City Weekly July 24, 2025

EMERALD CITY

Bond money, thoughtful design and increased patrols mark a new era for SLC’s stretch of the Jordan River Parkway.

BY BENJAMIN

WOOD

S AP

BOX

Ashamed and Disgusted

From the least to the greatest in America, we don’t care about what is happening in Gaza. That is abundantly clear.

The Israeli military continues, daily, to gun down or bomb desperately hungry civilians based on the threadbare excuse that there are bad guys lurking about among the hungry.

There are plenty of bad guys lurking about among the fat and happy in the Israeli Knesset, but I don’t see anybody gunning them down.

This is callous savagery masquerading

as salvific heroism on the part of far-right militants in Israel.

Israel, in the throes of such anti-humanitarian propaganda, has become an embarrassment to all the world.

It is doing its best to extinguish the meritorious history it claims in the Hebrew Bible detailing its civilization before going into captivity at the hands of ancient Babylonia.

I have never been more disgusted with American political leaders, left and right, in my entire life.

I am ashamed of docile Americans who read the daily stats and see the daily visual reporting with little to no citizen action on their part.

America has lost its soul.

KIMBALL SHINKOSKEY Woods Cross

“Cozy Couture,” July 10 Dine

Alex Springer’s review of Napoli’s was all fine and good. I am sure it is a pretty good restaurant. But you failed to mention they have no liquor license at either location.

As such, one cannot enjoy a glass of wine and, as important, you cannot bring in your own bottle. A large oversight if you ask me.

Enjoying good Italian food without a glass of wine rates about a zero from my perspective. Next time, be a little more complete in your reviews please.

CORY S. OLSEN

Salt Lake City

Did they get a liquor license yet? Italian without wine is not right! I was not impressed.

LINDA STAKER Via Facebook

“The

new Superman …,” July 17 Smart Bomb, Online

He is an immigrant—probably illegal too, since nobody knows if he became a citizen. And he can pretty much go anywhere he wants to without having a passport.

TRAVIS VICTOR WEBB Via Facebook

This was one of the best Superman movies I’ve seen—with the exception of the Christopher Reeve era, which will always be the best!

DREW HOWELLS Via Facebook

They whine about everything and they can go ahead and get over themselves. Infants broadcasting their cries.

RYAN BETZ Via Facebook

“Pulp Fiction,” July 10 Cover Story

Almost like [the early Latter-day Saints] did horrible things to many many young women or something.

T_CART04 Via Instagram

They are a silly bunch. God love em!

DENNIS OGDEN Via Facebook

Write to comments@cityweekly.net or reply to our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER COOLER

How do you celebrate the 24th of July?

Scott Renshaw

Typically—due to being employed by a fine organization that doesn’t recognize it as an official holiday—I spend it the same way I did all the years I lived outside of Utah and didn’t know it should be considered an occasion for celebration: by working.

Katharine Biele

First, hide the animals and draw the curtains. My church always celebrates with a Pie ‘n’ Beer Day. We used to have a beer ministry, too.

Pete Saltas

With Bad Brad Wheeler at the annual Pie & Beer Day party.

Wes Long

A good book, some time with my family and cat, and ideally with a renewed sense of respect for the pioneers in my background.

Mike Ptaschinski

Changing the air in my spare tire, rearranging the furniture, and alphabetizing the spice rack.

Benjamin Wood

I don’t have a set tradition but I generally try to get up into the mountains—either on a bike, in a tent, down a river or, ideally, some combination of all three.

OPINION

BY WES LONG

Bon Appétit

What do you look for in your media, dear reader?

Maybe you relish in-depth stories that make an effort to inform. Or maybe you’re after something less intense and more palatable, a complement to a light meal or drink.

Whatever you prefer, however you prefer it, these are important days to engage with the outlets that provide these services in your life. After decades of banal erosion by our commercial media industry—and occasional bursts of blatant harm like that which our elected representatives opt for in national and state settings—non-commercial, publicly-minded and independent news outlets have an increasingly difficult road ahead of them.

Make no mistake—this era of global disinformation, entrenched ignorance and local news deserts will not give way to a healthier media ecosystem until and unless Americans take deliberate actions and conscious changes.

I cannot speak for our friends in Utah’s public radio and television outlets, but I wish them well and hope that Salt Lakers will support them, however feasible. As an independent alternative weekly, we at City Weekly can only remark upon our own circumstances.

We are composed of a smallish group of people who respectively handle editorial, marketing and delivery duties to provide a paper that hopefully contains stories that inform, connect and amuse. None of us fetch a formidable salary for this, and neither do the freelancers with whom we collaborate.

Being a weekly, we experience both the blessing and curse of not churning out content every day, as befits the “daily” newspaper. Consequently, we may not always offer splashy breaking reports on major current events. But it also means we can afford to take time, exercise some curation and be uniquely present for hyperlocal events of policy or pleasure.

We’re certainly not perfect—there’s always room for improvement. These days of tenuous public goods and compromised public knowledge are as good a time as any to take stock of oneself and recommit to those things that truly matter.

I am hardly an expert in journalism, but there are some things that stick out to me from my vantage point as to how to better serve Utahns. These personal wishes may not necessarily reflect what my colleagues—or even you, the reader—want in a newspaper, but perhaps some amount of overlap can be found.

Few will likely argue with the proposition that international conditions have seen better days, or that America’s state of affairs has reached a shocking level of poison and stupidity. I wonder, however, how much good it does myself or other writers to contribute more commentary about international crises and national politics when we are already bombarded with so much of it from every other corner of our media.

I understand the urge to speak out upon moral outrages and the behavior of high-profile figures. But I maintain that there are other things I can do with my energies and time. As one whose medium of choice is the written word, surely there are better uses of my skills than the very exercises in name-calling, bullying and stereotyping that we all once claimed to deplore in our public figures.

In this time of peevishness and folly, the prospects— and wages—for wrongdoing and fakery are rich. But if I have nothing more to say than how awful everyone and everything is, rather than what can be done and what

people are indeed doing, then perhaps my understanding of informed commentary could do with a revamp. This is especially true of the need to keep things local, for nothing makes one feel more powerless and despairing than being forever enmeshed in the machinations of a faceless corporate or political juggernaut, the usual takeaways from our media’s obsession with national controversies to the exclusion of what locals do—a grossly underreported area in any news ecosystem. And the first thing someone like me can do is to go out and talk to the people around me, rather than regurgitate what another outlet reports.

But whether one is writing for a publication like City Weekly or reading it, the need for discernment and higher expectations also factor into the equation.

I, for one, do not care one whit about what recent bit of garbage has been spread on social media. I have no interest in yet another tedious rehash among local cranks and bigots about which group, culture, belief or non-belief is superior while fascism busies itself in poisoning everything it touches. I’m neither enamored by journalism that uncritically relays whatever it has been told, nor am I comfortable with storytelling that exudes attitude and yet hasn’t the slightest idea what it’s talking about.

I yearn for reporting and commentary that weans us from our regular diet of the shabby and superficial, that provides both an honest lens upon local events as well as an open heart for any and all across our complicated community. Such is what I seek to contribute in my own minor way and I hope it counteracts some elements of the polluted media ecosystem in which we live.

At the very least, I hope it makes for improved reading when you pick up a copy of City Weekly. May it improve your days ahead as well as complement your meal. CW

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

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY ARICA

MISS: ICE Cold

The ICE-y hot world that is America is now welcoming Utah County to its terror campaign. Let’s just call this Stephen Miller’s vision of an allwhite country. Of course, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gets exercised when reporters ask if the Latino community is frightened and targeted. But border czar (or whatever he is) Tom Homan has said physical appearance is good justification to stop and detain. It looks like Utah County residents wanted none of this, and yet the County Commission approved a memorandum of understanding to train deputies on ICE protocols, a euphemism for masked kidnapping. KUER noted that most of the people who spoke to the Commission were opposed to the agreement, and they said so for more than three hours of public testimony. The sheriff insisted that “not much will change”—it already has.

MISS: In the Pits

How proud Utah has been of the largest open-pit copper mine in the world. We now know it comes at a cost to the environment. It’s been around for 120 years and is one of the largest sources of toxic chemical releases in the country. The EPA is looking at the lead in soils to determine how it affects sensitive populations. But The Salt Lake Tribune reports concerns that the tailings pond could leak pollution into the fragile Great Salt Lake. Kennecott was able to kill a study on just that. At issue is the leaking of selenium, which has already affected bird eggs. Maybe the good news is that Friends of Great Salt Lake will fund their own study, because in this antiregulatory environment, government will do nothing.

HIT: If the Shoe Fits

Yee-haw! The World Horseshoe Pitching Championships are coming to Utah. Maybe that can heal the angst over loss of the Sundance Film Festival. Or not. Let’s just not say that recent legislative acts to make America grinchy had nothing to do with Sundance leaving for Boulder, Colorado. Surely, the timing of a Pride flag ban was hardly a tipping point. Utah also made it clear that “transgender” is a forbidden word and Medicaid just encourages slackers to take the public dole. “This move will ensure that the Festival continues its work of risk taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence and entertaining and enlightening audiences,” Sundance founder Robert Redford said of the move. So, Gov. Spencer Cox has merrily suggested creating some kind of … let’s just say “family friendly” ... event to take the place of Sundance, a staple since 1978. Utah doesn’t like risk-taking, but it does love a good horseshoe pitch. CW

Little Gay Garden

Asmall business to support this summer is Little Gay Garden. Its founder, June Hiatt, has a background in economics and public administration, but has always been passionate about gardening and flowers. She started Little Gay Garden during the pandemic as a way to turn her love for growing flowers into a career.

The farm is situated in Rose Park and is now in its second year of operations. Hiatt has prioritized sustainable farming practices, with a focus on soil health and organic cultivation.

She grows a quarter acre of cut flowers, and sells some of those wholesale. That means some of your favorite florists around Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front are already using local flowers from Hiatt’s farm.

“Utah has so many weddings, so many events throughout the year,” Hiatt said. “To be able to help cut back on shipping flowers globally and the massive global market that is flowers—it feels really powerful to be able to provide that.”

The focus on soil health, overall biology, environmental impact and the ecosystem of where the flowers are grown are all important aspects to Hiatt’s growing methods. She explains that many farmers find an appeal to growing flowers instead of food to avoid the high level of regulation.

For example, smaller farming operations might sacrifice profit margins in order to make sure that their product is high-quality and healthy, starting with the soil it grows in. Hiatt’s approach for flower farming is rooted in her values towards environmentalism.

“Anytime we have the opportunity to improve soil by planting something in it, by feeding it, I don’t care if that’s a vegetable plant that someone’s going to eat or if it’s a dahlia,” she explained. “That soil is really foundational to our existence on this planet.”

Little Gay Garden offers a summer bouquet subscription program that features all types of flowers in bloom. From zinnias to marigolds to dahlias, the bouquets change as the summer season shifts.

It’s a great way to not only support the local floral industry and reduce the environmental impact of the global flower trade, but patrons are also supporting a queer business and bringing more beauty into their lives. Hiatt is intentional about building a business that reflects her LGBTQ identity and values, and aims to create a welcoming space for the queer community.

“If someone doesn’t like the fact that I’m a gay farmer—great,” Hiatt emphasized. “I’m glad we don’t have to waste our time in an exchange and have that discomfort.”

Along with the subscription program, the farm will also hold various events and workshops, including gardening classes, yoga, and natural dye workshops. Check out their Instagram: @little_gay_garden or their website littlegaygarden.com for updates. CW

ROBERTS

A&E Big Shiny Robot

What Makes Superman Super?

With different interpretations of the Man of Steel, some things remain essential.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net

With the release of James Gunn’s Superman—which Zack Snyder fans assured us would not make money at the box office, because Henry Cavill was the definitive Superman—and it performing beyond even the wildest expectations, it’s worth asking who Superman really is. What makes these legacy characters—which are typically reinvented by every generation (or half a generation) for the last century—the definitive version of the character to which audiences respond?

For Superman, every version of the character has had the ability to stop bullets and had the trademark “S” shield on their chest. They’ve all fallen into the mild-mannered alter-ego of Metropolis Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent, and they’ve all had a version of Lois Lane on their arm, trying to get to the bottom of the story. But is that where the fundamentals need to end?

In the last two major big-screen iterations—played by Henry Cavill and David Corenswet—we’ve been given two very distinct and fundamentally different views of Superman. And with the culturally divided political landscape in which we live, both have become flashpoints for what Superman is really supposed to be.

When Man of Steel came out in 2013, there was concern about the portrayal of Superman. In previous versions, the common de-

nominator was that he brought hope to everyone and helped no matter what. He was there to be of service, and practically took a Hippocratic Oath to do no harm. In Man of Steel, on the other hand, he seemed to have no concern for collateral damage of civilians and civic infrastructure. He let people—including his own father—die in order to preserve his secret identity, and he snapped the neck of the big bad guy at the end of the film, in a shocking turn of events.

There were many—frankly, myself included—who felt like this Superman was a misunderstanding of the inspiring hope that made the character relatable. It just didn’t make any sense for the character to behave this way. Future installments of Cavill’s Superman in the DC Universe would have Batman come to try to kill him for … reasons. They would fight each other in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, a loose adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, which was a classic graphic-novel series from the 1980s, a one-off dystopian fantasy written and drawn by Frank Miller, who imagined that Batman was a radical anarchist fighting a totalitarian government that Superman still took orders from. That was not a reading of Superman that really worked for many people, and the critical and audience scores for Dawn of Justice matched a disdain for that treatment of the character. Lines of dialogue from the film are still used as meme punchlines.

David Corenswet’s interpretation, on the other hand, goes back to the roots of the character, making him awkward with kindness. He even posits that kindness is the real punk rock in its counter-cultural dynamic—and it’s difficult to argue with him. The central promise of Superman, the one that makes the character most interesting—and has since his inception—is that he has all of this power, yet doesn’t use it to subjugate others. He uses it to help. Instead of using power to rule the world, he uses that power to save it.

Zack Snyder didn’t miss that hard. Even if he missed only 10% of what made the character right, he still hit most of it.

That’s the thing at the core of this character that makes him so … well, so super. He’s an immigrant who lands in the middle of what used to be the American Dream. His parents are good people, and they teach him to be a good, hard-working person who is kind to everyone. Everyone. There have been explorations in the comics of what happens when this isn’t the case. Superman: Red Son posits an infant Kal-el’s capsule landing in Soviet Russia instead of Kansas—and it’s not pretty. It’s frightening to think a similar result could take place if the little tyke were found by

a MAGA family instead of one with more generous American ideals. Unable to spot irony or hypocrisy, he’d be rounding up immigrants and tossing them into the sun; he’d be committing genocides with his heat vision; he’d be propping up despotic dictators instead of toppling them. It would be awful.

No wonder those folks are so upset about the latest interpretation of Superman. They don’t recognize kindness as a superpower. It’s their kryptonite. Sounds like we need more of it. CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

JULY 24-30, 2025

Uniting Communities Powwow

From Sundance Film Festival screenings to artistic presentations, it has become more common for people to hear “land acknowledgements”—a recognition that the state now known as Utah is the unceded historical home of the Ute, Goshute, Paiute and Shoshone people. While much of the state takes the opportunity this week to celebrate the arrival of the Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, July 24 has also become a local occasion for celebrating the people for whom this was the place for many generations before any European people ever arrived. And this tradition continues in 2025 with the Uniting Communities Powwow.

This year’s event, presented by the Utah Native American Chamber of Commerce, kicks off at noon with a Grand Entry procession, which will also take place at 5 p.m., with winners awarded for jingle dress after the second session. Drum group Cliff Eagle will serve as the Host Drum for the drum circles, and the day will be filled with food vendors, family-friendly arts and crafts and other activities celebrating local and regional indigenous cultures. The events wrap up with a drone show at 10 p.m. The 2025 Uniting Communities Powwow takes place Thursday, July 24 at Liberty Park (600 E. 900 South, located by the sports field south of the youth city building) from noon – 10 p.m. This non-alcoholic event is free and open to the public; visitors are encouraged to bring chairs, canopies and sunblock for the outdoor events. Visit facebook.com/utncoc for additional event info. (Scott Renshaw)

Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival

When writer/theater professional A.B. Harrison (pictured right) relocated to Utah in 2023, he recalls, “one of the first things I did was attend the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival.”

A year later he was staging a show at the 2024 GSL Fringe with his own company, Salt Monster Theatre Co. “Fringe is a place for artists from professional to underground, to come together, prosper and create art,” Harrison says. “And it seems like a place for the outsider, for the rebel.” Harrison returns to Fringe with his one-man-and-a-dogpuppet show Park Bench Royalty, following the fringe festival tradition of innovative theater in bite size (less than 60 minute) pieces with low-tech production values. That sensibility appeals to Plan-B Theatre Company artistic director Jerry Rapier, whose company returns to GSL Fringe for the first time since the original festival 11 years ago with Pedro Flores’ Harry Potter satire Juan José and the Deathly Vatos. “The idea of stripping things down and really focusing on the text is really inherent to what we do,” Rapier says. “If we were ever to lose Fringe, it would be a greater loss than most people would realize until it was gone. Great art can be local, and it can be small, and it can be in a room with 40 chairs.”

The 2025 Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival takes place at the Alliance Theatre at Trolley Square (602 E. 500 South) and the MadKing Fellowship Theatre at The Gateway (167 S. Rio Grande) July 24 – Aug. 3. Individual show tickets are $15, with packages available. Visit greatsaltlakefringe.org to purchase tickets and for full schedule of performances. (SR)

Andrew Dismukes @ Wiseguys Gateway

Over the 50-year history of Saturday Night Live, there have been two primary avenues to becoming a cast member: improv-comedy troupes like The Second City and Groundlings, and stand-up stages. Andrew Dismukes fits more into the latter group, but he also occupies a category that includes alums like Tina Fey, Seth Meyers and Colin Jost: those who were members of the show’s writing staff before appearing in front of the cameras. That was the case for Dismukes, who joined the show’s staff in 2017, but only became a featured player for the first time at the launch of the 2020-2021 season.

It’s not as though there wasn’t ample evidence of his ability as a performer before that point, though. A Texas native, Dismukes started his career doing standup while a student at the University of Texas in 2013, and earned runner-up at the 2016 Funniest Person in Austin competition with a routine that took jabs at his own Cajun heritage and the differences between razor ads directed at men and women. Nearly a decade later, while adding to his résumé gigs like voice performance on the Prime Video animated series The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, he’s still got the chops to take some time during SNL’s summer hiatus to hit comedy-club

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

We here in the Beehive State can justly rejoice in the wide array of natural wonders and diverse cultures that make up our landscape and communities. How fortunate we are, then, to enhance the proceedings with flavors that emerge from the skills of the people and the natural bounties of their environment. The following products are a good sampler of what we mean by such a fortuitous combination.

In concept, this dish is deceptively simple: slice up raw seafood and combine it with a garnish and sauce of one’s choice. And yet, this elegant example of Japanese fine dining can be executed in a variety of ways and through a multitude of flavors. As judged by our readers, the following locations have particularly excelled in their approach to this delightful delicacy.

CINEMA

Women on the Verge

Three new releases center female characters dealing with extreme situations.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Sorry, Baby BBB1/2

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to tell a story about the aftermath of a sexual assault, and writer/director/star Eva Victor somehow crafts an affecting, improbably entertaining narrative out of the reality that there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to react to such an event, either. The story weaves back and forth through several years in the life of Agnes Ward (Victor), as she deals with being raped by her advisor while completing her thesis as a graduate literature student. Victor’s gifts as a comedian are certainly on display, both in her own winningly awkward performance, and in the way she twists potentially grim scenes—like Agnes’ visit to a doctor with her best friend, Lydie (Naomi Ackie), in the wake of her assault—into brilliant black humor. And she’s a generous enough filmmaker to provide terrific supporting roles for John Carroll Lynch and Kelly McCormack. Most impressive of all, Victor balances the bitter with the sweet with impressive dexterity—in her keen direction of “the event” itself simply through a fragmented passage of time; by capturing how any sound can become an occasion for terror; providing an understanding of how a flashback of panic might occur at any time. The title refers to a kind of melancholy understanding of how many women and girls will end up having this kind of experience, but Victor’s keen sense for shifting tone allows for a recognition that life can go on—with humor, friendships, and love—even if it will never truly be the same. Available July 25 in theaters. (R)

Shoshana BB1/2

The title of co-writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s historical drama would seem to suggest that it intends to focus on one person’s experience in the midst of worldchanging events—and would that it had been so. That title character is Shoshana Borochov (Irina Starshenbaum) a Russian-born Jewish immigrant in 1930s British-controlled Palestine, whose romantic relationship

with Tel Aviv-based British police inspector Thomas Wilkin (Douglas Booth) is complicated by the increasing violence by Zionist terrorists trying to force the British out and advance the creation of a Jewish state. That’s a pretty decent hook for a fact-based star-cross’d lovers tale, except that Winterbottom is far more interested in virtually everything else in this story besides that central relationship. There’s much more compelling material in the tensions between Wilkin and his new superior officer, Geoffrey Morton (Harry Melling) over how hard to crack down on even the less radical Jewish groups, and the internal disagreements within the Jewish community over how to create Israel. Meanwhile, Starshenbaum’s performance remains too enigmatic for too long, to the extent that when she finally does get a big emotional breakdown, it’s hard to figure out where it came from. The result is a “the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world” story where it’s frustrating not to feel that those problems amount to at least a couple of beans. Available July 25 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (NR)

Oh,

Hi! BB

It’s kind of sad when the whole vibe of a movie suggests the idea that it’s clever and edgy, but instead it plays out as depressingly retrograde, and that’s kind of what you get in writer/director Sophie Brooks’ attempt at romantic farce. After an ominous prologue, we flash back 33 hours to young couple Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) taking a weekend getaway to upstate New York, where all seems blissful and cozy for a while—until an argument over the future of their relationship sends things in increasingly awkward directions. Brooks does find a few solid gags, with a different energy provided when Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds turn up as a pair of Iris’s friends. But the core of the narrative is supposed to be the tension between Isaac and Iris’s conflicting ideas about commitment, one that casts the guy as someone unwilling to be tied down (literally and figuratively), and the woman as someone crazily in need of her partner to want to be with her. And it’s hard for any amount of weird shenanigans to move beyond how simplistic a divide that is, or to make the late attempts to get earnest about it feel anything but forced. The result is a sporadically amusing attempt to make the edgiest sex comedy of 1974. Available July 25 in theaters. (R) CW

EMERALD CITY

Bond money, thoughtful design and increased patrols mark a new era for SLC’s stretch of the Jordan River Parkway.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD comments@cityweekly.net

JORDAN MEADOWS—The three Salt Lake City park rangers were pleasant and knowledgeable as they stood on a bridge just west of Backman Elementary and explained recent changes to the Jordan River Parkway.

They noted how litter and debris had been removed from the water, how overgrown and invasive vegetation had been trimmed back from the parkway trail, and how a shift in the trail’s alignment had both widened the paved pathway and brought it closer to the families who live nearby—a boon for both access and supervision.

But it was a pivot to the wildlife in and along the Jordan River corridor that brought a spark to the eyes of the rangers—Erika Bjorkquist, Joshua Wilson and Kelsey Duquet. They traded stories on the flora and fauna encountered in recent days—an “absolutely breathtaking” heron at the Cornell Wetlands; mandarin ducks nesting near the state fairgrounds; the muskrats, beavers and (non-native) turtles that regularly meander up and down the river’s banks.

“Jordan has a bad rap,” Bjorkquist said. “It’s kind of embedded in the culture that the Jordan River is just trash—and it’s really not. We have such amazing life that’s here.”

It’s a sentiment that Salt Lake’s leaders are hoping will spread as the city embarks on an ambitious, multi-milliondollar upgrade to the ecological health and urban built environment along the equally beloved and embattled Jordan River Parkway. The effort is bolstered by funding from a voter-approved parks bond and broadly coordinated under the name “Emerald Ribbon.”

The new trail segment by Backman Elementary is merely the starting gun in a marathon of bond-funded river enhancements, continuing with the under-construction Glendale Regional Park and planned retrofits of Cottonwood Park, Modesto/Bend in the River Park, the International Peace Gardens/Jordan Park, the oxbow at 2100 South and around North Temple and the Utah State Fairpark, in conjunction with the Miller Group’s Power District development.

The Emerald Ribbon project is multi-faceted, as it seeks to better position the Jordan River Parkway for success as a complex—and vulnerable—urban amenity. That means improving its function as an active transportation corridor and transit connection, particularly as more residents discover the utility of e-bikes. It means improving natural biodiversity through bank stabilization, stormwater filtration, native plant and pollinator restoration and managed wetlands. It means improving the productivity and access of land adjacent to the river, including the coordination of mixed-use community nodes where residential, recreational and commercial functions can coexist with greenspace. And of course, it means disrupting the vicious cycles in areas prone to criminal activity, which depresses mainstream usage and then attracts even worse criminal activity.

This problem, too, is multi-faceted, impacted by myriad socio-economic factors and the fundamental nature of a river as a gathering place, in all senses of the word. But it’s also impacted—heavily—by the tangible shapes and forms that surround the river, and the piecemeal way that the now 40-plus-mile-long parkway trail came together over the course of decades, requiring awkward compromises and uncomfortable connections while squeezing between, around and under everything from freeways and warehouses to golf courses and condominiums.

“What you end up with is a lot of back yards up against the trail and a lot of backs of buildings up against the trail,” said Tyler Murdock, deputy director of SLC Public Lands. “Inherently, we are creating these places that are really good places to hide.”

This was the case at Backman Elementary, where a confluence of poor trail conditions, limited access and counter-productive isolation offered a prime location for illicit activity while effectively shutting down the parkway for productive use by residents and visitors. After conditions hit a breaking point, the trail was closed in April while Public Lands initiated their upgrades and the Salt Lake City Police Department conducted a targeted enforcement operation.

At a press conference with Mayor Erin Mendenhall last week, Police Chief Brian Redd said that work had resulted in seizures of drugs and cash, with several arrests of drug distributors, and that officers would continue to be a presence near Backman Elementary and other crime hotspots.

“We’re going to continue to be there and work with the community to activate that space so it can be used by the general public,” Redd said. “We’ll keep at it.”

That police presence will be supplemented by new private security hired for overnight supervision of Salt Lake City’s parks, and by the Park Rangers, who plan to double their daily patrols between North Temple and 700 North while the new trail segment finds its footing.

“Even though it’s newly opened, things tend to change really fast around here. And so far, it seems like people are using it properly,” Wilson noted. “People are more safe. It’s just more open and I think it’s done what it was intended to do.”

Power Rangers

The city’s parks and river corridor were a focal point of last week’s press conference, where the mayor and police chief offered updates on the city’s public safety plan. That plan was created last winter at the behest of state lawmakers— who had threatened to intervene on law enforcement in the capital city—and coincided with Redd’s appointment and the ouster of former police chief Mike Brown.

The plan goes beyond traditional policework, emphasizing the public safety connections to city initiatives on affordable housing, street lighting and maintenance, mental health and other supportive social services.

“Safety doesn’t start with police sirens or a fire truck, it starts with stability,” Mendenhall said at the press conference. “Clean and well-cared-for public spaces, strong neighborhoods and access to stable housing and basic services—people need to live with dignity.”

Mendenhall said the city is launching free hygiene and laundry facilities for unsheltered individuals and others in need. And she noted that enforcement of illegal camping and public-space-related ordinances correspond with new and expanded programs for identifying and coordinating non-police interventions.

“As talented and dedicated as our officers are, they are not equipped to solve every problem—and they shouldn’t have to be,” Mendenhall remarked. “Their job is to protect our community and to enforce the law.”

The Park Rangers are one example of a non-enforcement approach to public safety. They serve as a first point of contact for visitors to the city’s parks, and their daily patrols provide a boots-on-the-ground presence, helping to mitigate issues before they become severe.

“If we see something that’s going on we try to be the point person to fix it,” Bjorkquist said. “And if we don’t have the ability, we call it in.”

The Park Rangers program began three years ago as a small pilot program, and is still in its relative infancy. There are 18 rangers based out of Pioneer Park, Liberty Park, Jordan Park and Fairmont Park, with a pair stationed in the foothills above the city.

“We’re fine-tuning. As the city is growing, the program is growing as well, Bjorkquist explained. “Our goal is to create safe and welcoming places for community, inclusive of everybody.”

Bjorkquist said she hopes to see more people take advantage of the opportunities to be in and float on the Jordan River itself. She noted the boat launches at the Fisher Mansion and Cornell Wetlands (among others) that make the Backman Elementary segment accessible by kayak.

“People are a little intimidated of this area because of historic drug use,” Bjorkquist said. “But I think that it is changing and there are a lot of really cool and interesting things if you just take the time to slow down and see it.”

While Mendenhall was encouraged by the city’s progress, she expressed disappointment that state lawmakers had failed to act on her recommendations for increased funding and policy support. In particular, she said that progress had stalled on the creation of a state-run campus for sanctioned

The Cornell Wetlands and boardwalk is built around a stormwater filtration facility.

camping after the closure of a temporary site, equipped with modular shelters, near Salt Lake Central Station.

“The city has done everything in our power to support this effort,” Mendenhall said. “This crisis demands sustainable, long-term funding from the state to meet the scale of this challenge in the fastest-growing state in the nation.”

While progress was being made, Mendenhall said her administration did not consider crime and public safety to be a settled matter.

“We are not finished. We are not yet satisfied,” she said, “not even close.”

Eyes on the Trail

Key to the success of the Jordan River Parkway is the Jordan River Trail, or JRT. Akin to a non-car highway—like State Street for walking and cycling, only prettier and with a much higher safety record—it invites residents and visitors into the natural, recreational and commercial spaces that wind through the west side.

Done correctly, the presence of regular trail users and community activation will deter criminal activity—which prefers to operate unseen—while also offering convenient and safe car-free connections as the west side grows.

Behind Backman Elementary, trail users will now find a wide 14-foot pathway, with open space on each side, clear sight lines up and down the route and the friendly, watchful presence of multi-family housing. By fall, a new playground and parklet—with an unpaved walking path to 700 North—is set to open.

“That relocation to the west side [of the river]—you immediately get 60 or so apartments now facing the trail,” Murdock said. “You open your door and you walk to the river. That never existed up until this past month.”

The focus on visibility and connectivity that underpinned the work in Jordan Meadows is set to continue in the upcoming Emerald Ribbon work. Key locations were identified to re-align and correct the JRT’s routing, coupled with improvements to riverbanks and vegetation, facilitating the productive connection and interaction with neighborhoods that are currently cut off from access.

“It just looks more welcoming and less intimidating, and I think having those sight lines is going to make it feel safer, overall, for anyone who comes through here,” said Duquet. “And, of course, that helps us out too with our patrols.”

Public Lands is also working to better manage the natural and undeveloped parts of the parkway. Murdock said native plant species are being tested in pilot wetlands, demonstrat-

ing how the riparian and ecological environment around the Jordan River can be guided in a more productive direction.

“We’re used to seeing natural lands as weed-filled areas. We want to shift that,” Murdock stressed. “They can really be beautiful spaces that are thriving biodiversity hotspots along the river.”

He pointed to the Cornell Wetlands, located across the river from the Day-Riverside Library Branch near 1000 North. Originally constructed with a hard-surface plaza, it has since transformed into a verdant jungle. “It’s a very different site than when it was built,” Murdock said. “That’s a result of our testing of this native plant program.”

The park rangers said that early word-of-mouth has been positive as the months-long detour through the Fairpark neighborhood has ended. And Salt Lakers up and down the Jordan River can expect to see changes coming their way as the Emerald Ribbon work picks up speed.

“It’ll be really exciting to see how the west side can grow. Hopefully, we can remove that negative stigma and get more people enjoying their time out here,” Duquet said. “It’s just as good as the foothills—it’s just different.” CW

Disclosure: The author, a west side SLC resident, participated on a community advisory group for the Emerald Ribbon Plan.

A new playground and foot path is under construction near Backman Elementary.

SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Police Chief Brian Redd speak to reporters at City Hall.

Park rangers Kelsey Duquet, Joshua Wilson and Erika Bjorkquist patrol a new section of the Jordan River Trail on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

Junah’s Japanese-Italian Fusion Lights Up Central Ninth

The new concept from the founders of Koyote has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

At this point in my food writing career, it’s safe to say that I’ve been to a hell of a lot of restaurants. Most of them are special in their own little ways, some of them will never be spoken of, and only a select few have resonated with me on a cosmic level. This resonance has happened a handful of times, and it usually makes me feel a sense of instant comradery with the person who has prepared such emotionally powerful food.

My most recent experience with cosmic resonance came during dinner at Junah, Central Ninth’s cozy Japanese-Italian fusion spot that opened earlier this year. I simply cannot get this place off my mind.

Junah is owned and operated by Chefs Felipe Oliveira and Hiro Tagai, who previously gifted North Salt Lake with Koyote. For my money, Koyote is serving up the best local ramen you can get at the moment, so these two chefs are making all kinds of moves. The chefs based the concept of Junah on the Japanese culinary genre of itameshi, which translates to “Italian food.” It’s a trend that saw Japanese chefs apply local flavor to traditionally Italian dishes, and today, itameshi restaurants continue to be popular.

The menu at Junah is arranged in a way that encourages a three-course meal,

which I would definitely recommend. My friend and I started with the buffalo burrata arancini ($11) and the tartare di manzo ($18). I’ve never met an arancini that I didn’t like, and this opulent orb of risotto surrounding a decadent buffalo burrata was glorious.

Like so much of the menu at Junah, the contrasting Italian and Japanese references are plated perfectly together. The arancini was topped with ponzu ikura, which is salmon roe in a citrusy sauce, and plated on top of a dark nori cream.

Arancini have a tendency to lean into the richness of their starchy, cheesy filling, but the ikura and nori cream added a fresh, briny acidity to the dish that enhanced the core flavors.

Tartare di manzo is beef tartare, a dish that I have been thoroughly enjoying as of late—Utah has some excellent beef providers, and the beef tenderloin at Junah is quite lovely. It’s served atop cubes of potato pavé, which are created from thin slices of potato stacked into a block and then fried to a light crisp on the exterior.

The dish also comes with a light, airy parmigiano foam that adds just a whisper of salinity to the beef, thus enhancing its natural flavors.

The primi courses are where you’ll find Junah’s pasta dishes, and it’s here that you get to see that fusion between Japanese and Italian flavors deepen a bit.

A good example of this is the tonnarelli al mentaiko ($23), which tops a tangle of firm, slightly chewy tonnarelli noodles with mentaiko, a pollock roe that is blended into the sauce. It’s accompanied by a few plump sun-dried tomatoes, and it’s a singular experience. The roe imparts a rich, briny flavor to the sauce that contrasts nicely with the acidic tomato. I could see this perhaps not being for everyone, but it was one of the most memorable and delicious pasta dishes I’ve had in a long time.

My friend ordered the gnocchi alla aragosta ($31), which was prepared with lobster bisque. What you realize when the dish arrives is that the lobster bisque

has been baked into a fine-mesh crisp and served over a moderately huge pile of gnocchi and lobster chunks. When you shatter the crisp into the gnocchi, it adds the creamy lobster bisque flavors to the pasta. I am always a sucker for gnocchi, and this was very much up my alley.

Options for secondi are few, which typically means they’ve all been given some loving attention in the kitchen. I went with the merluzzo Atlantico al miso ($36), Atlantic cod served with baby bok choy and cauliflower cream; my friend ordered the pancetta al brasato con polenta ($35), which is braised pork belly served on polenta. Each dish occupies a polar opposite position within Junah’s flavor spectrum. On one end, you have the light, flaky cod with a caramelized miso crust, its delicate flavor and texture bolstered by the surprisingly rich cauliflower cream and a dollop of mujjol caviar. It’s a breezy, summery dish that is perfect for our recent scorching evenings.

The autumnal, stick-to-your-bones vibes of the pork belly, meanwhile, can be found at the opposite end of the spectrum. One look at that gorgeously braised pork belly with its red wine glaze and an enormous helping of polenta, and you know you’re going to need a nap later. Though it’s a rich, comforting plate of food, nothing about it was overly heavy. Indeed, the balance on both of the entrees was impeccable.

The menu at Junah is definitely worth further study, as it’s taking some ballsy risks that are thus far paying off very nicely. I’ve also got to say that the service, ambiance and prices were excellent complements to such a hot little menu. Junah feels like a watershed moment in Utah’s dining scene, and fans of bold local restaurants should definitely have this spot on their radar. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Czech One-Two” Czech Pilsner

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House

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

On Tap:  Top of Main 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 EpicBrewing.com

A

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: You Can’t Do That On Television IPA

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

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

New Launch: Fonio Fusion - 6.6%

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

550 South 300 West, Suite

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Fruit Bat Sour Ale

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab

TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Mountain West Cider

425 N. 400 West, SLC

MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Watermelon Blueberry

Hard Cider

Offset Bier Co

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

On Tap: DOPO IPA

Ogden Beer Company

358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

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

Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com

On Tap: Park City PalmerHard Iced Tea

Policy Kings Brewery

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

On Tap: Kings Proper Kolsch

Prodigy Brewing

25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com

On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

Proper Brewing/Proper

Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Grand Bavaria

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC

RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: All Hail the Ale IPA

Roosters Brewing

Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Cranberry Lime Seltzer

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

On Draft: Strawberry Rhubarb Sour

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com

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

Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: SCION CIDER KOALA SHORTS 5.9%

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

On Tap: Blackberry Lime 6.5%

Shades Brewing 1388 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City

ShadesBrewing.beer New Batch: Coyote Ugli (New England Style Double IPA)

Shades On State 366 S. State Street, Salt Lake City Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen

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

On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Kreator Kolsch

Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com

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

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

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

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

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

Thieves Guild Cidery

117 W. 900 South, SLC thievesguildcidery.com

On Tap: Death and Decay Rosé - 6.9%

Top of Main Brewery

250 Main, Park City, Utah topofmainbrewpub.com

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

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

On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer

UTOG

squatters

BEER NERD

Strap Me In

Our road trip’s refreshing turn to Lehi’s Strap Tank Brewery.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

The best road trips often end with a great beer, and a spontaneous visit to our pals at the Strap Tank Brewery in Lehi led me to a truly exceptional roadie.

Strap Tank - Virgil The Guide: Virgil is an Italian-style pilsner and he proved to be the perfect companion for a bright, warm afternoon, living up to its name by guiding the palate on a flavorful journey. Pouring a brilliant, crystal-clear golden color, Virgil presents an inviting aroma that marries bready malt with a hint of citrus. The first sip immediately delivers on this promise. An excellent malt base layer of toasty, grainy malt character provides a delicate, satisfying sweetness, reminiscent of a freshly-baked cracker. This malt backbone is perfectly constructed, providing substance without ever becoming heavy.

However, the real star is the vibrant hop expression. A bright, zesty lemon profile drives the entire experience, cutting through the sweetness with a refreshing verve that keeps you coming back for another sip. Just as the lemon begins to fade, a sophisticated herbal quality emerges on the finish. This subtle, earthy note rounds out the beer beautifully, leaving a clean, dry and wonderfully crisp impression. As the afternoon sun beat down, this beer was simply hitting the spot. It’s a testament to the style—incredibly flavorful, yet effortlessly drinkable.

Verdict: Virgil The Guide is a wonderfully balanced and refreshing pilsner at 5.0 percent. It serves as a perfect reward at the end of any roadie, and it’s a brew I’d happily follow anywhere.

Strap Tank - Krushinator: Sometimes, a beer’s name tells you almost everything you need to know. Suspect-

ing a showcase of “Krush” hops here, I was primed for a juicy, fruit-forward experience. “Krush” is a clever name and marketing choice from this hop’s creators, as it evokes the term “crushable,” which is the end result of my drinking experience here.

From the first sip, it’s an absolute fruit explosion. A dominant, lush wave of guava and sweet melon washes over the palate, instantly defining the beer’s vibrant personality. This isn’t a onenote fruit bomb, however. As that initial tropical burst begins to recede, a secondary layer of bright, zesty tangerine emerges, adding a welcome citrusy dimension that keeps the profile dynamic and engaging.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, the beer pivots into more complex herbal territory. This quiet earthy note provides a perfect counterpoint to this 5.0 percent ale’s fruit-forward character, preventing it from becoming overly sweet. The finish is where the brewer’s skills truly shine. A slight, pithy bitterness makes its presence known, but it’s wholly restrained and doesn’t linger. Instead, it snaps cleanly, scrubbing the palate and leaving you refreshed.

Verdict: The ultimate compliment you can pay a beer is an empty glass that feels like it emptied itself. This brew was dangerously drinkable, balancing intense flavor with impeccable refreshment. It’s a testament to skillful hopping and a beer I could crush on any given day.

Both of Strap Tank’s locations can be easily overlooked by those who live in the northern parts of Salt Lake City, Davis and Weber Counties. But trust me, they are wholly embraced by the beer lovers of Utah County. Both of these draft offerings are only available at the Lehi Strap Tank location (as of this writing). And that’s one of the things I love about the Strap Tank philosophy: independent brewers making the core brands, with the freedom to offer differing beer menu options from the other. Hit up both locations next time you’re in the neighborhood, or make a special trip like I did. As always, cheers! CW

BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Pie and Beer Day Festivities

While Pioneer Day is setting off fireworks and reflecting on Utah becoming the 45th state in the Union, its cool cousin Pie and Beer Day is putting out a huge spread of fresh pie and cold beer. I like pulling double duty on the 24th—Pioneer Day barbecues during the day, Pie and Beer gatherings in the evening. For those planning to observe the more sinful of the two holidays—like yours truly—here are some of the best events for your festivities.

Smith’s Ballpark hosts perhaps the largest Pie and Beer Day celebration of them all on July 24 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Touted as “the world’s largest assemblage of pie and beer,” this event will feature an astounding eight thousand slices of pie and 20 different beers from 40 different bakeries and breweries. Of all the Pie and Beer Day celebrations happening this year, this one will be the granddaddy.

If you’re after something a bit more low-key, The Salt Republic inside Downtown’s Hyatt Regency (hyatt.com) is running a great dessert and drink special on July 24. The menu will offer a slice of bourbon pecan pie paired with a glass of Polygamy Porter from Wasatch Brewery. This combo will also be available at Contribution, the hotel’s cocktail bar.

Flanker (flankerslc.com) is also running a Pie and Beer Day combo that features slices of apple, cherry or peach pie a la mode. These slices will be complemented by apple, blackberry or peach shooters that can be ordered separately. Flanker will supplement the festive menu with $5 draft beer. As it’s Thursday, this week’s Pie and Beer Day will be part of Flanker’s Weekend Warm Up series that features a three-course meal for $33 along with $3 domestic draft beers.

Music Mailbag

July 2025

New

music from Christian Scheller, Mel Soul, Karlie McKinnon and more.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

Summer is chock full of fun events in which to partake. Concerts, festivals, camping trips, you name it: Summertime is fun time. With all of the fun things you’re doing this summer, you need tunes to create that background soundtrack. And, as always, local musicians have you covered. Here are some new tracks to add to your summer playlists.

Karlie McKinnon, “Runaway”: “She’s twangy dancey, and just a little bit wild,” singer/songwriter Karlie McKinnon said of her newest single. “This one’s for the rebels, the heartbreak healers, and anyone who’s ever needed to start over.” McKinnon has a signature sound that blends blues, country and soul—all of which is exemplified on “Runaway.” The song embodies the feeling of running through a beautiful field with your shoes off, being the little rebel McKinnon details in the track. “Runaway” is a single off McKinnon’s new album, Part-Time Honey, which releases Aug. 1. Something about blues/country/Americana sounds just screams summer to me, so this is a great one for the season.

Christian Scheller, “Ghost Town”: I’m a little late to the game on this one, but singer/songwriter Christian Scheller dropped a fresh single in May titled “Ghost Town.”

Drawing inspiration from folk, blues and soul, Scheller creates alluring soundscapes and has a voice that will keep you listening to his songs over and over. His debut single, “Nate’s Song,” is an acoustic track with accents of keys, but the focus of that track is Scheller’s voice and the lyrics.

“Ghost Town,” however, is a lively, soulful track that will draw you in with its combo of electronic elements and Scheller’s expressive voice. This is a great one to add to your road trip playlists or if you’re just in the mood to sing along with an impassioned song.

Tim Tincher, Writing on the Wall: Better late than never with this one, as well. Indie-pop darling

Tim Tincher released his sixth full-length album, Writing on the Wall, back in May. Inspired by the emotional immediacy of artists like Robyn, Charli xcx, Caroline Polachek, Dido and Rostam, Tincher’s latest project blends shimmering synths, confessional lyrics and atmospheric textures. “I knew it would have to be different if I made the attempt to do [another full-length album] again,” Tincher shared on social media.

“About four years ago, I started going down the rabbit hole trying to figure out what I wanted to say. Words and concepts didn’t always come easy, but I just knew I wanted to feel something.” In the midst of a Saturn return and some unplanned circumstances that brought him back to his Northern Utah County hometown, the album started to finally come together, guided by both the nostalgia for 2007-2012 and a brighter future ahead. “This is about finding home in everything that makes you who you are,” Tincher said. “Nothing mattered more to me than connecting with that part of me again. I’m excited to finally share something I’ve been working on and playing with for a few years—it fi-

nally felt right to let this one go.” Writing on the Wall is streaming everywhere now.

Mel Soul and the Heartbeat, The Human Experience: If you hang out around the local music scene, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Mel Soul performing solo. She has an excellent catalog on her own, but she also jams in a full band called Mel Soul and the Heartbeat. They’ve finally released their debut album as a band, blending influences from folk, blues, rock and a dash of reggae. Mel has a strong, powerful and warm voice, and that paired with a full band backing her makes for an incredible experience. It’s great listening to her solo with an acoustic guitar, but this is a new, delightful take on her sound. Making your way through The Human Experience feels like just that: a human experience, full of ups and downs, joys and regret. This album exudes soul (as if Mel wouldn’t bring the soul), and makes for a thought-provoking listen. If you’re not looking for a deep dive into emotionality, it’s definitely still worth a casual listen. Some standouts include “Hard to Love” and “801,” but you’d be hard-pressed to find a song you don’t

MUSIC

Karlie McKinnon

like on this one. The Human Experience is streaming everywhere now.

Icky Rogers/Sequoia, “Femme Fatal”: Back in June for our Pride issue, we highlighted some of the local music scene’s best queer artists, one of them was Icky Rogers. We mentioned briefly his new single with drag queen/ icon Sequoia, but didn’t get to dive too far into it. Circling back, it’s worth highlighting the absolute bop these two incredible artists created. “Femme Fatal” is an animated, bright pop/hip-hop song that will easily get stuck in your head. Its bouncy, electronic sound lends itself perfectly to a night at the club or a dance party at home with friends. Which makes sense, as Icky Rogers has dubbed himself the “saint of Saturday night,” especially after his last album, Chasing Saturday, released in 2023. Rogers and Sequoia collaborated for the first time on that album with the song “Crowded,” so it’s exciting to see them teaming up once more, giving listeners another track to dance the night away to. “Femme Fatal” is fun, fierce, incredibly produced and will instantly put a smile on your face. CW

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Iguana Death Cult, The Bone Throwers @ Urban Lounge 7/24

L.A.-based psych-punk rockers Frankie and the Witch Fingers are ushering in a new era for themselves with their latest album, Trash Classic. Everything about this band oozes punk vibes— from the name of the band, to the album titles, song names like “Channel Rot” and “Fucksake” and, of course, their sound. “Trash Classic marks a feral mutation for Frankie and the Witch Fingers,” their BandCamp reads. “A record that snarls with protopunk venom, angular melodies, and electronic textures that cough and sputter like dying neon lights under a poisoned sky.” It’s hard to describe Trash Classic better than that, but I’ll give it a shot. The album starts in a chaotic—not a bad chaotic, a cool, punk chaotic—way with a barrage of crazy sound effects, before driving guitars come in. It fades into “T.V. Baby,” and that’s really where the fun begins. From here the album continues with rhythms soaked in punk crunch and is fast and loud—exactly how punk should be. Supporting are Iguana Death Cult and locals The Bone Throwers, two acts who will complement the Witch Fingers very well. Come rock out at this 21+ show on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $29.06 in advance and $36.78 the day of the show. Booths can also be reserved for $121.08. Grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

MUSIC PICK S

Eli & Fur at Sky SLC 7/25

Eliza Noble (Eli) and Jennifer Skillman (Fur)—the electronic music duo from London known as Eli & Fur—have been locked into the international house and techno scene, and are known for their dark and emotive songs. They met when they were only 16 years old; while Noble got into music through open-mic nights, Skillman introduced her to techno clubs. But Noble and Skillman aren’t just DJs; they produce their own music, including both songwriting and vocals. They also have their own music label called NYX Music—leave some talent for the rest of us! In all seriousness, their impressive discography includes collaborations like “Pegasus” with Italian electronic group MEDUZA, and “Waiting” with the UK electronic group Camelphat. Their original compositions and evocative vocals are what keep listeners coming back—deep, dark but also dreamy. Check out their re-release of their most well-known song, “You’re So High,” and you can track the progress from its initial release in 2013. It nicely demonstrates the amount of hard work and perseverance they’ve put in throughout their decade-long career. Come early to Sky SLC to enjoy local direct support from Parker Andriese and Audeamus (Zachary Primavera) as well. They are the top techno DJs/producers in Salt Lake City right now, so don’t sleep on our own local talent. This 21+ show takes place on Friday, July 25. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $24.76 at skyslc.com. (Arica Roberts)

Test Engineer (South Jordan, UT). Plan & execute testing on system components, incl unit & integration testing; resolve operational problems w/ engg & tech’l personnel; review status reports; escalate test issues to Senior Mgmt; make estimation for testing projects; adhere to quality processes & procedures; procure s/ware testing tools; provide tech’l support to testing team; continuously monitor testing members; review test plans & test cases; attend meetings & provide input from tester’s perspective; act as tech’l point of contact for support of internal & customer-facing applications; assist developers in problem solving & root cause analysis; perform backend testing & validate data through SQL queries. Min. Reqmts: Master’s Deg in Comp Sci, Engg, I.T. or closely related field. Reqs ability to create test cases & test plan for unit integration testing using Selenium testing s/ ware & ability to determine root cause analysis for incoming defects & testing tasks. Telecommuting permitted. Mail resumes to: Barbara Chapman, PointClickCare Technologies USA Corp., 10377 S. Jordan Gateway, South Jordan, UT 84095

A Flock of Seagulls @ Canyons Village 7/25

The enduring visual image of A Flock of Seagulls is one featuring Mike Score’s distinctive hairstyle: a swept-forward ’do reminiscent of a cockatoo. Positioned behind a futuristic synthesizer, Score fronted the band on MTV hits like “I Ran,” “Space Age Love Song” and “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You).” The Liverpool quartet (no, not that one) also won a Grammy Award for one of their instrumental tracks, 1983’s “D.N.A.” Beyond the unique look of the group, however, A Flock of Seagulls helped usher in new wave as a commercial and cultural force. The group’s self-titled debut album rose to the number one spot on the Australian charts, reaching the Top Ten in the U.K. and U.S., demonstrating the extent to which AFOS combined rock muscle, New Romantic visual style and forward-looking synthesizer textures. By the middle of the decade, the band had broken up, but by 1998 they had reformed and resumed touring., and eventually 2024’s Some Dreams introduced a clutch of new songs. A Flock of Seagulls come to Canyons Village on Friday, July 25 at 7 p.m., headlining “’80s Night Out,” which also features fellow MTV-era stalwarts Naked Eyes and Men Without Hats. Tickets are $94.36 and up from axs.com. (Bill Kopp)

Dwight Yoakam and The Mavericks @ Sandy Amphitheater 7/24

It’s hard to imagine a double-bill consisting of two entities sharing a similar reverence for classic country tradition even while claiming specific distinctions of their own. Dwight Yoakam’s ties to past precepts is indisputable, and it’s a testament to the timeless nature of his music that his efforts transcend any particular era or origin. Traces of the classic Bakersfield sound, cow punk and early rock and rockabilly surface in his songs, testifying to the fact that the two-time Grammy winner still possesses the cool and confidence that a low-slung cowboy hat and skintight jeans otherwise indicate. For their part, The Mavericks can claim credit for altering the perception of what a country crossover generally entails. Over their 35-year career, they’ve expanded their stylistic parameters by featuring elements of roots, rock and singular standards into the mix—with, of course, a predominant emphasis on Latin

music as well, culled from singer, songwriter and guitarist Raul Malo’s Cuban heritage and his years growing up in multi-cultural Miami. While radio was once resistant to offering airplay—mainly due to its inability to typecast them as far any singular format—the band’s commercial fortunes and critical kudos have continued to expand, resulting in Grammys and honors given them by the Academy of Country Music, the Country Music Association and the Americana Music Association. Each act is unique, but regardless, Yoakam and The Mavericks make for a perfect pairing. Dwight Yoakam and The Mavericks with Noeline Hofmann perform at Sandy Amphitheater at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jul 24. Tickets cost $83.55-$200.55 at ticketmaster.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Slightly Stoopid @ Granary Live 7/27

Slightly Stoopid understands how powerful it is to live in the moment with the music.

Created in Ocean Beach, Calif. circa 1994 by multi-instrumentalists and long-time friends Kyle McDonald and Miles Doughty, the band is a combination of all kinds of things: reggae-infused rock, hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, jazzy undertones, punk, funk and laid back grooves. Don’t let the menagerie of genres fool you, though: They are something of a social phenomenon as much as a group. “So many people helped to get us where we are. I think the organic, grass-roots way the band was built tells the tale of what it is today. There’s so many parallels between the Stoopidheads and the Deadheads when you think about it,” Miles Doughty told Glide Magazine. “There have been so many people that have grown up with the band that are now at the shows with their kids, so it’s another generation of people. It’s been a blessing.” Besides eclectic musical stylings, back in 2017 they dropped the world’s first ever smokable hash record, for the single “Dabbington.” Two prototypes were created from $6,000 worth of extra-resinous bubble hash, and it cost another grand on top of that to press the platter and master it. I wonder if it played for two minutes but seemed more like two days? Iration and Little Stranger open. Catch these acts on the Step Into The Sun tour at The Granary on Sunday, July 27. Doors at 5 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $62.69 and can be found at tixr.com. (Mark Dago)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

In Hindu cosmology, the Sanskrit term “Lila” refers to divine play. It’s the idea that all of creation is a sacred and artful amusement that’s performed by the gods with joy, sorrow, artfulness and flair. I hereby proclaim Lila to be your theme of power, Aries. You have been so deep lately, so honest, so drenched in feeling. Now, life is giving you a big wink and saying, “It’s playtime!” You can start this fresh phase by making a list of all the experiences that bring you fun, recreation, and entertainment. I hope you emphasize these pursuits in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

In the high desert of Chile, astronomers work at observatories on mountaintops where the air is dry and the sky is clear. There, away from light pollution, the universe reveals itself with astonishing intimacy. But even the most powerful telescopes can’t function during the day. I suspect you will be like those observatories in the coming weeks, Taurus: capable of seeing vast truths, but only if you pause, quiet the ambient noise, and look during the dark. This approach should embolden you to use your intelligence in new ways. Stillness and silence will be conducive to your deep explorations. Night will be your ally.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Are you courageous enough to let go of sparkly clean but unfruitful fantasies so as to clear space for reality’s disorderly richness? Are you wild enough to relinquish naïve fears and hopes so you can see the raw truths blooming right in front of you? Are you cagey enough to discard the part of your innocence that’s rooted in delusion even as you bolster the part of your innocence that’s fueled by your love of life? Here’s my response to those questions, Gemini: Maybe you weren’t mature or bold or crafty enough to accomplish these heroic feats before, but you are now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Coral polyps are tiny, soft-bodied creatures. Over centuries, they assemble massive reef systems, turning their fragile exoskeletons into monumental architecture. These creatures can be a symbolic reminder that your sensitivity is not a weakness; it’s your building material. Keep that in mind during the coming weeks, when tender care and your nurturing ability can be primal sources of power. I invite you to start creating an enduring sanctuary. Generate a quiet miracle. Construct an elegant masterpiece. For best results, allow your emotional intelligence to guide you. You have the precise blend of aptitudes necessary to coax beauty to grow from vulnerability.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

I predict that your imminent future will be a ticklish and tricky but ultimately uplifting masterpiece. It will feature guest appearances by members of your private hall of fame, including one future luminary you have not yet fully appreciated. This epic series of adventures may begin when you are nudged to transform your bond with a key resource. Soon, you will be encouraged to explore frontier territory that offers unexpected help. Next, you will demonstrate your understanding that freedom is never permanent but must constantly be reinvented.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Sci-fi author Octavia Butler wrote, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you.” The coming weeks will be prime time for you to honor and celebrate that prayer, Virgo. You won’t be a passive dreamer, gentle traveler, or contemplative wanderer. Rather, I predict you will be a tidal force of metamorphosis. Parts of your world are pliable and ready for reshaping, and you will undertake that reshaping. But it’s important to know that the shift will go both ways. As you sculpt, you will be sculpted. As you bless, you will be blessed. Don’t be shy about riding along on this feedback loop. Do it with reverence and glee. Let the art you make remake you. Let the magic you give become the magic you are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In certain Hindu traditions, the deity Ardhanarishvara is depicted as half-male, half-female—a divine fusion of opposites. They are not torn, but whole in duality. I invite you to be inspired by their symbolism in the coming weeks, Libra. For you, balance will not be about making compromises or pushing to find middle ground. It will be about embracing the full range of possibilities. Energies that some people may imagine are contradictory may in fact be complementary and mutual. Benevolence will coordinate well with fierceness and vice versa. Your craving for beauty will not just coexist with but synergize an affinity for messy fertility. This is a time for sacred synthesis. Don’t dilute. Integrate.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

The medieval mystic Meister Eckhart wrote, “God is not found in the soul by adding anything, but by a process of subtraction.” Subtracting what? He wasn’t referring to losing something valuable, but rather to letting go of obstacles that obscure our direct experience of the divine. I invite you to make abundant use of this principle, Scorpio. Slough off layers of illusion, outmoded fantasies, and self-images soaked in others’ longings. As you let go, do so not in bitterness but in a joyous quest for freedom.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

I’m hoping that the Season of a Thousand Feelings hasn’t confused you. I’m praying that you have maintained a measure of composure and aplomb while navigating through the richest emotional flow you’ve experienced in many moons. It’s true that in some ways this barrage has been draining. But I’m certain you will ultimately regard it as being highly educational and entertaining. You will look back at this bustling interlude as a gift that will take a while to harvest completely.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Greek myth tells us that Persephone didn’t just return from the underworld each spring; she ruled there half the year. Yes, she was taken there against her will, but she adapted, transformed and ultimately wielded great power in the depths. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, you will have the chance to navigate realms that other souls may not be brave enough to enter: taboos, unusual yearnings, ancestral memories. My advice is to go gently but with intense resolve. Don’t act like a tourist. Be a sovereign explorer, even a maestro of mystery. Claim your throne in the underworld. Use it to create healing maps for others. When your work is done and the right moment comes, you will rise again into the light.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

In my astrological opinion, you are ready to graduate from the University of Senseless Suffering. It’s time to get your diploma and treat yourself to a vacation. I’m not saying you will never again experience pain, of course. Rather, I’m telling you the good news that your dilemmas in the coming months will be more fully useful and redemptive. They will feel more like satisfying work than unpleasant ordeals. Congrats on the upgrade, Aquarius! You are forever finished with at least one of your arduous lessons.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said you can’t step in the same river twice. Like everything else in nature, the river is in constant flux. It may appear to be the same, but the water is always flowing. What Heraclitus didn’t say is that you are never the same, either. Eternal change is your destiny. I invite you to ruminate eagerly on this truth, Pisces. Hopefully, it will help you let go of any hyper-perfectionist urges you might have. It will inspire you to see that the plan you made a while ago may need revision—not because you were wrong, but because you have grown. So yes: It’s time to reassess and recalculate. The goal isn’t to stick to the blueprint, but to build something that breathes with your becoming. Let the ever-new version of you draw a fresh map. It will be wiser than the last.

Demand Manager, bioMerieux, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT. May telco 50%. Must reside in commute distance of worksite. Ensure forecast process & perfm replenish on prods w/ local specificities incl biotech prods. Work M-F, 40 hrs/wk, every other Fri off. Reqs Bach or Master’s in Busn, Supply Chain, Econ/ rel/ equiv. Reqs, w/ Bach, 5 yrs OR w/ Master’s, 3 yrs: Supply Chain plan exp; wrk w/ cold chain reqs; S&OP proc & forecast tools; analyzing logistics procs; replenishment flows; IS such as SAP, Excel & VMI tools; wrk in multi-cultural environ; use Tableau tools; 2 yrs (w/ Bach / Master’s): assist in demand planner trainings in multi-cultural environ; price negotiate. Reqs up to 25% US travel. Apply: Send resume to: recruitment@biomerieux.com & ref #116246.

urban LIVING

WITH BABS DELAY

Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

Lien on Me

Fearmongers are advertising in your mailbox, on TV, on radio and on social media that for $100 each year (or more) you can protect your property from title theft. OMG, how do you steal a title?

In Utah, you get a title when you buy a motor vehicle. If you buy a home, condo, land, etc., you get a deed. A deed is a legal document that transfers ownership of a property, while a title represents the bundle of rights associated with that ownership. Essentially, the deed is the physical document that proves ownership, while the title is the legal concept of ownership itself.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Summer getaway

5. Soft-serve option

10. Ultra-fast flyers

14. Bread spread

15. Promising words

16. Maui party

17. 1998 Barbara Kingsolver novel, with “The”

20. 1983 Barbra Streisand musical

21. Word symbolized above 7 on a keyboard

22. Plant deeply

23. Big head

25. Mecca pilgrim

26. Principals in a company

34. “Horrors!”

35. They may get bounced around

36. “Oracular Spectacular” band

37. Dice dot

38. Tennis return, sometimes

When you get ready to sell your property, your real estate agent will order a preliminary title report, which gives a history of ownership and liens against the property. That report is reviewed like you’d review your own credit report to see if there’s bogus information, which can be researched and removed as a lien.

When a buyer is put in place, they are given that preliminary report to review the legal description, plat map, history of ownership in the past few decades and the liens. Usually, liens are mortgages, HELOCs (second mortgages) and property taxes.

Here’s a scary reality—these days, crooks can look up who owns a property on public record, falsify documents of ownership or transfers of ownership and attempt to sell the property or encumber it with a new mortgage that’s also falsified. Companies have popped up around the country to play on your fears that you could lose your property and are offering “Home Title Locks” for an annual fee.

Do not fall for this, because the county recorder offers a free property watch. Within a few clicks of signing up, you will be notified immediately if there is any new lien or potential change of ownership applied to your property. You can register a phone number for text alerts and the contact info will be protected and will only be used for Property Watch notifications.

I checked with several county recorders around the state, and they offer the same program, no matter how many properties a person owns.

For the person who filed a false lien, they can be held liable for any actual damages, which includes removal of the liens as well as payment of court and legal fees.

A court may find that you lost profits if it was a rental property, and you can go after the criminal for those losses as well. Plus, the judge can void a lien that is found to be false or fraudulent.

If a lien is placed on your property, you have the right to challenge it through litigation and file a lawsuit to have it removed.

It’s always good to check your credit report. And given that homes are usually a person’s largest financial asset, check to see if you have any unnecessary liens on your property.

Title companies are more than happy to help, as is the county recorder where you live. ■

39. Pot-au-___ (French stew)

40. Australian postgrad schools

42. Trees with cones

44. Duck hangout

45. Pool, in other words

48. “Here’s the surprise!”

49. Home of the U.S. version of “Have I Got News For You”

50. “A Town Like Alice” novelist Nevil

52. Hardwood tree

55. Rightmost column in the periodic table

59. Temporary place to live before moving out, maybe

62. Finito

63. Justice Kagan

64. “M*A*S*H” actor Alan

65. Julia, in “Ocean’s Eleven”

66. Alaskan carving

67. Slovenly sort

DOWN

1. Plagiarize

2. Tissue additive

3. Chicken chow ___

4. “Fifth wave” genre that sounds more like indie rock

5. “Carry On Wayward ___” (song that actually doesn’t have “My” in the title)

6. East Coast convenience store chain

7. “Put ___ my tab”

8. Welsh comedian ___ Gilbert, former presenter of “Never Mind the Buzzcocks”

9. “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” subject

10. Snack once pitched by Randy “Macho Man” Savage

11. Temporarily replacing

12. Scheherazade’s specialty

13. Took to court

18. Sister in Chekhov’s “Three Sisters”

19. With “The,” Jeremy Allen White show

24. ___-wan Kenobi

25. “___ the Greatest Dancer” (1979 Sister Sledge song)

26. Descriptor of some kids’ books

27. Charging animal

28. How a week’s news might be presented

29. Wing it

30. “Madam Secretary” actress TÈa

31. Wine bottle feature

32. Fix, as text

33. Basic earrings

41. Thrasher magazine subscribers

42. Org. that might hold a bake sale

43. 2002 Winter Games host, initially

44. Straw hats

46. Idyllic place

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.

47. “Bus Stop” dramatist William 50. Pick out in a crowd 51. Eat 52. Harald V’s country 53. Support unlawfully 54. Rapper Big Daddy ___

56. Successfully persuade

57. “The Samurai” novelist Shusaku

58. Attempt

60. Palindromic Vietnamese holiday

Dropout owner Reich

NEWS of the WEIRD

BY

Play Stupid Games ...

Former Texan Derek Huffman, along with his wife, DeAnna, and three children, moved to Russia earlier this year looking for “traditional values,” the Kyiv Post reported on July 15. Derek was hoping for a job with the Russian military as a welder, but with no prior military experience and after just a few weeks of training, he’s being sent to the front lines in Russia’s war with Ukraine. The Huffmans don’t speak or understand Russian, either. “I don’t want anyone here in Russia to say that we don’t belong here, so if I go put my body on the line for Russia ... I’ve earned our place here,” Derek said on the family’s YouTube channel. “Now we are just believing in God that everything is going to work out as it is supposed to,” DeAnna added. She also said Derek had to “donate” 10,000 rubles for his supplies and that he hasn’t received any pay or bonuses after one month.

The Continuing Crisis

Carlos Abundez, 35, of San Ysidro, California, couldn’t really explain to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent on June 25 how 14 keel-billed toucans got into the dashboard of his Volkswagen Passat, The New York Times reported. Customs and Border Protection officers were alerted to the strange cargo when one of their dogs picked up a scent; the threatened birds appeared to be sedated, and some of them were injured. Abundez said he had left his temporary home in Tijuana, Mexico, to get McDonald’s in the U.S. He claimed his car had been parked and locked in his driveway overnight. On July 7, he was charged with smuggling and illegal importation and was released on $10,000 bond.

No Good Deed

A 21-year-old man suffered non-life-threatening injuries on July 6 when he tried to direct a shark back into the sea in Nantucket, Massachusetts. According to the Nantucket Current the man had been fishing and caught the sandbar shark, which he and others were trying to pull by its tail back into deeper waters. But when he released the animal, it turned and bit him on the leg before swimming away. Beachgoers watched and recorded video as the incident unfolded. A friend took the injured man to the hospital, and he was later transported by helicopter to a mainland hospital.

The Weirdo-American Community

Big Country News reported on July 15 that the Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying a rogue booty-slapper in and around south Boise. The perp, who rides an electric dirt bike, typically approaches women and slaps or grabs their buttocks as he rides by. He’s described as a white male wearing dark clothing, a ski mask and gloves.

Is That Wrong?

Soccer player Lamine Yamal, forward for Barcelona, hosted a party to celebrate his 18th birthday on July 13 at a rented country house in Olivella, Spain, The Athletic reported. Media gathered outside caught glimpses not only of celebrity guests, but also of a group of people with dwarfism who were seen entering the house, which sparked an investigation by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights and condemnation from the Association of People With Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias (ADEE). But on July 14, Catalan radio station RAC1 aired an interview with one of the people from the party, who downplayed the controversy. “We are only asking they let us work,” they said. “We are normal people, self-employed and do everything legally. ... In the show that we offer, we go to the place and dance with the people, we deliver shots and drinks ... we do magic tricks. ... I’ve never experienced a lack of respect ... while working so far. With all this criticism what (the ADEE is) doing is screwing with our jobs.”

Police Report

On July 12, officers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were responding to a call when an assault rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition apparently fell out of their car’s trunk, KTLA-TV reported. The officers searched and retraced the vehicle’s route but were unable to locate the weapon and ammo. But then, on July 14, a resident of Lennox, California, returned the items to the South Los Angeles Station after having found them the same evening. “Their actions are a powerful reminder of the vital role our residents play in helping keep our neighborhoods safe,” said Capt. Nicole Palomino.

That Bugs Me

Restoration workers at the 1,000-year-old Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary are busy trying to remove roughly 100,000 books from the abbey’s ancient library, in an effort to save them from beetles, the Associated Press reported. The drugstore beetle, or bread beetle, reportedly feasts on the gelatin and starch-based adhesives that is found in books. “This is an advanced infestation,” said Zsofia Edit Hajdu, the chief restorer working on the project. “We’ve never encountered such a degree of infection before.”

Awesome!

Workers digging a 2-inch-wide and 750-foot-deep hole in a parking lot at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science hit a “hole in one from the moon,” said James Hagadorn, the museaum’s curator of geology. The Associated Press reported on July 10 that the bore was intended to help researchers study geothermal heating potential for the museum, but what the core revealed instead was a dinosaur bone fossil—probably from an ornithopod, which lived in the Cretaceous period. “I would love to dig a 763-foot hole in the parking lot to excavate that dinosaur, the rest of it,” said Hagadorn. “But I don’t think that’s going to fly because we really need parking.”

Bright Ideas

■ Client Services in Japan provides many conveniences, Oddity Central reported on July 15, but one of the most popular offerings is reportedly “OK Grandma.” Through this service, customers can “rent” a woman between the ages of 60 and 94 for 3,300 yen per hour. Some of these grannies cook for their clients, while others help babysit or employ their beautiful handwriting skills. “I want to break up with my boyfriend,” said one client, “but I can’t tell him clearly, so I want my grandmother to come with me.” Another client reportedly hired a grandmother to help fill out their family’s side of a wedding.

■ The poor Brits, sizzling in summer heat and desperately looking for solutions. The BBC reported on July 12 that two scientists from Loughborough University in England had tested a unique hypothesis: Will yogurt smeared on the windows of a home help it to stay cooler? “We’ve started to look at shading solutions, stopping sun getting into your house during the day,” said Ben Roberts. Evidently they’ve not heard of blinds and shades, but it turns out that their experiment was successful: The indoor temperature of the house with yogurt spread onto the windows was up to 3.5 degrees Celsius cooler than the control home without yogurt. Roberts said the yogurt stinks for “30 minutes while drying” but the smell dissipates. He said the results surprised him. “It shows the importance of treating windows and heat shielding solutions for windows to reduce overheating,” he said.