Said in his 1978 book Orientalism, which talks about “Othering” as a way to construct a sense of identity.

“It wasn’t what Mormons were, but what they weren’t,” Givens explained. “Americans represent Puritan sexual mores and values … [Mormons are] portrayed as Asian and foreign and Oriental.”

In fact, despite being predominantly white and of European descent, Latter-Day Saints are seen as something new entirely.

“The Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups lists Mormons as an ethnicity created out of nothing,” Givens said.

It wasn’t just the Harvard Encyclopedia that saw Latter-Day Saints as a new group. The American medical profession bought into this idea too.

“Dr. Roberts Bartholow—who comes west for the Mormon war in 1857—talks about Mormonism giving rise to a new degenerate race in the great basin,” said Reeve. “Medical journals picked it up and reprinted it. Most doctors pick it up without question. The Mormon body becomes the subject of scientific racism in the 19th century.”

Alleging that Latter-day Saints are neither

white nor Christian alleviates some of the tension, and possibly some of the guilt, inherent in how they were viewed by their fellow countrymen. “Americans are supposed to be religiously tolerant, so you frame it as: they aren’t Christian,” Givens noted.

Mainstream Americans also saw polygamy as a danger to the country, which obviated the need for open-mindedness.

“Outsiders looked at polygamy in particular and became convinced that it was destroying the white race and making the country unsafe for democracy,” said Reeve. “The evidence is overwhelming that Mormons were being racialized as not being white enough.”

As further evidence of their “Otherness,” Americans perceived Latter-day Saints as following charismatic leaders like Catholics did.

“Utah applies seven times for statehood and is rejected six of seven times largely on the grounds that they are un-American and don’t fit notions of what it means to be American,” said Reeve. “They have given themselves over to despots like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and these are markers of a sliding back into barbarism.”

In fact, the then-nascent Republican Party enshrined its opposition to slavery and polygamy in its founding platform on the grounds that they were the primary evils that America was facing at the time.

“Polygamy was viewed as white slavery in outsiders’ imaginations,” Reeve explained. “Some political cartoons portray Mormon women as slaves. The[ir] argument is fraught with racism, but the argument is—it’s a worse form of slavery than plantation slavery, because at least [southerners] were enslaving inferior people. But polygamy was enslaving white people.”

The conflation of slavery with polygamy also reflected societal fears of LDS contact with Native American peoples.

“There was also a lot of anxiety around Mormon outreach to Native Americans,” said Bowman. “Some argued that [Mormons]

started practicing polygamy based on exposure to Native Americans.”

The fights against polygamy and slavery during the 19th century reflected the sectarian strife that characterized so much of American life then, experts say. “If you spend time reading Baptist newspapers, the amount of vitriol the Baptists had for Methodists—21st-century social media doesn’t have anything on them in terms of vitriol,” Mason explained. “Because of the Second Great Awakening, there is great conflict between religions for market share. You do that by showing how your opponent is evil.”

Freaks in the Sheets

“In treating of the gross materialism and perverted sexualism of the Mormons, it has been thought best to speak plainly, that the full effects of this new Mohammedanism may be seen and read of all men.

Women of my acquaintance at Salt Lake City, who were children at the time, have told me of occurrences during that period which would indicate an almost incredible reign of lust and fanaticism. Divorce also became so common that these marriages scarcely amounted to more than promiscuous intercourse.

In numerous instances a young girl would be married to some prominent elder, with whom she would reside a few months, after which she would be divorced and married to another and again another, ‘going the rounds’, as the phrase was, of half a dozen priests.”

—Excerpts from Life in Utah, or, the Mysteries and Crimes of Mormonism, by J.H. Beadle, published in 1870.

Some of these tropes about Latter-Day Saints are alive and well in the American imagination today.

“Concerns of polygamy being non-white marriage is not here, but people are still interested in polygamy,” according to Hendrix-Komoto. “Portrayals of fundamentalists show them as abused and oppressed.”

She noted that individual Latter-day Saints are sometimes depicted as bland— think Donny Osmond or Mitt Romney—but that image exists alongside hypersexualization, like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

“There is a fascination with people who look innocent but have a seedy underbelly,” Hendrix-Komoto said.

These stereotypes undoubtedly make it easier to market shows about Mormons’ “secret” sex lives to the American public. But they’re routinely met with derision by the Latter-day Saint faithful.

“Mormon audiences cringe at the content,” Jung said. “Ironically, there really isn’t anything ‘secret’ about their lives. The show is trading off of the modern-day idea of swinging to titillate people the same way polygamy titillates people … The word ‘secret’ evokes polygamy without saying it.”

But it’s not just LDS housewives who attract eyeballs. Bowman gave the examples of Under the Banner of Heaven, which dramatizes instances of real-world violence within Latter-day Saint communities, and American Primeval, a recent Netflix series that dials up the wild west roots of pre-statehood Utah.

“It reminded me of A Study in Scarlet, and its messages of how organized religion stymies democracy and it’s ruled by a char-

ismatic leader,” Bowman said, referring to an early Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle that featured Brigham Young and a fictional band of Mormon enforcers as murderous antagonists.

Over the years, Latter-day Saints went from one extreme to another. During the 19th century, they were considered to be outside the mainstream and, potentially, “non-white.”

Today, the Latter-day Saints have managed to perform a complete reversal and are now seen as uber-white.

“Jimmy Kimmel says on his show that he has a hard time believing there are black Mormons,” noted Reeve. “Lee Siegel [a cultural critic], when Romney is running for president, he calls Romney the whitest white man in history to run for president.”

Whiteness is a slippery idea. The popular notion of who is white and who isn’t is constantly evolving.

“There is always someone who we as Americans define as being Other,” said Mason. “It is a useful way to think about ‘in’ groups and ‘Other’ groups.”

But Reeve suggested that understanding how racial categorizations are man-made can perhaps lead to greater tolerance. “One hope is that, if predominantly white American and northern and western European LDS [members] can be racialized, then anyone can,” he said. “I hope it can show how race is a social construct, not a biological reality. It’s used to denigrate entire bodies of people. In telling the Mormon racial story, you tell the American racial story.” CW

Hannah Jung

Matthew Bowman

Paul Reeve

Rick Grunder

Terryl Givens

Patrick Mason

Cozy Couture

Napoli’s Italian Restaurant blends comfy vibes with an elegant space.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

While I was catching up with the Union Heights neighborhood for my last review, I spotted the second location of Napoli’s Italian Restaurant, and remembered that this was a place that had been making moves as of late. With its first location thriving in South Ogden and the more casual Di Napoli that recently opened in Orem, Napoli’s has officially completed its own Wasatch Front trifecta. As it feels like Napoli’s has gotten pretty cozy with Utah diners, it felt like a good time to check in with this popular Italian eating establishment.

Napoli’s Ogden location opened in 2022, and its Union Heights expansion took place in 2024. With the fast-casual Di Napoli spot opening just last month, it seems like the restaurant is doing pretty well for itself. The Union Heights location definitely makes good use of its corner retail space in the cluster of businesses near the Century 16 Theaters. The dining area boasts half-moon dining booths, geometrically patterned tile flooring and a posh black-and-gold color scheme. It’s an elegant little spot that doesn’t come off as overly aggressive or exclusive, which is perfect for the kind of restaurant Napoli’s is trying to be.

After perusing the menu, it’s clear that Napoli’s affection for the classics is what

has made it a popular choice for local diners. There are a few dishes—like the Modo Mio ($25), with its artichoke hearts and brandy cream sauce—that feel somewhat new to fans of Utah’s Italian restaurants, but this is a menu that really leans into familiarity.

My wife and I had a tough time deciding on what to order, so we queued up an appetizer of Polpette Marinara ($14) while we hashed it out. The service style at Napoli’s is very forgiving to those who like to luxuriate in a restaurant space, so it’s completely normal to take one’s time. When the meatballs arrived, lovingly doused with thick marinara and a substantial helping of mozzarella cheese, we proceeded to order the Little Italy ($27) and the Chicken Napoli ($25) before digging in. I typically always enjoy a meatball, and I thought Napoli’s preparation had a decent level of craftsmanship on display. The marinara was sharper and more acidic than sweet, and the meatballs were plump and tender. Don’t tell anyone, but I may have made a tiny meatball sub with the complementary garlic dinner rolls.

Before the entrees arrive, you get a little side salad, which I thought was a pleasantly old-school touch for the experience.

The Little Italy is Napoli’s version of a sampler, and it comes with lasagna, chicken parmesan and fettuccine alfredo. Napoli’s marinara sauce game is also on point here, though I did think the lasagna was a bit on the sweet side. The alfredo sauce here is a substantial endeavor that really captures the creamy, garlicky appeal that you want from this dish. Of the three items in the Little Italy, I think the one I’d most like to try as its own entree was the chicken parmesan; it had a nice fry on it, the chicken was flavorful and the marinara popped with just the right amount of acid.

The Chicken Napoli, meanwhile, is a

summery dish composed of mushrooms, a combo of fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, mozzarella and a sherry wine sauce over spaghetti noodles. Overall, this was a good dish—the light sherry wine sauce worked well with the tomatoes and mushrooms, and the flavors were all well-balanced. I thought the chicken was just a tad overcooked, and would have been hugely improved with a bit more of a sear or more liberal seasoning before it hit the plate.

There was a point mid-meal when my wife and I both had the realization that Napoli’s is the kind of celebratory place our parents would have taken us as kids on nights when they wanted to feel fancy. The restaurant space creates a true “dining out” experience, and even the pickiest of diners could find something to enjoy on the menu. In many ways, our experience at Napoli’s was a nostalgic one. As people who grew up associating fancy Italian restaurants with times of celebration and plenty, my wife and I couldn’t help but be endeared to Napoli’s.

I firmly believe that diners should look for ways to challenge themselves, and there are plenty of local restaurants that will do that. But I also believe that there should be nice restaurants that are accessible for people who just want to go out and relax with food that they know and love—and this is one of Napoli’s biggest strengths. It’s the kind of place where the vibes are fancy, the menu is familiar and the service is friendly, which makes it a great recommendation for your comfortseeking loved ones when you’re tired of going to Olive Garden. CW

ALEX SPRINGER

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

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Playground #13 - Hazy Pale with Lemondrop and Sultana

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House

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

On Tap:  Top of Main Mother Urban’s Parlor Blonde 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. 825 S. State, SLC

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: Krispy The Kid - Rice Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Tap: Sake Rice Lager (collab with Tsuki Sake); Tropical Haze IPA New Launch: Fonio Fusion - 6.6%

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC 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: Summer Solstice

Blackberry Lavender 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 Palmer - Hard 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 Tap: Do I Make You ShandySession IPA with Lemonade

Salt Flats Brewing

2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

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

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

On Tap: Scion Cider PieCycle6.4% ABV

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.

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co.

147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co.

Go Easy Session IPA 2.9%

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 Off The Tree Juicy IPA

Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer ZionBrewery.com

BEER NERD

Reinventing Pints

Innovative techniques, creating complex flavors.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Kiitos - Fonio Fusion: In a world saturated with IPAs, it takes a truly unique ingredient to stand out. This remarkable IPA achieves just that by embracing fonio—an ancient West African grain—in a bold 50/50 split with traditional pilsner malt. The result is a fascinating and delicious bridge between continents and brewing traditions.

Pouring a slightly hazy golden hue, the beer immediately unleashes an explosive aromatic bouquet. True to its hop bill, Citra and Vera hops lead the charge with a powerful blast of grapefruit, tangerine and bright citrus zest. Yet, weaving through this familiar hoppy aroma is a wonderfully exotic note of sweet lychee—a direct and delightful contribution from the fonio grain itself.

The first sip is a confirmation of this tasty interplay. The citrus-forward character promised by the hops is front and center, but it’s beautifully complemented and softened by the fonio’s delicate, fruity sweetness. This isn’t just a gimmick; the grain adds a genuine layer of complexity that elevates the entire experience. Beneath the fruit-forward explosion, the beer settles into a classic American IPA profile, with a clean malt backbone and a satisfying, light bitterness that keeps everything in perfect balance. At a highly drinkable 6.6 percent ABV, the mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing, avoiding the syrupy weight of heavier IPAs.

Verdict: This is a wonderfully innovative brew that is not just intriguing but genuinely tasty. It’s a testament to how creative ingredient sourcing can reinvent a beloved style, proving to be both an adventurous and an exceptionally rewarding pint.

Grid City - 5th Anniversary Dry

Hopped Saison: First of all, happy fifth anniversary to our friends over at Grid City Beer Works! This new Imperial saison was brewed to celebrate this happy occasion. It represents an ambitious and successful marriage of Old World tradition and New World innovation: Doing away with a simple noble hop profile, this brew boldly incorporates a star-studded cast of Saaz, Nectaron, Nelson and Galaxy hops, creating a beer that is both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly modern.

The first impression on the nose is a pleasing interaction between yeast and hops. The classic Belgian yeast signature is present, offering up its distinctively spicy, somewhat phenolic clove notes. However, this traditional backbone is soon met with a vibrant, fruit-forward blast from the modern hop blend. Intense aromas of juicy peach, ripe passion fruit and a hint of zesty citrus leap from the glass, promising a complex experience to come.

That promise is fully delivered on the palate. The flavor opens with a wave of stone fruit and a touch of berry, where the Nectaron and Galaxy hops truly shine. This fruity sweetness is nicely balanced by the yeast’s peppery spice and the signature white wine grape character from the Nelson Sauvin hops. Just as the flavors seem to peak, the beer pivots beautifully. An initial maltiness provides a sturdy foundation before giving way to the crisp, satisfyingly dry finish characteristic of the style. The formidable 9.5% ABV is no mere statistic; it contributes a velvety body and a gentle alcoholic warmth that weaves through the complex flavors. But make no mistake—its potent strength demands respect.

Verdict: This is a powerfully modern saison, a layered and deceptive brew that rewards a curious palate with a truly unique and memorable drinking experience.

You’ll only find this Imperial Saison at Grid City, to be enjoyed there or to take home. Due to its unique hop profile, I’d recommend not aging this one—enjoy it fresh. Kiitos is building a reputation for integrating fonio into their beers, and they disappear fast. Don’t get caught wishing you would have acted sooner. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Women-owned Business Crawl

The team at local wine-and-cocktail lounge Melancholy (melancholyslc.com) has kicked off a women-owned business crawl that will be taking place all weekend. Plenty of great local womenowned businesses will be participating, including (but not limited to) Scion Cider, HK Brewing, Sweet Hazel & Co., Argentina’s Best Empanadas and Laziz Kitchen. If you’re interested, you can pick up a stamp card at Melancholy between now and July 13. Each participating business will provide a stamp—and once you get eight, you can head back to Melancholy to enter a drawing and snag a celebratory drink. A full list of participating businesses can be found via the Melancholy website. Good luck, crawlers!

Strada By Matteo Opens

Matteo Sogne of local Italian favorite Matteo Ristorante Italiano (matteoslc.com) recently unveiled his latest concept, and it sounds intriguing. It’s called Strada by Matteo (30 E. Broadway, Ste. 105), and its lunch-focused menu is all about sandwiches and pasta. Where Matteo leans heavily into the fine dining aspects of Italian cuisine, Strada looks to be a more casual affair where diners can select their own pasta and sauce combinations or snag a hot panini. At the moment, Strada is only open for lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., but the restaurant’s Instagram page (@stradaslc) is hinting at forthcoming dinner hours.

Summer Events at Flanker

In addition to revamping its summer drink menu with the gin-forward Garden Bliss cocktail and expanding its popular Hidden Boot Saloon venue, Flanker (flankerslc.com) has got a whole heap of summer programming on the horizon. Fans of Love Island can hit up Flanker for its weekly broadcast of the popular reality show, not to mention its villa-themed cocktails. On July 22, Flanker will host another “slow dating” mixer for singles looking to mingle from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The end of July will also see a cultural tie-in with the Days of ‘47 Rodeo at Hidden Boot, along with a Pie and Beer Day celebration on July 24.

Quote of the Week: “Today’s innovation is tomorrow’s tradition.” – Lidia Bastianich

West Coast Lake City

Kick Back in the City brings a little taste of California to Utah.

BY ARICA ROBERTS comments@cityweekly.net

West Coast culture is having a moment. If you followed along with the Drake/ Kendrick Lamar feud, you are likely familiar with Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a song that celebrates West Coast hip-hop culture and which was further solidified into the current zeitgeist through his Super Bowl LIX halftime show. West Coast culture has also been prominent in the international news cycle. The protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) forcibly removing people from the streets have provided powerful images of a united people against Donald Trump’s ignorant policies.

The world is getting a glimpse of the music, art and sense of community— which includes social justice, activism and a reclamation of Mexican heritage—central to West Coast and Chicano culture. It is within these political circumstances that the founders of local event company Smile Now, Cry Later (SNCL), David Rivas (DJ Davey Dave) and David Sigala (DJ Dirty Dave), created a West Coast-style swap meet one Sunday each month this summer called “Kick Back in the City.” Rivas is from southern California, and was inspired by the music and culture of the Y2K era, while Sigala is a Salt Lake City native with Mexican heritage who wanted to bring the West Coast vibe to the city. Rivas and Sigala acknowledge that our city’s strong Mormon as well as conservative cultures can be limiting in terms of the types

of events and cultural experiences available. The “Kick Back in the City” event aims to fill this gap by bringing a unique and diverse cultural experience to the community.

“With everything that’s going on with Trump and ICE, people are not feeling comfortable going out,” Sigala explains. “We want to make this a safe place for everyone where we can all come together, like I said, as a unity, as one people, and just enjoy West Coast culture again.”

The Redwood Swap Meet in West Valley shut down at the end of 2024, leaving many vendors without a place to sell their goods and a community losing a major cultural hub. “When it shut down, a huge void was left behind. So we decided to create something that could bring that same energy back; something outdoors, familyfriendly, and rooted in local flavor,” said Jonathan Diaz (DJ JWoodz), a local DJ and member of the Kick Back community.

The first Kick Back took place on Father’s Day at Woodbine in the Granary District. Food vendors sold pupusas and Mexican-style hot dogs along the perimeter of the food hall and rooftop bar. Other local vendors sold clothing, jewelry and artwork—the typical things you would find in a southern California swap meet. Thanks to the collaboration with Travis Vallejo of Utah Lowriders, lowrider cars lined west 700 South. Live artists spray painted graffiti and stylized street art onto plywood, while DJs bumped “oldies” music, celebrating everything from funk, disco and R&B to throwbacks from the ’70s through the 2000s.

Rivas and Sigala are among the DJs featured in the series, both working as resident DJs at local clubs and events. They express their passion for West Coast culture and their desire to share it with the people of Salt Lake City, no matter one’s background. The inclusive and family-friendly nature of the event aims to showcase the positive aspects of West Coast culture.

They attribute the need for these Kick Back events for two reasons: the grow-

MUSIC

ing popularity of West Coast culture and nostalgia, particularly for the Y2K era and the 1990s; and the increasing diversity and migration of people from the West Coast to Salt Lake City, creating a demand for such cultural events. While it may be new or unfamiliar to many residents, it also serves as a platform for fostering greater diversity, inclusivity and cultural exchange within the city.

“We can all come together from all walks of life and just have a good time,” Sigala affirms.

The next Kick Back is Sunday, July 13 at Granary Live. It is timed to coincide with a major lowrider event, the Salt Lake Lowrider Supershow at the Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy on July 12, which will bring in a large number of visitors from out of town. The event will also feature the same custom 1959 Chevrolet Impala lowrider that Snoop Dogg drove in

a Pepsi commercial during the Super Bowl LVI halftime.

In line with the goal to provide a unique and immersive experience for attendees, Rivas and Sigala have also planned various activities and demonstrations, such as workshops on lowered suspension techniques for cars through hydraulics, as well as boxing demonstrations, to further engage the audience and educate them about West Coast culture. They’re also looking to hire bigger hip-hop artists and bands for future events.

Come bring the whole family for a laidback Sunday where people of all backgrounds can come together to enjoy music, food, culture and each other. Apart from the upcoming event on July 13, Kick Back in the City will also take place on Aug. 17 and Sept. 14 (Mexican Independence Weekend). Check out the Instagram @kickbackinthecity to stay updated on this summer series. CW

David Rivas and David Sigala

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Foam Wonderland @ The Great Saltair 7/11

There’s no better way to cool off in the summer than some of the world’s largest foam machines. Step into Foam Wonderland this weekend at The Great Saltair for a scenic view of the sunset and plenty of space to dance the night away. This year, V2 Presents is bringing Sullivan King (Keaton Prescott) as part of his Above Reality 2025 Tour, and his fusion of dubstep and heavy metal (deathstep) brings a lot of energy to the crowd. This is a pretty drastic shift from the direct support from ARMNHMR (Joseph Chung and Joseph Abella), who are known for their melodic and future bass. The contrast works with the balance of the other openers’ diverse subgenres: CHYL (Rachel Shi) will bring the bass house and speed house; Jon Casey is more known for his trap music, and Know Good (Tanner and Sylas Morgan) is a duo known for their bass music and dubstep. And of course, local DJ and producer Jvck Mormon (Chance Newbury), who is continuing to stay at the top of his game. You may have seen him play at Das Energi a few years ago, and he’s back on the stage at The Great Saltair to kick off the energy for this fun summer party. Foam Wonderland takes place on Friday, July 11. Doors open at 7 p.m. and close 2 a.m. This is an 18+ event and tickets cost $70.55 at v2presents.com. (Arica Roberts)

UPCOMING SHOWS

System

Gyedu-Blay

Tongues

THURSDAY, JULY 10

FRIDAY,

SATURDAY,

MUSIC PICK S

Boyfriend Sushi Town vinyl release @ Kilby Court 7/11

There are a ton of really cool aspects about the local music scene, but bands holding release shows is one of my favorite parts. It’s great to see bands and their listeners excited about new music, and new ways to buy said music. With old media like vinyl and cassettes making a big comeback, it’s no surprise that many locals take this route when they have new music releases. Boyfriend Sushi Town is an exciting, genre-bending band who have a well-rounded sound, complete with heavy and acoustic guitar, with some fiddle thrown in for good measure. The vibes and music are going to be supreme, and according to the band on Instagram, they’ll have “an explosion of merch.” Dogwood released in January, coming to fruition after a ton of work. “We started recording this album in August,” they said when the album was released. “We decided this one needed a bigger sound so we packed all our stuff and drove up to Wyoming to @bodemerrill’s (Bode Merrill) cabin.” Everyone knows albums turn out fantastic after recording in a remote cabin. Windsock and Early Bird will help BST celebrate their vinyl release on Friday, July 11 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $14.40 in advance and $16.65 at the door. Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

Boyfriend Sushi Town

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MUSIC

EarthGang @ Gallivan Center 7/12

EarthGang is criminally under-appreciated in not only the world of hip-hop, but also in broader popular music. Formed in 2008, the Atlanta duo of Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot have been putting it down since the release of 2010’s mixtape The Better Party. The music they conjure is a fusion of 1990s dirty south with grooves of jazz, soul and funk. Just listen to a few tracks from 2019’s Mirrorland I’ve never heard anything like it. They happily soak up musical influences from those with whom they’ve come into contact, combining them beautifully and paying the ultimate tribute to them. It’s music by the people, for the people, which in my experience is what a lot of it is usually about. The Southern style they bring to the art is a breath of fresh air. “Art should challenge the status quo and keep people curious about what’s happening around us,” Venus told Grammy News. “The beauty of being human is creating and coming up with cool things from our experiences—why are we taking that out of the equation?” When music is this dynamic and interesting, it’s a force; you can feel people’s souls in the output. EarthGang is on tour this summer opening for Clipse, and Salt Lakers should consider themselves lucky they are coming through to drop quotables. JMSN and Bad Luck Brigade open. Catch these musicians at The Gallivan Center on Saturday, July 12. Doors at 6 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $20 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)

Collective Soul @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre, 7/13

Atlanta-based rock band Collective Soul rose to prominence in the early 1990s with the breakout success of their debut album, Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid. Against the backdrop of the music scene of that era, the band’s post-grunge approach fit in seamlessly with the alternative rock and late-period college rock movement. Starting out as an indie and self-producing their debut, the band attracted the attention of the majors. Thanks in part to nationwide exposure as Van Halen’s tour opener, the band’s second album went triple-platinum. Subsequent albums didn’t match those impossibly high levels, but the group continued to release solid material. When their time on Atlantic Records came to an end,

the label slapped together material from Collective Soul’s catalog and released 2001’s 7even Year Itch; as testament to the band’s enduring popularity, that record received a vinyl reissue in 2023. Meanwhile, Collective Soul has continued to make appealing rock albums, working with a lineup that has changed a bit while remaining true to its musical values. 2022’s Vibrating earned critical praise, and while 2024’s Here to Eternity didn’t dent the album charts, it’s yet another strong collection of original material. Sharing a bill with fellow ’90s sensations +Live+, Collective Soul comes to the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre on Sunday, July 13 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $30 and up via ticketmaster.com. (Bill Kopp)

Barry Manilow: The Last West Valley City Concert @ Maverik Center

7/14

It seems somewhat ironic that the song that became Barry Manilow’s signature—specifically, his 1975 classic hit “I Write the Songs”— wasn’t written by him at all. It was penned by Bruce Johnston, a member of The Beach Boys and the man who took the late Brian Wilson’s place after Wilson tired of touring. Nevertheless, Manilow has plenty of credits he can claim as his own, especially as they apply to his own craft and creativity. His initial claim to fame came about when he served as pianist and producer for Bette Midler, and later, as one of the first artists signed to Clive Davis’ fledgling record company Arista Records. He gave the label a string of hits throughout the ‘70s—“Mandy,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Weekend In New England” and “Copacabana” among the many—making him one of the most consistent hit-makers of the decade and an ongoing presence at the top of the charts. Add to that his irrepressible charm and a carefully cultivated image, and there’s more than enough reason to understand why his fans still fawn over him some five decades on. If this is indeed a final farewell to touring, as the title of this performance indicates, consider it an opportunity to revisit his lingering legacy. To borrow a line from “Copacabana,” Manilow continues to make it clear “music and passion were always the fashion.” Barry Manilow’s “Last West Valley City Concert” comes to the Maverik Center, Monday, July 14 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $28$134 and can be found at ticketmaster.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

In the days before lighthouses, some coastal communities used “fire beacons”—elevated structures where people tended open flames to guide sailors. In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to be like both the keeper and the flame. People will be drawn to your brightness, warmth and persistence as they navigate through their haze and fog. And surprise! You may find your own way more clearly as you tend to others’ wayfinding. Don’t underestimate the value of your steady, luminous signal. For some travelers, your presence could be the difference between drifting and docking. So burn with purpose, please. Keep your gleam strong and visible.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

The ancestors of my American friend Arisa lived in Ukraine, Indonesia, the Choctaw Nation, and the Great Lakes region. Her new husband Anselme is of Japanese, Italian and French descent. Their wedding was a celebration of multicultural influences. Guests delivered toasts in five languages. Their marriage vows borrowed texts from three religious traditions. The music included a gamelan ensemble, a band that played Ukrainian folk music, and a DJ spinning Choctaw and Navajo prayers set to Indian ragas. I bring this to your attention in the hope you will seek comparable crossfertilization in the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time to weave richly diverse textures into your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

I predict a future when women will hold half of the leadership roles, when their income and time devoted to childcare will match men’s, when women’s orgasms are as common as men’s, and when most guys know that misogyny is perilous to their health. Until the bloom of that wonderful era, I invite Geminis of all genders to invoke your tender ingenuity as you strengthen female opportunities and power. In my view, this work is always crucial to your maximum spiritual and psychological health—but even more so than usual in the coming weeks. Boost the feminine in every way you can imagine.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

In Yoruba cosmology, ase is the sacred life force that animates the universe. It’s divine energy that can be harnessed by humans to make things happen, to speak and act with ardent intention so that words and deeds shape reality. I am pleased to report that you Cancerians are extra aligned with ase these days. Your words are not casual. Your actions are not mild or minor. You have the power to speak what you mean so robustly that it has an enhanced possibility to come into being. What you command with love and clarity will carry enduring potency.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

In medieval bestiaries, unicorns were said to be fierce, wild creatures. They were very real but also hidden. Only people with pure hearts could see or commune with them. I suspect you now have the chance to glide into a potent “pure heart” phase, Leo. My fervent hope is that you will take this opportunity to cleanse yourself of irrelevancies and rededicate yourself to your deepest yearnings and most authentic self-expressions. If you do, you just may encounter the equivalent of a unicorn.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Some Buddhist monks create mandalas on floors from colored sand. They work meticulously for days or weeks to build intricate, symmetrical masterpieces. Once their beautiful work is done, however, it typically doesn’t last long. The creators sweep it away either immediately or soon. The sand may be disposed of, perhaps poured into a river or stream. What’s the purpose of this strange practice? Most importantly, it displays a reverence for the impermanence of all things—an appreciation for beauty but not an attachment to it. I recommend you consider taking a cue from the sand mandalas in the coming weeks. Is there anything you love that you should let go of? A creation you can allow to transform into a new shape? An act of sacred relinquishing?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Glassblowers shape molten sand with breath and fire, knowing the material can only be formed while it’s hot and glowing. If they wait too long, the stuff stiffens, turns brittle and resists change. But if they push too soon, it collapses into a misshapen blob. In this spirit, Libra, I urge you to recognize which parts of your life are now just the right temperature to be reshaped. Your timing must be impeccable. Where and when will you direct the flame of your willpower? Don’t wait until the opportunity cools. Art and magic will happen with just the right amount of heat applied at just the right moment.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

“I have often been racked by obsessive urges that plague me until I act them out.” So says my Scorpio friend Fatima, who works as a conceptual artist. “Fortunately,” she continues, “I have finally retrained myself to focus on creative obsessions that fuel my art rather than on anxious, trivial obsessions that disorder my life. I’d be an offensive maniac if I couldn’t use my work as an outlet for my vehement fantasy life.” I recommend Fatima’s strategy to Scorpios most of the time, but especially so in the coming days. Your imagination is even more cornucopian than usual. To harness its beautiful but unruly power, you must channel it into noble goals.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The Igbo people of Nigeria have a term: ogwugwu na-adị n’ulo It means “the medicine is in the house.” It’s the belief that healing doesn’t necessarily come from afar. It may already be here, hidden among the familiar, waiting to be acknowledged or discovered. Dear Sagittarius, your natural instinct is to look outward and afar for answers and help. But in the coming weeks, you should look close to home. What unnoticed or underestimated thing might be a cure or inspiration you’ve been overlooking? How can you find new uses for what you already have?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I invite you to celebrate the holiday known as Be Your Own Best Helper. How should you observe this potentially pivotal transformation in your relationship with yourself? Divest yourself of yearnings to have someone clean up after you and service your baseline necessities. Renounce any wishes you harbor for some special person to telepathically guess and attend to your every need. Vow that from now on, you will be an expert at taking excellent care of yourself. Do you dare to imagine what it might feel like to be your own best helper?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In the ancient practice of astronomy, the stars were considered “incorruptible.” Unlike the planets, their movements were unchanging, their lights stationary, their destinies steady and stable. We human beings are the opposite of all those descriptors, of course. There’s no use in hoping otherwise, because constancy just isn’t an option for us. The good news, Aquarius, is that you are now poised to thrive on these truths. The inevitability of change can and should be a treasured gift for you. You’re being offered chances to revise plans that do indeed need to be revised. You are being invited to let go of roles that don’t serve you. But what initially feels like a loss or sacrifice may actually be permission. Evolution is a tremendous privilege!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

The axolotl is an amphibian that never outgrows its larval form. Unlike most creatures, it retains its youthful traits into adulthood. Amazingly, it can regenerate its limbs, its spinal cord and parts of its brain. Let’s make the axolotl your inspirational animal, Pisces. What part of your “youth” is worth keeping—not as immaturity, but as righteous design? Where are you being asked not to evolve past a stage, but to deepen within it? And what might be regenerated in you that seemed to have been lost? Your magic will come from being like an axolotl. Be strange. Be playful. Be ageless and original and irrepressible.

(inContact, Inc.; Sandy, UT): Engage in and improve whole lifecycle of services from inception and design, through deployment, operation, refinement. Telecommuting pursuant to company policy. Resumes: Cilicia.Holland@nice.com

Senior Software Engineer (inContact, Inc.; Sandy, UT): Work as a member of an agile team to enhance and improve software. Telecommuting pursuant to company policy. Resumes: Cilicia.Holland@nice.com

Sr. Software Engineer (inContact, Inc.; Sandy, UT): Work as a member of an agile team to enhance and improve software. Telecommuting permitted pursuant to company policy. Resumes: cilicia.holland@nice.com

Lead Cloud Engineer (LCE-SP) in Salt Lake City, UT. Telecommuting permitted from anywhere in the U.S. Must attend every other month meeting in SLC office. Demo exp w/Kubernetes admin & strong infrastructure dvlpmt. MS+3yrs rltd exp or BS followed by 5 yrs prog rltd exp. Send resumes to Zions Bancorporation at ZionsCareers@zionsbancorp.com. Must reference job title & code in subject line.

UT) F/T Pln, dsgn and dvlp tchncl sltns and altrntvs to mt bsnss rqrmnts in adhrnce wth cmpny stndrds, prcsses, and bst prctcs. Ld dly systm dvlpmnt and mntnnce actvts of the tm to mt srvc lvl agrmnts (SLAs) and crte sltns wth hgh lvl of nnvtn, cst ffctvns, hgh qlty, and fstr tme to mrkt. The ofred role invles supvn of 3 Sr. Sftwr Engnrs. Rqrs a Mstr’s dgr, or frgn eqvlnt, in Cmpt/ Elctrcl/ Elctrnc Engrng, Mngmnt Infrmtn Systms, Cmpt Scnce, or rltd tchncl fld and 2 yrs of exprnc in the jb offrd, or as Sftwr Engnr, IT Engnr, Sftwr Dvlpr, Tchncl Ld, Prgrmmr Anlyst or rltd pstn. In the altrntv, emplr will accpt a Bchlr’s dgr, or frgn eqvlnt, and 5 yrs of prgrssvly rspsbl wrk exprnc. Qlfyng exprnc mst incld at lst 1 yr wth ech of the fllwng.: Agile; Java/J2EE; Spring/Struts; Spring Boot; Oracle/MySQL/ MongoDB; JSON/XML; JBOSS/TOMCAT; Junit/Mocking framework; GIT/JIRA/Confluence; Kubernetes and CI/CD tools. Rate of pay: $156,750 - $221,000. Emplr will accpt any stbl cmbntn of edctn, trnng, or exprnc. Tlcmmtng and/or wrkng frm hm may be prmsbl prsuant to cmpny plcs. Snd rsme to Natalia Flores Vargas, Natalia. FloresVargas@mastercard.com, 4250 North Fairfax Dr, 11th FL, Arlington VA 22201. Ref MC40-2025.

urban LIVING

Price Gouging

Summertime is baseball time! My dad and later my stepmom were sports nuts and always had a radio or TV on, listening to some game or post-game talk show. My brothers were into football, wrestling and basketball in school. My nephew went to play in the little league world series.

I was happy during college to discover the Salt Lake Angels—formerly the Salt Lake Bees, which later became the Salt Lake Gulls—playing minor league baseball here. The Angels won the PCL title in 1971 and then the Gulls won the last PCL title when they played Hawaii here in 1979.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Over and done with

5. Teensy

9. “Let’s ___ in the bud”

14. Plant with medicinal qualities

15. Links yell

16. Cornhuskers’ largest city

17. Cleverest spot in the ocean?

19. Chafing results

20. Faline, in “Bambi”

21. Dive bar

23. Ink work

24. “Encore!”

26. Artist’s output

28. Line from a society that trades lice for goods and services?

33. Maintains

34. Minor knee injury

35. Some non-zero number

36. At full speed, aboard ship

37. Boxing maneuver

40. At the rear

Sadly, the Gulls struggled financially, and after 1984 the team was sold and moved to Canada. But then Joe Buzas moved the Portland Beavers franchise here and named the team “the Buzz.” And in the mid 2000s, Larry H. Miller bought the team, which had become the Salt Lake Stingers, and then changed the name back to the Bees.

Minor league baseball offers major league teams the opportunity to develop players, hone their skills and prepare them for the big leagues. I remember when Mike Trout played for the Bees—the AAA affiliate of the L.A. Angels—in 2012. It was only 20 games before he got called up and, once there, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs, steal 45 bases and score 125 runs in one season.

When Trout was called up to play with the Angels in 2019, he was offered a 10-year contract, which at the time made him the highest-paid athlete in the country at $426.5 million.

That’s the fun of minor league baseball—you never know who’s going to be sent up to the big leagues from the minors. Seats are usually cheap and families can opt to bring a blanket and sit on the grass, making it an extremely affordable activity, not to mention exciting when a home run ball lands at your feet!

We’d go to the stadium for Monday night games sponsored by Smith’s grocery stores. For $5, you’d get a ticket, a hot dog and great seats. During holidays like the 4th and 24th of July, there would be fireworks after the show and seats would be roughly $30.

But whoaaaa Nellie, have you been to the new stadium ticketing website for the Bees in Daybreak? Tickets to this year’s July 4 game were selling for more than $100 each!

Despite marketing efforts by the Bees, friends who live at Daybreak say the stadium isn’t full at all during regular games. We’ll be boycotting the new Bees stadium this summer (and possibly forever) and instead hopping on Frontrunner to spend $15 and see the Ogden Raptors at Lindquist Field by the train station to play teams like the Missoula PaddleHeads,

42. Bring a smile to

44. How the dating dog trainers discovered they were a match?

47. Peabody-winning podcast of the 2010s

48. State, in Quebec

49. George’s lyricist brother

50. Pole position holder

54. Org. of doctors

57. Figure skater Henie

59. Getting the right-sized headrest?

61. Pull at

62. Sulky look

63. Game resembling bingo

64. Showy daisy variety

65. Phish leader Anastasio

66. Use the pool

DOWN

1. Settled a debt

2. As well

3. How some people swear

4. Top worn with jeans

5. Less solid

6. Municipality

7. Remove the edges of

8. Bigfoot’s cold-weather cousin

9. Beastie Boys stipulation “Till Brooklyn”

10. “According to me,” in shorthand

11. Sixth in a series

12. Media company words directly before “Radio” or “Media”

13. Savor

18. Shrek and Fiona, for example

22. “Freaky Friday” actress Lindsay

25. Unusual

27. A, in some of the E.U.

28. Word starting multiple Lil Wayne album titles

29. Immeasurable time unit (and yet it has a number)

30. “Action ___ with reaction”

31. Warming wrap

32. “Lemon Tree” singer Lopez

36. “___ of Two Cities”

37. Not many

38. “___ was saying ...”

39. Money on the line

40. .mp4 alternative

41. Cargo ship’s route

42. Dog on “The Jetsons”

43. NYC subway letters

44. “Phantom of the Opera”

novelist Gaston ___

45. Pumpkin hue

46. Business for agents

47. “Law & Order” actor Jeremy

51. Abbr. on a schedule

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. Name in haute couture

53. Part of a crossword

55. Teensy

56. Nuclear energy particle

58. Bliss

60. Cal. rows

NEWS of the WEIRD

A Cautionary Tale

A couple in Thailand recently went to the hospital three times after the woman swallowed a fish bone while eating fish soup, Oddity Central reported on June 27. The woman tried various home remedies, but couldn’t dislodge it from her throat, and at the hospital, doctors couldn’t see anything on an X-ray. The wife, Sang Lan, still felt pain, but assumed the bone had moved on. When her neck became swollen, she returned to the hospital, but again X-rays were negative. At home, the woman was applying a pain relief patch to her neck when she saw a pointy object poking her skin from within. She applied pressure, and the fish bone poked through her skin. Back at the hospital, doctors removed the 2-centimeter bone; they said they had never seen anything like it before.

Well, That’s Curious

A 77-year-old woman in Michigan won $4 million in the state’s instant lottery recently, the Detroit Free Press reported on July 1. The woman, who is choosing to remain anonymous, said she plays the game “all the time” and was “frozen in her seat” for a while after scratching the winning ticket. Curiously (in light of her age), the winner chose to receive annual payments of about $133,000 for the next 30 years instead of taking the lump sum of about $2.7 million. She’s planning to donate some, do home repairs and share the winnings with her family.

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me

On July 1, real estate agent Jon Beaulieu of Manayunk, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to one year of probation, a $200 fine and reimbursing American Airlines the $59,143 it cost to cancel a flight on June 26, 2024. Philadelphia magazine reported that on that night, Beaulieu went to great lengths to skip the security line at Philadelphia International Airport, trying to enter Terminal C through an exit line. When he was stopped, he threw a $50 bill at the security guard and asked her if that would get him in. Eventually, Beaulieu got away from her and disappeared into the terminal—and onto his flight, which was still at the gate. When officials informed the pilot that a passenger hadn’t gone through security, they canceled the flight.

Ewwwwwww

Rona Davies of Sittingbourne, England, ordered a baby rattle from Shein for her stepdaughter’s 5-month-old, Kent Online reported on July 2, but what she saw inside turned her off of online shopping for good. Among the rattling beads inside the toy was a human fingernail. Davies said she was “disgusted” and added, “My concern is, if things like this are getting into a baby’s toy, then what are their standards for health and safety?” Oh, Rona. Shein offered her a refund and 100 Shein points, which Davies called “a joke really, because that’s not the point of it.” Shein had no comment.

The Tech Revolution

We here at Weird World Headquarters are ardent belittlers of AI, so it’s with great glee that we bring you this item: MSN reported on July 2 that a Tesla in “selfdriving mode” tried to mix it up with a train in mid-June in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. Western Berks Fire Commissioner Jared Renshaw said the vehicle turned left onto some train tracks; the three people inside the car were able to get out and gather their belongings before a train came along an adjacent track a few minutes later. The Tesla suffered only a damaged mirror, but it had to be lifted with a crane off the tracks so as not to disturb its highly flammable battery. “We’ve had accidents involving Teslas,” Renshaw said, “but nobody has expressed to us that the vehicle was in self-drive mode when it happened.”

Awesome!

Jason Singer of Portland, Maine, became a “Jeopardy!” champion on July 1, ABC News reported. Four years earlier, Singer’s wife, Susan McMillan, won the title on the show. “Jeopardy!” officials say the brainiacs are believed to be the first already-married couple to both win. McMillan said she coached her husband: “I told him he really needs to be on point with the buzzer timing,” she said. “Everyone there knows pretty much all the information.”

Fail

At Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, riders of the newly opened Siren’s Curse roller coaster got a break in their experience when the coaster “experienced a delay,” the Akron Beacon Journal reported. The stopped ride, on June 28, reportedly left riders suspended in midair for about 10 minutes; park spokesman Tony Clark said the “coaster’s safety system performed as designed, the ride was restarted, and guests continued their ride.”

Police Report

Raleigh, North Carolina police were called to the scene of a robbery on July 1, WRAL-TV reported. Victims told officers that a naked man with a wooden post approached them and demanded access to their car. The man also assaulted a woman sitting in her car, hitting her on the arm with the post. He then tried to drive away but couldn’t shift the car out of park. He fled and hid in a storage room before being captured and taken into custody. Police didn’t release the names of the victims or the suspect.

It’s a Mystery

In Wirral, England, residents are unsettled by someone in a black cat costume who’s been prowling around secluded beach areas, the BBC reported on July 3. One witness wrote on Facebook that she “heard a man making cat noises, shone a torch he was waving his arms at me before crawling up the hill. Never been so scared.”

A man who was walking his dog along the beach was more amused than frightened: “I don’t know his name, I think it’s just a wind-up. He’s definitely not out to frighten people, he does it for fun,” he said. “He just likes being a giant cat.” Well, yeah, who doesn’t?

News You Can Use

Americans looking for a wholesome but unusual family vacation destination might want to visit Mountain Air Ranch near Littleton, Colorado. The “family nudist resort” will celebrate its 90th anniversary July 11-13, with “live music, five catered meals, laughter and mountain magic,” KDVR-TV reported. “As the second-oldest nudist resort in North America ... growth (especially with younger families) is definitely something to celebrate,” said Mountain Air Ranch Manager Chris May. First-time visitors must arrange a property tour before July 11, and children are welcome but must be supervised by an adult. Pack light!

HOAs in Action

In the Imperial Heights neighborhood of north Houston, residents are in the dark after their homeowners association failed to pay the electric bill, KTRK-TV reported on July 1. The energy company Reliant said the company that manages the HOA had a past-due bill of $6,000 and that no bills had been paid since January. For their part, the Associa Principal Management Group announced the lights would be back on by July 2, but declined to comment further.