City Weekly May 29, 2025

CITY WEEKLY salt lake FREE Making Babies

Mike Lee and other pro-natalists ramp up efforts to boost Utah’s lagging birthrate.

By Katharine Biele

By Katharine Biele

S AP

BOX

Bonneville Lung

I do not think we are going to get ahead of the problems causing the Great Salt Lake to dry up. If we are diverting water to alfalfa crops that are being sent overseas, and everyone involved is just hunky-dory with that sort of thing, it is clear to me that financial interests are driving the decisionmaking processes here instead of common sense.

I do not expect that to change anytime soon. Not in this town, anyway.

Instead, I, for one, am going to prepare for the future we are creating for the Wasatch Front. In the 1950s, coal miners came up with the term “Black Lung Disease,” because it was easier to say than “that horrible disease that is slowly killing us all.”

I think we should consider doing the same to describe maladies we will be facing when the lake dries up and even more heavy metals and PM10 get added to our already world-class bad air.

I can already feel it. I live in Glendale and work by the airport. My lungs have a front-row seat to this particular dumpster fire.

I have gone ahead and given us all a head start with some suggestions: “Pioneer Pulminary Pickle” is one; “Bronchial Brine Burn” has a nice ring to it; “Bonneville Lung Rot” is probably my favorite so far.

It’s not much, but I will keep working on it. Because every drop counts, right?

STEVE WHITE

Salt Lake City

“Swear It,” May 22 Soap Box

Regarding Brendan Ryan’s call for swearing, may I remind him that the transcendence of language exists in music?

Spoken language is a subset of sound. When people are at a loss for words, they do not swear, they utter sounds. It’s only in speech class where you are taught not to utter “um, uh, er” and the like.

The Brooklyn Bridge Centennial in 1983 was possibly a highpoint in honest human sound-making. The long evening of celebrations ended with a spectacular fireworks display by the famed Grucci Brothers of Long Island.

In the final five minutes of the hour-long show, there were a reported one million explosions per second. By this time, the hundreds of thousands of people lining both sides of the East River at the bridge were already more than sensoryoverloaded.

In those last five minutes, it was like the world coming to an end. And with all the horns sounding on the hundreds of ships in the harbor, we humans were reduced to screaming in uncontrollable ecstasy from the bottom of our entrails.

This raw expression of humanity will likely never be repeated. The Grucci family was killed when their fireworks plant exploded a few months later.

I’m f--kin’ happy I experienced their last and greatest show.

KENNER SIEBUS

Murray

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THE WATER COOLER

Ever break a bad habit?

Scott Renshaw

I think I’ve always been a person who avoided extremes, so my changes have always been closer to the “maybe a little more of this, or a little less of that” variety than the “I better stop this immediately or I’m going to die.”

Wes Long

I’m working on breaking one now ;) To any out there trying to do the same, you’ve got this!

Benjamin Wood

Maybe not the best example but in college I experienced fairly serious insomnia (made worse by late nights editing the campus newspaper). After trying a pretty heavy prescription sleep aid, I forced myself into practicing better sleep hygiene—waking up and going to bed on a consistent schedule and trying to get at least a little exercise every day. Now if I could just afford to install better air conditioning in the summer ...

Katharine Biele

Smoking! It took me 11 tries. I even had crazy injections of bicarbonate of soda into my face. Yes, really. And hypnosis. And a class from the Red Cross. Oh so much without success. And then I got pregnant. Voila! You can do anything if you really want to. I haven’t smoked since that day.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

Bingham Boys Go Pod

Iconstantly wonder why everyone’s attention span has taken a vacation, perhaps to somewhere on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, like Port Aransas in Texas. I’m not a terribly bitter person, and I’m not a fan of boycotts, so I forgive Red State travelers.

I despise that Texas is home to Ted Cruz, but I recognize he’s an interloper to the state that more honorably gave us Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson.

I fairly imagine that if everyone is, indeed, at Port Aransas, they are far removed from daily realities at home. But it’s more than that. The distances between all of us are not just physical map points, they’re emotional voids, too.

It’s more than simply not paying attention. It’s the exponentially growing notion that few of us are ever on the same page at the same time—culturally, politically or emotionally. For example, in between playing all The New York Times’ mobile games (you’re lying if you say you don’t start your day with Wordle, Connections or Strands) and death scrolling on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, few of us seem to ever watch the nightly news or evening network broadcasts. At one time—not so distantly—the entire country witnessed and discussed the same topics daily.

Case in point: The Beatles. One day, America was still post-JFK-assassination morose and the next day, it wasn’t. All thanks to four kids from Liverpool, England, who cheered everyone up and changed history by gleefully belting out just five songs on The Ed Sullivan Show that nearly no one had ever heard before.

By the way, John Lennon’s rhythm guitar on “All My Loving” is second to none. Discuss.

Watercooler discussions used to be a real thing. Office employees would make excuses and get a drink to commis-

erate with co-workers, while analyzing the latest episode of Friends or chuckling to whatever David Letterman had to say.

Never mind that the watercooler itself is basically passe—especially for those who are the same age as my FOMO daughter, Eleni, millennials who get their hydration (it is no longer just water, folks) from a colorful array of show-off, eco-friendly metallic containers.

You’ve seen them, sucking noisily from their Owala or YETI, oblivious to their slurps because they can’t hear their own obnoxious gurgles thanks to all external sounds being blocked out by their earbuds.

It gets worse for those who still watch programs on television—while also doing Wordle, texting and death scrolling the mobile, natch. It was once considered a marvel that a person could record a ball game or a newscast and watch it later. But who still records such when you can catch the highlights of nearly anything via YouTube or a social media sports or news channel?

We no longer need to see a movie premiere as it’s just as easy to stay home, where everyone is watching different movies anyway. In a good year, I visit a movie theater maybe twice. “Maybe,” because, why? It’s going to be available on demand in a few days anyway. But hey, what’s a little lost context between friends?

Equally, few of us stream the same Netflix series at the same time. And even if we do, we’re not on the same episode. I like weekly episodes, such as the recently ended Righteous Gemstones on HBO. But even then, people can wait and view every episode in a few days to catch up.

I remain partial to being on the same page at the same time with people. So it was nice going week to week with Danny McBride’s insanity and wondering aloud with folks about what might come next. That’s a rarity.

A deep conversation these days goes something like: “Hey, did you see Pedro Pascal bite it in The Last of Us?” “No, I’m binging Ted Lasso. Again. Should I watch it?” “Oh, hell yeah. It has that little Lady Mormont girl from Game of Thrones who kicked ass.” “Oh, I like Maisie Williams.” “That was Arya.” “Right, right. I forgot. What happened to

Pedro?” “I already told you.” “He died again? Was it gruesome?” “Well, yeah, of course! He’s a great death character.” “So true, so true.”

Same as in politics—all we discuss is the “whatabout,” not the “what.” It’s one thing to resign to the notion of not being on the same page as everyone else, but it’s made adjusting ever harder for someone like me, who still regards the “same page” as being in the printed form. There was a time when a page was read, not viewed.

So, what’s a boy to do? Well, what this boy did was make the decision to start a podcast. Never mind that my depth of knowledge of podcasting is thus: I love Only Murders in the Building. That’s it.

Well, my reporter friend Amy Donaldson told me she’s fully aboard with the genre. And I was once a guest on Chris Holifield’s podcast, I Am Salt Lake. With just that as armor, I reached out to Ron Yengich with a podcast idea—we’d call it “The Bingham Boys,” wherein we’d tell stories from our beloved roots home of Bingham Canyon, Utah, spit-shine our Democratic blue-collar bona fides and let the chips fall where they may.

Ron was all in on day one. We’re now part of the attention deficit problem, just as God planned, and we were pointed to KRCL’s Lara Jones for indefatigable courage and to TV TAN podcaster Bill Frost for technical expertise and reasonably good advice. The best part? Ron had never listened to a single podcast before.

It feels new and important, just like when this paper began—and Ron was there, too. Find “The Bingham Boys” podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Substack or anywhere that fine podcasts are found.

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE

MISS: Dust to Dust

Patience is not a personal characteristic of Utah lawmakers. They are all about quick fixes and if that can’t be done, blame someone else—or Mother Nature. The Great Salt Lake is a case in point. Three years ago, lawmakers had their panties in a bunch over the shrinking lake, but their solutions were focused around good will and voluntary actions. How did that work? It didn’t. Sure, there are models of conservation. The LDS church started water-wise landscaping around its temples. But the state would have to cut consumption in half to make a difference, and it won’t. While there’s talk about alfalfa’s thirst, there is nothing about beef and dairy cattle. Dr. Brian Moench of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment said the state ignores the “massive diversion of inlets to the lake.” And House Speaker Mike Schultz’s solution? Some kind of berm while the lake beds dry up for a while. “The legislative and executive appetite to get water to the lake has absolutely evaporated,” said the BYU scientist who warned the lake would dry up in five years. And some lawmakers still believe it’s just a matter of the weather.

MISS: What Study?

While Utah’s shape-shifting governor once expressed love and concern for transgender youth, that concern couldn’t stand the test of right-wing messaging. Legislators passed a law in 2023 that banned gender-affirming care for trans youth. It was supposed to be temporary while they waited for the findings of a study—one they initiated. The report noted that trans mortality risks are mostly due to suicide, HIV/ AIDS and non-natural causes. Then came one of the president’s multitudinous executive orders for a nationwide restriction on gender-affirming care. The jury’s out on that—literally. But Utah decisionmakers bow to His Majesty while ignoring the facts, and their most recent study. The bill’s sponsors say the science isn’t there—maybe because they’re not looking at it.

HIT: Check it Out

Just as Utah banned its 18th book— laughably because of “porn”—Salt Lake City has opened a long-needed library in the Ballpark area. The new Library Lab is an experiment of sorts. Housed in a former duplex, it has no regular operating hours and will be the city’s first “24/7 library.” A locker will allow patrons to pick up books they’ve placed on hold. The Library Lab is intended to serve as a precursor to a more traditional branch, but even a small nod to the need is good news for the long-neglected Ballpark neighborhood. “Ever since the Bees left the stadium, we’ve been kinda like watching, trying to pay attention to what’s going on, what’s coming,” Hillary Kirkland, who owns a business in the neighborhood, told Fox 13 Utah. Besides books, the facility will be able to host community

and other events. CW

Julia Everywhere

I’m not on Reddit often (or so I tell myself), but I recently ran across a lively and funny-AF discussion thread in the r/SaltLakeCity subreddit.

The “Julia Reagan Megathread” is dedicated to “Memes, tattoos, conspiracy theories, bad AI ‘art,’ and whatever else is topical.” It’s all about those ubiquitous billboards blocking your view of the mountains when you’re stuck in traffic—varied tributes to the late Julia Reagan, who passed away in June 2024.

Julia was married to Reagan Outdoor Advertising founder Bill Reagan for 58 years, so the 60-plus tribute billboards are kinda sweet.

Or so it would have seemed—if they’d only stayed up for a couple of months. It’s been nearly a year; we’re now in creepy territory.

Most of the memes posted in the “Julia Reagan Megathread” at r/SaltLakeCity celebrate the creepy, like a “saint” candle emblazoned with her image from the billboards that reads “Julia Reagan: She’s Watching Over Us All.” The “Watching Over Us All” sentiment stings, because Bill Reagan has put us all under the eyes of Julia for waaaay too long.

The tribute billboards are reportedly set to come down at the end of June, but Reagan Outdoor Advertising also will restore them in June every year to commemorate their matriarch’s death. Why not during her birth month of October? Again, creepy.

One commenter in the “Julia Reagan Megathread” opined: “Just remember: Every Julia billboard is an admission that they [Reagan Outdoor Advertising] have more billboards than customers. They could lose every single one of these billboards and still be in business. It’s time to start removing these visual blights.”

Hard agree. Back when I had a job in Corporate America, I’d have to drive from my laptop-and-internetequipped home office in South Salt Lake to a CEO’s laptop-and-internetequipped vanity office in Draper, a 40-minute gas-guzzling commute down State Street (not I-15, which is for psychopaths).

During the first year of this returnto-office-or-else mandate, I mostly noticed the multitudes of American flags flying above businesses, ranging from standard issue to the size of Montana. (The USA’s insecure/insatiable need to display the Stars & Stripes everywhere could be a whole other article topic if I were looking for an allexpenses-paid vacation to El Salvador.)

In 2024, I started seeing the Julia Reagan billboards during my drive. I thought, “While I’m on my way to work for one multimillionaire, I have to endure the whims of another multimillionaire? Cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

At least I don’t have that job or commute anymore. And, as one commenter pointed out in the Reddit thread, “Julia died so we could have memes. Thank you, Julia.” CW

A&E

Big Shiny Robot

Geekonomics

How

America’s ongoing trade wars are going to impact your favorite pastimes.

BY BRYAN YOUNG comments@cityweekly.net

Turmoil has engulfed the United States.

The taxation of fan-favorite products, goods, and games is in dispute. Donald Trump has decided that—with no knowledge of what they are or how they work— tariffs are somehow a magical key to force other countries to pay their fair share. Of what? Who knows. For what? No idea.

Tariffs are a tax on imported goods from another country, and designed to act as a deterrent on bringing in those goods. Supposedly, they help even out competition so that foreign countries can’t undercut American manufacturers, and it’s a way for the government to put its thumb on the scales of capitalism and competition (since there’s no such thing as a free market). Plus, they theoretically encourage domestic manufacturing. Thanks to changes in the American economy and

economic policy, as well as a corporate desire to squeeze every penny of profit out of the world, manufacturing in the United States for things like games and toys has largely disappeared, as much of that manufacturing capacity has headed to China.

For small producers in the world of nerddom, manufacturing in China is pretty much the only way to get in the business for hobby and entertainment products. Take, for instance, board games: The entire board gaming industry is in crisis right now, thanks to the unpredictable and fluctuating nature of the Trump tariffs (which are as of this writing 30% for Chinese imports, but two weeks ago were 180%, while a month before that were in the 80% range, compared to 10% tariffs for board games and components when Trump took office).

Imagine you put in a $1000 order for dice that you need for your board game in January 2025, expecting to pay $100 worth of tariffs. But between manufacturing and shipping, you happen to receive the package of dice when the tariffs are due at 180%, and that $1100 package you were expecting is now $2800. How do you sensibly plan for your business that way?

If you’re wondering whether that exciting new Kickstarter board game you backed is dealing with these cost over-

3 WEEKS AWAY!!!

runs, they probably are. I back a lot of Kickstarters for board games, board game accessories, comic books and graphic novels, and they’re all having these same sorts of problems.

When you look for an offset printer for your comics or rulebooks, it’s much cheaper to send those printing costs off to China. It might take a while to ship, since they’ll be on a cargo container for a while, but when they get here, it’s so much more cost-effective for a creative. And as creatives, we can barely scratch out a living as it is, thanks to the nightmare hellscape capitalism has made of our society.

Mid-sized and larger publishers will eat as much of the cost as they can. In a post by Loren Coleman—the owner of Catalyst Game Labs who publishes BattleTech and Shadowrun (two properties for which I write books)—he notes, “Catalyst will bring in just enough product to protect our position in the market while raising prices as little as possible. If that means selling some of our newest product at a loss, that is what we will do. Meanwhile, mid-tier publishers, many of them with far less room to maneuver, will be hurt the worst. Some will fail and leave the market. (This is also already happening…) How many great new product games will be abandoned at customs because publishers can’t

afford this tax? And new publishers will be backing away as fast as they can, if they can, waiting for the market to improve. This is the bigger tragedy. I’ve always believed that new publishers are the best innovators in the gaming industry. Less innovation means less excitement.”

As for toys, there is a huge list of items that will start vanishing from the shelves. According to Newsweek, we’re going to see Care Bears, Tonka Trucks, My Little Pony, Frisbees and so many more just disappear. And Donald Trump’s answer is that kids will simply get “two dolls instead of thirty, and the two will cost more.” And he’s not just talking about Barbies and Care Bears; he’s talking about your action figures and the miniatures in your board games, too.

I keep asking myself why he’s destroying the economy of nerdery that we love so much, and the answer I keep coming to is that he really just doesn’t have even the most basic intellect to understand what he’s doing, or what the ramifications are.

The lesson learned is that geeks and gamers really can’t afford to vote Republican ever again. Otherwise, we might not ever have new games to play. It sounds drastic, but that’s the bind in which we see ourselves.

If only we could dispatch two Jedi Knights to settle the conflict…CW

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2025

Out Loud @

Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

At a time when queer youth can easily feel like they’re under attack at an institutional level—from school library book bans to the removing of Pride flags to refusing to respect preferred name and gendering—it’s important that there are still places willing to give them a voice.

For more than a decade, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art has been such a place through its Out Loud program, providing a creative outlet, artistic guidance and a venue in which their experience can be shared with the world.

As part of a 12-week program, queer youth partnered with established artists in a mentorship that helped the young artists understand and begin to realize their own creative visions. With the opportunity to explore new media, the participating artists employed portraiture, printmaking, sustainable fashion, film and performance to provide insight into their distinctive, personal experience of being young and LGBTQ+ in Utah. Participating artists—identified only by first names for reasons of privacy for minors—are Lucy, Maddox, Annukka, Penny, Ozzie, Gabriella, Sofie, Ash, Oakley, Lia, Robin, Louie, Grey, Noxx (Noxx’s My Son is pictured), Kaden, Finn and Athena. The exhibition demonstrates the boldness of their perspectives and vital voices refusing to remain silent.

Out Loud runs at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (20 S. West Temple) through Saturday, June 7 during regular museum operating hours (Tuesday – Thursday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.) for a suggested $10 donation. Visit utahmoca.org for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

MAY 30, 31

JUNE 2, 6, 7, 9, 13 & 14

Gates: 7:30 PM | Show: 8:00 PM Draper Amphitheater

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Planned Parenthood 55th Anniversary with Jonathan Van Ness

The Hills are alive this summer!

The Hills are alive this summer!

RYAN SHUPE AND THE RUBBERBAND

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

Gates: 7:00 PM | Show: 8:00 PM | Draper Amphitheater

This isn’t the best of times for reproductive health in America, but even in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Utah continues to provide essential services to those in need of them. It’s a mission the organization has been carrying out for more than half a century, and this year, they mark an Emerald Anniversary with a very special guest.

Jonathan Van Ness—best known as the beauty and self-care expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye, and host of the podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness—takes to the stage to share their unique comedic point of view as the gala’s guest of honor. As one of the most visible nonbinary individuals in contemporary mass media, Van Ness has used their platform as an advocate for a wide range of LGBTQ+ and HIV issues. They will also be participating in a pre-event reception with cocktails and live music for those who purchase VIP tickets.

The PPU Emerald Anniversary Gala takes place at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) on Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m., with pre-event VIP cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. Currently available tickets are $88.50, $266.50 for VIP access; visit saltlakecountyarts.org. Van Ness will also be in town Thursday, May 29 at The King’s English Bookshop (1511 S. 1500 East) at 7 p.m. with co-writer Julie Murphy to read from and sign their new YA novel Let Them Stare, about a gender nonconforming teenager trying to raise the funds to move out of their small town for the big city. Visit kingsenglish.com for details. (SR)

Jake Shane @ Kingsbury Hall

There are those whose words we tend to heed— parents, artists and entertainers among them. In this age of cyber-communication, there are others who use their platforms to expound on issues relevant to today’s world. An influencer, entertainer and podcast pontificator, Jake Shane not only boasts a remarkable reputation as an erudite communicator, but as a widely-followed, highly-praised pundit too.

Shane boasts 4.3 million followers on social media and an array of other impressive credentials, including from TikTok, which placed him on its inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices List. His popular podcast Therapuss with Jake Shane shares his wry wit and, upon its launch in January 2024, reached number three on Spotify’s Top Comedy podcasts and number eight on Spotify’s overall podcast chart. He has since taken the podcast on tour, selling out shows within hours. Late last year, Shane released his debut comedy album Puss & Poems, garnering over 100,000 streams on its first day of release before climbing to number four on the Billboard comedy chart.

Nevertheless, he tackles serious subjects as well. Once a self-described closeted kid, he’s detailed his experiences with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder since an early age. Still, his obsession with eating octopus (inspiring the handle @ passthatpuss) and his TikTok videos featuring humorous reenactments of historical events provide proof of his positive perspective.

Jake Shane takes the stage at Kingsbury Hall (1395 E. Presidents Circle) on Monday, June 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 - $186.49; visit artstickets.utah.edu to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Lee Zimmerman)

City Weekly’s Best Of Utah Top 10!

Competition has its charms and all, but one really gets at the purity and salubriousness of sport through the recreational variety. But to get to that end goal, one could use reliable and appropriate goods and gear. For us here in outdoorsy Utah, we have a number of specialists in this field. The following stores have been particularly beneficial to our readers:

Listen as City Weekly columnists, and Southern Europeans, John Saltas and Ron Yengich discuss everything. Yes, everything.

BEST WELLNESS CENTER

Let’s be truthful: these are trying and tense times for inhabitants of this hyperconnected and hypochondriac modern world. It often becomes difficult to obtain rest and renewal for both the mind as well as the body. At its core, that’s precisely what a good wellness center aims to provide. So if you have yet to find a place that fosters this experience, perhaps the following might lbe worth a look.

These lists are derived from the 2024 Best of Utah ballot.

UTAH NATURAL MEDICINE OM WELLNESS UTAH SALT LAKE POWER YOGA

TROLLEY HEALING HUB THE WISE DRAGONFLY RISE REJUVENATION CENTER

COCO ART & SPA

Next week in the City Weekly's Best of Utah Top 10 Best Casual Brunch Best LGBTQ Bar

Each week, City Weekly will publish, email to our Best of Utah list and post on our socials an expanded version of our beloved Best of Utah issue. With over 400 categories to choose from, we selected our favorites to post from now til the Best of Utah issue in November. Remember, always support local!

CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE! sales@cityweekly.net

CINEMA

Sense and Scareability

Two new theatrical releases, plus June 2025 special screenings.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW

scottr@cityweekly.net

@scottrenshaw

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life AA1/2

The catchy title proves to be kind of a fakeout, since writer/director Laura Piani’s romantic comedy isn’t really about being impeded by the conventions of swoony turn-of-the-19th-century British fiction—and settling on what it is about becomes part of what makes it a bit frustrating. We meet Agathe Robinson (Camille Rutherford) working in a Paris bookstore, struggling both with her dream of being a novelist and her recent lack of a dating history. She gets a nudge on both fronts when her longtime mostly-platonic best friend Félix (Pablo Pauly) submits Agathe’s name for a Jane Austen writing fellowship, landing her in England to wrestle with her life direction. A kind of romantic triangle emerges also involving Oliver (Charlie Anson), a many-generations-removed Aus

ten descendent working at the retreat, and Piani plays up the farcical elements of Agathe frequently embarrassing herself around Oliver, with Rutherford finding an appealing Phoebe Waller-Bridge quality in Agathe’s mix of intelligence and social awkwardness. Yet there’s also a bit of trauma lurking in Agathe’s past— which fortunately doesn’t remain coyly unspoken until near the end—as the story eventually leans toward the idea that honest art only comes from mining the messy realities of personal experience. That’s a perfectly nice idea; it’s just one that feels like it bumps into all the daffy rom-com stuff in a way that undercuts its overall seriousness. Available May 30 in theaters. (R)

Bring Her Back AAA

It feels like virtually every horror film of the past 15 years—including Talk to Me, the 2022 debut by Australian brothers Danny and Michael Philippou—has attempted to make grief and trauma its subtext. Fortunately, even though the Philippous are visiting similar territory again for their follow-up, they find a bit more focus this time around. They tell the story of stepsiblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong) as they begin a new life with foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins) after the death of their father, unaware that Laura has plans for using Piper to replace her own deceased daughter. If one thing

was clear from Talk to Me, it’s that the Philippous have a gift for arrestingly grim imagery, and they manage several corkers here, most of them surrounding Laura’s creepy, mute other foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). Mostly, though, they’re wise enough now to streamline their mythology, realizing, for example, that it’s not necessarily important how Laura came by the VHS tape that inspires her idea for a dark ritual. There’s a fair bit of dead space between the showier scenes, and Andy’s own backstory never quite lands emotionally. But with Hawkins anchoring the proceedings—displaying her distinctive gift for sliding seamlessly from sweetness to madness—this turns into a rock-solid supernatural chiller, even as it wanders over well-trod ground. Available May 30 in theaters. (R)

JUNE 2025 SPECIAL SCREENINGS

SLFS Summer Showdown: For the fourth year, the Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Centre Cinemas hosts weekends full of classic movies going head-to-head in competition. The festival kicks off with a special 35th anniversary screening of the “best worst movie,” Troll 2 featuring cast and crew members on May 29, followed by the themed weekends and the declaration of a big winner at the end of the season based on most tickets sold. Features in-

clude Fight Club and Drive (May 30-31); Fantastic Mr. Fox and Coraline (June 6-7); Friday the 13th Part 3 and The Burning (June 13-14); The Favourite and The Grand Budapest Hotel (June 20-21); Arachnophobia and Starship Troopers (June 27-28). For the full summer lineup and showtimes, visit slfs.org.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival: The touring Wild & Scenic festival offers a program of short films on topics related to environmental activism. The two-hour program for 2025 includes nine films, including Roots—the story of an attempt to combine the Dominican Republic’s love of basketball with an initiative to save its local mangroves—by local filmmaker Danny Schmidt. Locally, Utah Film Center brings Wild & Scenic to Tracy Aviary (589 E. 1300 South) on Friday, June 13, doors at 7:30 p.m, screening outdoors at dusk (approximately 9:15). Tickets are $15. utahfilmcenter.org

Brokeback Mountain 20th anniversary: Annie Proulx’s award-winning short story about a pair of seasonal sheepherders in Wyoming who become lovers was turned into a 2005 feature that won three Oscars, including Best Director for Ang Lee. The groundbreaking drama returns to theaters for a special 20th anniversary engagement June 22 & June 25; visit the official website for participating theaters and showtimes. focusfeatures.com/ brokeback_mountain CW

“The solution to so many of our problems, at all times and in all places, is to fall in love, get married and have some kids.”

—Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah

MAKING BABIES

MIKE LEE AND OTHER PRO-NATALISTS RAMP UP EFFORTS TO BOOST UTAH’S LAGGING BIRTHRATE.

BY KATHARINE BIELE COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET

No one is more concerned and alarmed by the falling birth rate than Utah’s senior senator, Mike Lee. Well, maybe Elon Musk, who seems to be trying to solve it unilaterally.

Musk has very definite ideas. Whether motivated by fear of mass extinction or just that white people are being “replaced,” Musk believes the solution is for women to get procreating. And while Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance are prominent in the movement, Lee is not far behind. “The solution to so many of our problems, at all times and in all places, is to fall in love, get married and have some kids,” Lee said in 2019.

The Utah Population and Environment Council (UPEC) has been on the other side of this question for years. Founded in 1997, UPEC’s mission was to address “on-going concerns of population increases and resource consumption in Utah, particularly along the Wasatch Front.”

But a brief, small-families campaign showed them how that would play out. There were billboards and radio spots. KSL Radio started playing their ad. Then, a little more than halfway into the four-week campaign, it all ended after a flood of complaints.

UPEC chairwoman Susan Soleil said the promotion of smaller families touched a “third rail.” She recalled how a neighbor with 12 children approached her to voice her opposition to population control.

“The word ‘population’ sends out a vibration,” Soleil said. “We were merely advocating for reasonable population growth so there would not be negative impacts on our beautiful natural resources.”

Mallory Bateman understands the debate all too well. Bateman is a demographic researcher at the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, which regularly provides state agencies with population trend data.

The nation’s fertility rate has been falling since 2008. And surprisingly, the West saw higher decreases than the Midwest or Northeast. Utah saw a steeper decline than the national average, possibly because it started at a higher rate.

“We had been the highest for quite some time,” she said. “Historically, [Utah] women had babies younger than other places.”

But here’s the thing—teen birth rates are down substantially, and Utah has seen a big decrease in mothers age 20 to 24. And universities and colleges are enrolling more

women. But not to worry, Utah is still the youngest state with a median age of 32.

So, why all the anxiety? It’s not just the United States. In 1979, China implemented the draconian and ill-fated “one-child policy.” The fear was that overpopulation would stunt economic growth and strain the welfare system.

Some women were sterilized, others given abortions and still others hid their pregnancies. Among other things, China’s gender ratios skewed in favor of males, and the country faced an aging population without workforce support.

In 2016, China raised the permissible number of children to two. Today, couples are allowed to have three children.

“As observed in many other countries and societies, socioeconomic and cultural transformations accelerated the pace of fertility decline,” a Brookings Institution commentary noted in 2016.

What that means is that women have prioritized higher education and opportunities in the workplace over the immediacy of childbearing.

And of course, the older a woman gets, the harder it is to get pregnant.

Birth Days

Anna, who asked to be identified only by her first name, was 30 when she and her partner began trying to get pregnant. She said her attempts ended in several miscarriages, two of which required the kind of emergency medical attention that can put a mother’s life at risk under the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning the right to an abortion.

“When we first started our relationship, I very much wanted children, but he did not,” Anna said. “He had a pretty irresponsible mother, and as a result, had pretty much raised his six younger siblings.”

Jennifer Lane was also 30 when she and her husband Nolan Kelly started thinking about kids. She had married young and divorced prior to her relationship with Kelly, and things were different now. The couple had bought a house, but they were far from financially stable. She was starting her own business and working three jobs.

“My life just changed,” she said.

But these life nuances matter little to pronatalists. Birth is the goal—and if you look at history, the goal was actually “better” babies. That’s the euphemistic term for what critics might describe as eugenics.

from page 18

While Musk, Lee and others are elevating pro-natalism, Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first to call out the perils of declining births. He called it “race suicide,” thinking the so-called American race was in jeopardy.

To be clear, the pro-natalist movement is largely maledominated. Take the recent gathering in Austin, Texas, called Natal Con. CNN noted that few women attended, while the conference ignited protests against far-right ideologues, among whom were MAGA types who offered a $10,000 matchmaking service to repopulate the world.

“The patriarchy has promoted and enforced pronatalism,” wrote the Population Media Center. And Politico notes: “Natalism is often about more than raising birth rates, though that is certainly one of its aims; for many in the room, the ultimate goal is a total social overhaul, a culture in which child-rearing is paramount.”

Utah is far from immune to the birthing doctrine. Media outlets like The Salt Lake Tribune have run stories about a eugenics-inspired law passed by the state Legislature in 1925. At least 830 men, women and children were sterilized under the law, and the Tribune noted that a version of that law remains on the books to this day.

The stated motivation behind that law was to save the world from people deemed undesirable—the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, the disabled and even the promiscuous. In today’s world, eugenics seems to be less about preventing births from certain demographics than promoting them among white Christian groups.

In the early 20th century, state fairs—even in Utah— highlighted “better baby” and “fitter family” contests. What could be better than a white baby born to an intact and entitled family?

There is no doubt that birth rates are declining. However, efforts to stem the tide have typically failed.

“What’s different now is that fertility has continued to decline as the economy has improved,” Lee, Utah’s senior senator, said in a 2019 interview. “That might reflect the high costs of student loan repayment—many young adults took shelter from the recession by going to or staying in school. It might also reflect the high cost of housing.”

Lee unsuccessfully sponsored the Cradle Act, which would have offered paid leave to new parents. But the bill had a catch, borrowing money from the Social Security fund that would later need to be paid back. The approach was heavily criticized.

“Pro-natalists aren’t actually interested in making motherhood easier by offering things like affordable childcare,” wrote Moira Donegan for The Guardian

Growing Old

Certainly, pro-natalists don’t support access to abortion, under any circumstance. They may secretly hope for more teen births, if Sen. Lee’s comments are any indication.

“It is only among unmarried women that birth rates have continued to fall,” Lee said in the interview. “If that reflects delayed childbearing—perhaps induced by the recession—we may find that what would have been a greater number of outof-wedlock births among younger women, instead, became a somewhat lower number of births to older married women.”

Utah’s population grew by 1.5% in 2024, to more than 3.5 million people. The Gardner Institute noted that growth rate is slightly lower than the state’s 1.6% growth in 2023.

And then there’s the aging population—fewer people are dying young. In 2019, the global life expectancy was 72.8 years, and it is expected to increase to 77.2 years by 2050. Those older citizens won’t be having many babies.

Whether the United States or the world is overpopulated is a subject of debate. The global population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion in the 2080s before potentially declining or stabilizing, writes the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, an organization that studies the pressures on humankind in the face of climate change and an economy based on growth.

Kathy Adams started thinking about overpopulation early in life. She grew up in Salt Lake and lived in the barracks of the old air base. “There were just tons of children,” she said. She worked as a probation officer, where she saw too often why parents want to give up their children.

When she married, she told her husband she had no intention of having children. He said he wasn’t either—and that was it. They joined the zero population growth movement and were stunned at how much it would cost to raise a child.

There appears to be little debate about population in the White House, though. The administration is worried. President Trump has called himself the “fertilization president” and his team has proposed all kinds of potential incentives— even a $5,000 baby bonus—to get women birthing.

But there’s more at play than money.

“I have serious qualms with the idea of bringing a kid into this world,” says Hannah Owen. “Climate change is a real and present danger—kids are going to suffer. Resource allocation and scarcity; the dismantling of American institutions; the lack of real and true public education; the lack of any real social programs that support either children or the family. School shootings and any lack of reasonable and meaningful gun control. The list goes on and on.”

Owen, 35, and her partner Dylan Ijams have been together for nearly eight years. He underwent a vasectomy in his 20s, and she had a hysterectomy a few years ago.

“It literally seems crazy that people are still having kids,” she said. “I also feel torn because it feels like having a kid is a very hopeful thing we can do. A child represents our hope for and commitment to the future. But if there isn’t any action behind it, isn’t it just cruel?”

Rebecca McCarthy and Tim Jeffryes have been on the same no-kids page for the 10 years they’ve known each other.

“The ‘why’ with men and women who want children is built into their DNA,” says Jeffryes. “They spew out a bunch of reasons, but it’s not in my soul. The world is too populated, taking up too many of the earth’s resources, and I didn’t think I’d be a good father.”

McCarthy, who at one time worked for Planned Parenthood, has a one-woman show about sexuality, birth control and venereal disease. She is passionate about responsibility. She said that she spent her “child-bearing years” performing and earning a doctorate so she could teach and write.

“As a woman, it needs to be your ambition to be a mother,” she said. “I decided to care for the people who are there.”

She also saw the difficulty her sister and sister’s wife went through to get a child.

“Those are the people who need to be parents,” she said.

She and Jeffryes are both professional actors and want to keep a focus there. Jeffryes, seeing that birth control is mostly a woman’s job, had a vasectomy. McCarthy was stunned.

“I thought to myself, ‘You’re really going to do this for me?’ I was super grateful,” she said.

She wonders what lawmakers think a woman’s purpose is, if not to have a family.

“How narrowly we define it,” she said, “it takes their humanness away from them.”

And it tends to be men who are making laws around women’s reproductive health.

“Men don’t understand the sacrifice the woman makes,” Jeffryes remarked. “We don’t seem to understand and have no great compassion or empathy unless we experience it in our own lives.”

For now, the politics around birth are steeped in anxiety and focused narrowly on reproduction—who gets to, who doesn’t and who shouldn’t.

“We need a more loving and effective balance between our wild spaces and our built spaces. We depend on the natural environment for literally everything,” Soleil said. “I hope we find a better balance soon in how we consume and reproduce so that we and all of nature can thrive together.” CW

PHOTO

Hannah Owen and Dylan Ijams felt conflicted about bringing a child into a world of climate change and resource scarcity.

Actors Rebecca McCarthy and Tim Jeffryes spent their “child-bearing years” performing and studying.

Continued

Scary Good

Spooky vibes meet tasty bites at Salt Lake’s Goat Head

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Every restaurant enthusiast has their own brand of culinary catnip. It’s abstract and hard to define, but it never fails to get your ass out the door as soon as it pops up on your Instagram feed. For example, any time I see a bar or restaurant that has adopted a horror or occult theme, I have to go check it out, regardless of what else I had scheduled.

It’s rare to find that kindred spirit who likes good food as much as they like evil vibes, but that’s exactly how I’d describe Goat Head. This Central City breakfastand-lunch spot set up shop on the corner of 300 East and 700 South last year, and its unholy mission is to become the type of neighborhood café–dare I say “diner?”–where locals can converge around hot coffee, loaded breakfast and savory sandwiches. One bummer about Goat Head’s current location is that there is a lot of construction happening on that particular corner of the city; perhaps the restaurant’s dark powers have obliterated its neighboring buildings?

Based on the friendly vibes and welcoming space, that’s unlikely. It’s hard to think that owners Sarah and Michael Boone-Witham have anything but positive intentions for their restaurant and its customers. Sure, there’s a low-key Satanic cult aesthetic that informs its menu with plenty of tongue-in-cheek nods to horror

culture, but that’s just part of the restaurant’s charm. The culinary background of the menu is deeply rooted in Tex-Mex—or Hex-Mex, if we’re being authentic to the menu—cuisine along with some classic diner fare. Did I mention my other dining weaknesses are Tex-Mex and diner food?

I went in for a little spot of devilish brunch with a kick, so I ordered the Corrido de Cortez ($11). It’s the restaurant’s take on huevos rancheros, and it comes with a foundation of fried corn tortillas, refried black beans and two eggs topped with some fresh and spicy ranchero salsa. Some diced jalapeño, cilantro and queso fresco add a bit of color contrast to that crimson salsa, and it’s definitely got a punch. Immediately I noticed how fresh everything tasted; this ranchero salsa leans into the refreshing flavors of its tomatoes that really brighten up the more savory notes.

The eggs, black beans and tortillas do most of the heavy lifting as far as those savory notes go. I liked picking up one tortilla by the edge and piling as much as I could on top, making it into a mini breakfast tostada. Refried black beans are a great addition here as a way to add some salty flavor and textural heft to the dish, and a few over-easy eggs provide some creamy egg yolk, which is always a plus.

While I was there, I thought I would check out one of the restaurant’s sandwiches, so I went with the Kevin Bacon ($14.50), a BLT that can be made with either plant-based bakon or pork bacon, depending on your dietary preferences.

Goat Head has a great menu for plantbased dining, as most of the menu is either vegan to begin with or can be made vegan quite easily. I wanted to try out Goat Head’s plant-based game, so I got my Kevin Bacon vegan style.

Goat Head’s sandwiches come with a selection of sides, and I appreciated the variety. I got the jalapeño slaw, which is a purple cabbage tossed with a bit of black sesame seeds and diced jalapeño pepper. It was a great complement to the Kevin Bacon, which is exactly what you want from a BLT: thick slices of toasted white bread, plenty of mayo, crisp iceberg lettuce, freshly sliced tomato and lots of bacon. I really liked the plant-based bakon, which had a nice texture and just enough smoky flavor to bring the whole sandwich together.

There are plenty of great savory options on the menu, but there’s nothing wrong with dabbling in the sweet side. If that lines up with your particular brand of vice, then the Experiment Six 2 Six ($12.50) with its croissant French toast, Nutella and strawberries will definitely satisfy. There’s a lovely, buttery texture to that French toast, and who can deny the power of a strawberry-and-Nutella duo? Of course, the Squirrel’s Nest ($13.50) might just have an edge on this, with its sweet ricotta cheese and maple syrup. Either way, your sweet tooth will not be neglected at Goat Head.

As much as I love Goat Head’s vibe, I am also happy to say that its food is tasty enough to impress those who have not fully embraced the dark arts. It’s a hip neighborhood spot touting a menu of seriously stacked breakfast and lunch options. Its unapologetic self-image is merely the icing on a wickedly good piece of cake.

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale

2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: “Czech One-Two” Czech Pilsner

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC

avenuesproper.com

On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC

BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale

BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele

BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

chappell.beer

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

Corner Brew Pub Sugar House

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

On Tap:  Salt Lake Brewing Co. Utah Beer: An American Light Lager

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

On Tap: 2024 Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stouts

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

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey www.ettaplacecider.com

On Tap: Wassail Cider, Pineapple Passion Fruit Session Mead

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: Dunkleweizen

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

Now with a full bar license & draft beer cocktails!

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

Level Crossing Brewing Co.

2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co.,

550 South 300 West, Suite

LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Fruit Bat Sour Ale

Moab Brewing

686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  Arnie (Co-Lab with 2 Row brewing): cream ale base with Lychee black tea and fresh pasteurized lemon juice.

Mountain West Cider

425 N. 400 West, SLC

MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Mango Basil 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: ALES for ALS - 5.0% hazy pale

Policy Kings Brewery 223 N. 100 West, Cedar City PolicyKingsBrewery.com

Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner

Proper Brewing/Proper

Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com  On Tap: Steamy Wonder Rye Steam Ale

Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com  On Tap: Blizzard Wizard Hazy Pale Ale

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Munich Dunkel

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Born This Way Hazy IPA

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations

RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: EL Doce Mexican Lager

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

On Tap: Cody’s Wet Hop Blonde - 5%

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 Anjou Perry - 6.1%

Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek secondsummitcider.com

On Tap: Sangria Cider 6% ABV

Shades Brewing 154 W. Utopia Ave, S. Salt Lake ShadesBrewing.beer On Tap: Fresh Hop IPA (with homegrown local hops)

Shades On State 366 S. State Street SLC Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen; Black Cloud Lager

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

Squatters Corner Pub –Valley Fair

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

Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC saltlakebrewingco.com/ squatters On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. My Own Private Idaho IPA

Squatters and Wasatch Brewery 1763 So 300 West SLC UT 84115 Utahbeers.com

On Tap: 20 beers with 12

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

BEER NERD

West Coast Bite and Tropical Slice

Contrasting beer flavors from the west.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net

@utahbeer

Shades - Pineapple Upside Down

Cake: Buckle up for a tropical twist from the makers of some of Utah’s most intriguing beers. As the name denotes, this is a take on the classic pineapple upside-down cake. The unique qualities of this dessert come from the caramelized pineapple covering the bottom of the cake pan while baking.

Shades’ Pineapple Upside Down Cake ale pours a hazy, golden hue, capped by a surprisingly persistent off-white foam that eventually settles, leaving delicate rings of lacing. The nose is an absolute carnival—think caramelized pineapple sweetness punching through a distinct, almost tangy fruitiness from Kveik yeast. There’s a hint of brown sugar richness mingling with a subtle, lactose-enhanced tartness that teases the palate. Take a sip, and the promised dessert comes alive. The initial sweetness of the pineapple is beautifully balanced by a refreshing sourness. That unique Kveik character shines through, adding a layer of complexity beyond a simple fruit ale, with maybe a whisper of citrus. The “cake” element manifests as a subtle biscuity or even slightly buttery note that plays nicely with the tropical fruit. The tartness lingers, preventing it from becoming cloying, and the finish is surprisingly clean, with just an echo of that caramelized pineapple returning. The body is medium, perhaps a touch creamy from the lactose addition. At a moderate 6.5 percent ABV, this is a seriously intriguing and enjoyable brew.

Verdict: It manages to capture the essence of the classic dessert in a surprisingly sophisticated and refreshing way.

If you’re looking for a sour ale with a playful and unique profile, this pineapple upside-down cake creation is definitely worth seeking out. Allergen note: Contains lactose.

Uinta - Endankification: This Imperial IPA was made with Pilsner and Munich malts and hopped with Strata Simcoe and Cascade. One of the cool things that the Uinta brewers did was to recreate the oldschool flavor profile of, say, Crystal and 2 Row malts, using a combination of German malts not typically used in the making of this style of IPA. The malt profile should be aggressive and caramel-like to counter the massive amount of hops used.

Crack open this West Coast Double and it bursts forth with a pristine, meringue-like foam, perched atop a hazy, sun-kissed amber liquid. Sniff deep, and you’re hit with a vibrant bouquet. Crisp, pale malts form a clean canvas for a rush of citrus, with zesty grapefruit and bright pine taking center stage. The aroma just pops with freshness.

The first taste is a wake-up call of grapefruit, its tangy edge bordering on a delightful pucker, mingling with a subtle pithiness and a touch of fruity yeast character. As it washes over the palate, a wave of soft, juicy hop flavor emerges—lemon, ripe peach and a medley of tropical fruit juices dance together. The malt backbone is understated, providing a simple, cracker-like foundation with just a hint of sweetness to keep things balanced. The texture is intriguing—a light slickness, oily richness and soft chewiness leading to a moderately dry finish. At a sneaky 8.9 percent ABV, the alcohol is remarkably well-hidden.

Verdict: This is a seriously well-crafted West Coast Double IPA. The bright, accessible flavors, particularly that prominent grapefruit and the piney hop finish, are fantastic. It’s a welcome reminder of the magic that this classic hop blend can bring to a beer.

Endankification is part of Uinta’s Pro Line Series and is a limited production DIPA; save yourself the headache and just buy it at the brewery if you can.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is in Shades’ new 16-ounce cans and is available now at their brewery at 1388 S. 300 West in SLC. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Pups & Pints at Copper Canyon Grill House & Tavern

Trivia nights are a common staple at our local bars and pubs, but I had yet to hear of the Pups & Pints event that recently kicked off at Copper Canyon Grill House & Tavern inside the Radisson Hotel (215 W. South Temple). Attendees are encouraged to bring their furry pals to these trivia nights for an evening of fierce competition and tasty brews from Salt Flats Brewing. The next event will be taking place on June 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the event will repeat every Tuesday through June, with a break for July and August before things resume in September. I don’t know how helpful your doggos will be at winning trivia night, but there’s no better way to find out.

Lazy Dog Restaurant to Open In Murray

I got word that Utah is getting its first Lazy Dog Restaurant (lazydogrestaurants.com) in the near future. It’s a casual-dining restaurant chain that has locations all over the country, most prominently in California and Texas. Lazy Dog’s concept seems like it would feel right at home on the Wasatch Front—its rustic gastropub menu includes plenty of burgers, and a bison meatloaf that looks promising. The restaurant will also serve beer and cocktails to complement its plentiful menu. The restaurant is currently scheduled to occupy a space—complete with patio—at 102 E. Winchester Street sometime next year. I’ll keep an eye on this one as opening day gets closer.

Crazy D’s Open in SoJo

The bustling South Jordan commercial area at the corner of Redwood Road and 114th South has been seeing all kinds of action. First, it welcomed a new Crust Club, and now it’s saying hi to Crazy D’s Hot Chicken. By the look of the restaurant’s website, Crazy D’s is another Nevada-based franchise that has expanded its fried-chicken offerings to Utah, with the South Jordan location being its first in the Beehive State. Thus far, it looks like it’s slingin’ the typical hot chicken menu with sliders, chicken wings and chicken fingers, so Utah must still be within the throes of its hot chicken addiction. I’ll have to check this one out and see where it ranks on our hot chicken spectrum.

Thunderballing

More than 40 years on, Melvins continue their Savage Imperial Death March.

BY MATT KING Comments@cityweekly.net

Alegendary band in the rock and sludge-metal sphere is heading to Salt Lake City.

Melvins have managed to toe the line between being extremely successful, and largely unknown among many fans of popular rock acts. Even though their pioneering mix of metal, punk and heaviness influenced the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool and others, the Melvins have remained a consistent force in the venue scene, opting to never “sell-out” and tour arenas or stadiums.

The band will perform Thursday, May 29, at Metro Music Hall. The show is a part of a co-headlining tour with grind-core pioneers Napalm Death. The last time both bands toured together was in 2016. “Every time Trump gets elected, we tour with Napalm,” guitarist Buzz Osborne joked.

Available at the merch booth (if copies remain) will be Savage Imperial Death March, a limited-edition split record featuring new songs and performances from both bands. “We’re all playing on the same songs,” Osbourne said. “Two of them came over (from England), and then Barney (Greenway), the singer, recorded overdubs in the studio in England. The tour is called the Savage Imperial Death March Part Two, and the record is Savage Imperial Death March. I came up with a tour name, which I thought was good. ‘Savage Imperial Death March’ says it all, doesn’t it?” Melvins are also supporting Thunderball, their 28th studio album, which was released in April. It’s a part of the band’s series of “Melvins 1983” releases, featur-

ing original Melvins member Mike Dillard on drums. Thunderball offers an exciting musical twist on the OG Melvins sound, however, as it prominently features contributions from Void Manes and Ni Maîtres, two electronic noise artists.

“I really wanted to do something with them. That record is with the original drummer, and then I’m doing all the instrumentation and all the vocals,” Osborne reported. “It was as close to the original lineup as we can get, and I always wanted to do something with the two noise guys, so they’re all over the record. I think it came out really cool.”

Osborne, a movie lover, wants to make things clear: Thunderball has no connection to the 1965 James Bond film. “I just love the name,” he said. “We did a record a few years ago called A Walk With Love and Death, which is the name of a John Huston movie. It has nothing to do with the movie, but I just love the name.”

Osborne, it seems, has a profound appreciation for the arts. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have a very severe fascination with movies and music,” he emphasized. “It’s gotten me through the worst parts of my life, and I think music is probably the most powerful art medium that there is.”

The Salt Lake City date of the Savage Imperial Death March II tour is show 45 of 52. While others may criticize the consistent touring and release schedule of the band, Osborne said he relishes the fact that he is a professional musician and has no plans to ever hit the brakes.

“I’ll go out on tour and do 52 shows everywhere I can think of, and then come back and do all the places I didn’t play in the fall,” he remarked. “I’m happy to be a musician. They asked Bob Dylan, ‘Why are you still touring at your age?’ And he said, ‘That’s the deal I made.’ This is the deal I made. I’m a professional musician, it’s what I do. I make records; I go on tour; I write music. I think people who are professional musicians should realize

MUSIC

the position they’re in, and they should work harder than anybody at their craft. Make records. Go play live. Do all of it; put your ass on the line, and don’t worry about the results. While they’re sitting there comprehending whether you should have made this record, you should be on your way to doing something else. Don’t give people enough time to think about if it’s good or not.”

When you’re always on the road, there is no shortage of fun and memorable moments, and for a band like the Melvins, there have been numerous tours and festivals shared with other rock legends. For example, in 1998, Melvins toured with Tool. From an evening filled with peak performances from two of rock’s most inventive bands, Osborne’s most notable memory involves a completely nude

crowd-surfer.

They pulled him over the barricade, and the cops just descended on him,” Osborne recalled of the event. “They dragged him outside to the parking lot in the back and handcuffed his hands behind his back. They sit him down in the middle of the parking lot and just say, ‘You sit right there; don’t move.’ He said, ‘Can I have something to cover me?’ They’re like, ‘No, you can’t. You want to be nude? There, you’re nude, right in front of everybody.’ The paddy wagon eventually came, like half an hour later, and they threw him in the paddy wagon, completely starkers. I thought that was the funniest thing. ‘You want to fucking crowd-surf nude? You’re sitting right out here now. Don’t ask for a blanket at this point, fuck you.’”

Go to 24tix.com for tickets and info. CW

Melvins

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GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Beats Antique @ The Depot 05/30

When a band has a hit song like “Beelzebub,” you can bet that you’re in for quite the show. Since 2007, Beats Antique has been making a mélange of Balkan wedding music (check out their single “Bus to Balkans”), flamenco, French Gypsy jazz, hip-hop and dub reggae. The trio—consisting of David Satori (guitar, sax, viola, and percussion), Sidecar Tommy Cappel (keys, toy piano, drums and percussion) and Zoë Jakes (belly dancer, composer, and arranger)—comes together to create a production even beyond the music; live shows typically include Jakes performing various dances while changing from one wild mask to another. It’s the type of electronic music that club kids will still appreciate, but appeals to a wider fanbase of world-music lovers. It’s the perfect mix of old and new; a fresh take on antique beats with the merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance. Jakes boasts 25 years of professional dance experience, while the other group members have impressive backgrounds in music study: Satori has a degree in music composition from Berklee College of Music, while Cappel has a degree in studio drumming from the California Institute of the Arts. For those who can get down with the provocative, the spiritual, and the artistic, Beats Antique is a one-of-a-kind performance you don’t want to miss. Check them out this Friday, May 30 at The Depot (13 N. 400 West). Doors open at 7 p.m., general admission $35. Visit concerts.livenation.com. (Arica Roberts)

MUSIC PICK S

SLC Busker Fest @ Downtown SLC 5/30 – 5/31

The vitality of a city is intrinsically connected to its arts scene—and nowhere can that be more evident than when the artists are performing out in the open air, inviting the financial support of passersby. The Salt Lake City Arts Council recognized that idea when it launched Busker Fest SLC in 2018, and the latest incarnation of the event returns to downtown this weekend for two nights of music, comedy, magic and other live entertainment. In addition to many local musicians and other entertainers—like yo-yo champion Dale Myrberg and Marcus the Funnyman, who does tricks—the lineup includes several national acts coming to delight us, including: Colorado-based juggler and stunt performer Sam Malcolm; Mexico City’s high-flying acrobat Pancho Libre; Australia’s hulahoop expert (including flaming hoops) Satya Hoops; juggler, magician and comedian Greg Frisbee. And between acts, adults can enjoy beverages from the Busker Bar. SLC Busker Fest runs Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31 from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. nightly on the 100 South Block of Main St., with venues that include the lobby of the Eccles Theatre, McCarthey Plaza, Regent Street and the surrounding sidewalks. All performances are free, open to the public and all-ages-appropriate; donations (cash or Venmo) for individual performers as you watch are certainly encouraged. Visit buskerfestslc.com for full lineup, festival map and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Lord Huron @ Sandy City Amphitheater, 5/31

Los Angeles-based Lord Huron is an American indie folk band founded in 2010 by Ben Schneider, and the group’s sweeping sound provides the perfect backdrop for its cinematic storytelling. Originally Schneider’s solo project, the group eventually coalesced around the lineup of Mark Barry, Miguel Briseño and Tom Renaud. The group gained early attention with a trio of extendedplay releases: 2010’s Into the Sun and Mighty, and Time to Run in 2012. Lord Huron’s full-length debut, Lonesome Dreams (2012) was a promising start, but 2015’s Strange Trails (2015) proved a commercial breakthrough, going platinum while its hit single “The Night We Met” was featured on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. With 2018’s Vide Noir (2018), the band expanded its stylistic range to take in psychedelic flavors; while critics were impressed, sales didn’t match the release’s predecessor. Yet the group determinedly followed its muse: 2021’s Long Lost took a quasiconceptual direction, framing the album as a (fictional) radio show. Lord Huron’s fifth and upcoming album, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, is set for release in July. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Strange Trails, the group comes to the Sandy City Amphitheater on Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. General admission resale tickets start at $227 and can be found at ticketmaster.com . (Bill Kopp)

A prolific artist widely respected by his peers, Ryan Adams, could be considered a true pioneer of authentic Americana. His stint in the band Whiskeytown established his bona fides, but over the course of his solo career, he’s encountered both highs and lows. His initial album, Heartbreaker, was nominated for the Shortlist Music Prize, while his second album, Gold, produced a successful single in the track “New York, New York ,” helping Gold to go gold in the U.K. He’s also reaped seven Grammy nominations, released 30 albums, recorded with Willie Nelson, Fall Out Boy, Counting Crows, Weezer, Cowboy Junkies and Norah Jones, and released two books of poetry. He was offered the ultimate compliment when Stephen King proclaimed, “I won’t say Adams is the best North American singer/ songwriter since Neil Young, but I won’t say he isn’t either.” Nevertheless, his trajectory has, on occasion, become entangled in trouble and controversy, derailed by medical issues and substance abuse, struggles with depression and anxiety issues, and much-publicized accusations of sexual harassment. Nevertheless, to his credit, Adams has confronted these obstacles head-on and proven that he is, indeed, the relentless and resourceful artist he established himself to be early on.

As a result, the opportunity to catch him in concert makes for a most memorable experience. Ryan Adams performs at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus on Sunday, June 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $40.50 - $90.50 at artstickets.utah.edu. (Lee Zimmerman)

Ryan Adams @ Kingsbury Hall 6/1

FRIDAY JUNE 6

SUNDAY JUNE 8

BLOCK PARTY

MUSIC PICK S

Ministry @ The Union 6/1

Al Jourgensen has always struck me as Keith Richards–level indestructible. Not only has the Ministry frontman survived multiple cardiac arrests, but early in his career, he also endured a rough initiation into the music industry under Arista Records and its founder, Clive Davis. Now, four decades later, he’s made peace with his early work, and is once again performing tracks from With Sympathy and the band’s second album, Twitch. “We turned them into arena-rock songs. People are going to freak out,” Jourgensen told RollingStone.com. “I feel empowered, and it’s very cathartic for me to finally be able to own these songs instead of running from them.” All Ministry is good Ministry. Sure, they proceeded from the Killing Joke/Public Image school of dub and electronic-saturated post-punk rather than the Throbbing Gristle/Coil “professional performance artist/occult weirdo” side of things (brilliant, really disorienting music). They really innovated industrial and metal, bringing that type of experimentalism with them. And as much as I like classic Ministry, the electronic synthpop Ministry is ultra-enjoyable. While some might think their most recent output isn’t as great as their ’90s heyday, the music is still genuinely angry and pissed off, with something important to say. Don’t stand in the back. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps open. Catch these artists at The Union on Sunday, June 1. Doors at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $57.25 at ticketmaster.com. (Mark Dago) CW

tune in to your

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The strongest, most enduring parts of China’s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty, 13681644. One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably water resistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I hope you will find metaphorical equivalents to sticky rice as you work on your foundations in the coming months, Aries. Proceed as if you are constructing basic supports that will last you for years.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

The world’s most expensive spice is saffron. To gather one gram of it, workers must harvest 150 flowers by hand. Doesn’t that process resemble what you have been doing? I am awed by the stamina and delicacy you have been summoning to generate your small but potent treasure. What you’re producing may not be loud and showy, but its value will be concentrated and robust. Trust that those who appreciate quality will recognize the painstaking effort behind your creation. Like saffron’s distinctive essence that transforms ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, your patient dedication is creating what can’t be rushed or replicated.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Gemini author Jean-Paul Sartre was offered the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. But he rejected it. Why? He said that if he accepted it, he would be turned into an institution and authority figure, which would hinder his ability to critique politics and society. He was deeply committed to the belief that a writer has an obligation to be independent and accountable only to their conscience and audience, not to external accolades or validations. I think you are in a Sartrelike phase right now, dear Gemini. You have a sacred duty to be faithful to your highest calling, your deepest values, and your authentic identity. Every other consideration should be secondary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

You are now highly attuned to subtle energies, subliminal signals and hidden agendas. No one in your sphere is even half as sensitive as you are to the intriguing mysteries that are unfolding beneath the visible surface. This may be a bit unsettling, but it’s a key asset. Your ability to sense what others are missing gives you a unique advantage. So trust your intuitive navigation system, Cancerian, even if the way forward isn’t obvious. Your ability to sense underlying currents will enable you to avoid obstacles and discern opportunities that even your allies might overlook.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Underground fungal networks are essential for the health of ecosystems. They connect plant roots and facilitate transfers of nutrients, water and communication signals between various species. They enhance the fertility of the soil, helping plants thrive. In accordance with astrological indicators, I invite you to celebrate your equivalent of the underground fungal network. What is the web of relationships that enables you to thrive? Not just the obvious bonds, but the subtle ones, too: the barista who has memorized your order, the neighbor who waters your plants when you’re away, the online ally who responds to your posts. Now is an excellent time to map and nurture these vital interconnections.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Virgo author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns about “the danger of a single story.” She tells us that authentic identity requires us to reject oversimplified narratives. As a Nigerian woman living in the U.S., she found that both Western and African audiences sought to reduce her to convenient categories. She has not only resisted that pressure, but also outwitted and outflanked it. Her diversity is intriguing. She mixes an appreciation for pop culture with serious cultural criticism. She addresses both academic and mainstream audiences. I offer her up as your role model, Virgo. In the

coming weeks, may she inspire you to energetically express all your uncategorizable selves.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Where have you not yet traveled but would like to? What frontiers would your imagination love for you to visit, but you have refrained? Now is the time to consider dropping inhibitions, outmoded habits and irrelevant rules that have prevented you from wandering farther and wider. You have full permission from life, karma, and your future self to take smart risks that will lead you out of your comfort zone. What exotic sanctuary do you wish you had the courage to explore? What adventurous pilgrimage might activate aspects of your potential that are still half-dormant?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Astrologers say that Scorpio is ruled by three creatures that correspond to three ascending levels of spiritual maturity. The regular Scorpio person is ruled by the scorpion. Scorpios who are well underway with their spiritual work are ruled by the eagle. The Scorpio who has consistently succeeded at the hard and rewarding work of metaphorical death and resurrection is ruled by the phoenix—the mythical bird that is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. With this as our context, I am letting you know that no matter how evolved you are, the coming weeks will bring you rich opportunities to come more into your own as a brilliant phoenix.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Seas off the coast of Singapore are heavily polluted. Some of the coral reefs there are showing resilience, though. They have developed symbiotic relationships with certain algae and bacteria that were formerly hostile. Their robustness lies in their adaptability and their power to forge unlikely alliances. That’s a good teaching for you right now. The strength you need isn’t about maintaining fixed positions or rigid boundaries, but about being flexible. So I hope you will be alert and ready to connect with unfamiliar resources and unexpected help. A willingness to adjust and compromise will be a superpower.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Sometimes, disruptions are helpful prods that nudge us to pay closer attention. An apparent malfunction might be trying to tell us some truth that our existing frameworks can’t accommodate. I suspect this phenomenon might be occurring in your world. An area of your life that seems to be misfiring may in fact be highlighting a blind spot in your comprehension. Rather than fretting and purging the glitches, I will ask you to first consider what helpful information is being exposed. Suspend your judgment long enough to learn from apparent errors.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

This isn’t the first time I’ve said that your ideas are ahead of their time. Now I’m telling you again, and adding that your intuitions, feelings, and approaches are ahead of their time, too. As usual, your precociousness carries both potential benefits and problems. If people are flexible and smart enough to be open to your innovations, you will be rewarded. If others are rigid and oblivious, you may have to struggle to get the right things done. Here’s my advice: Focus on the joy of carrying out your innovations rather than getting caught up in fighting resistance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Sunlight can’t penetrate deeper than 3,280 feet into the ocean’s depths. Even at 650 feet down, a murky twilight zone prevails. But nearly 75% of deep-sea creatures can create their own light, thanks to a biochemical phenomenon called bioluminescence. Jellyfish, starfish and crustaceans are a few animals that glow. I propose we make them your symbols of power in the coming weeks, Pisces. I hope they incite you to be your own source of illumination as you summon all the resilience you need. If shadowy challenges arise, resolve to emit your steady brilliance. Inspire yourself and others with your subtle yet potent clarity.

Please

Cory 541-838-0364.

EMPLOYMENT

IHC Health Services, Inc. (dba Intermountain Health) seeks a Patient Meal Lead Dietitian in Provo, UT. Apply at https://imh.wd5. myworkdayjobs.com/ IntermountainCareers or email resume to mary.hansen@imail. org. Ref. job #R138998. Salary: $68,952 to $75,380.

PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED

urban LIVING

Milk History

When I was a child in New York, we got a weekly home delivery of fresh milk and cream. And here in Salt Lake, I show homes that still have a metal “Winder Dairy” box on their front porch for deliveries.

Winder Dairy—now known as Winder Farms—has been in Utah since 1880. The first Winder Farm was founded in 1863 at 2700 South and 300 East. It wasn’t until a few years later that John and Elizabeth Winder began selling milk from their farm. They labeled their product “Rich Jersey Milk” from their Jersey cow herd, and locals went mad for it.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Fluffy rug type

5. Supervisory scuba pro

15. Jet speed unit

16. Question of finger-pointing

17. Prefix for farmers

18. Person seen in now-notable footage from the 2005 World Series

19. Opera singer Tetrazzini (of chicken and pasta fame)

21. Rhino relatives with long snouts

22. Some flat screens

24. Gift card blank

26. Movie that elicits certain emotions

28. ___ sci (college dept.)

32. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor who’s on the current season (series!) of “Taskmaster”

37. Running automatically, maybe

38. Sneakily got halfway?

39. Abbr. before a founding year

Initially, they made deliveries from horse-drawn vehicles before switching to a Model T truck. The truck’s tires kept wearing out, so they returned to horses until the tire quality improved.

The farm moved southwest—to 4400 West and 4100 South—in 1931. They later sold the Jersey herd and began partnering with other local farms using Holstein cows. As time passed, the glass milk bottles were replaced with polycarbonate containers and in 2019, Winder Farms stopped home deliveries to focus mainly on selling dairy products in grocery stores and online.

Winder Farms is Utah’s oldest continuously operating food and beverage company. It was sold to investors in 2011, but reacquired by another group headed by James Winder. This transition marks a significant milestone for the iconic brand, which has served generations of Utah families with fresh dairy and other products for 145 years.

Now that the family owns the company again, they reportedly plan to go back to Winder’s roots of home deliveries and pickups for dairy products, including a new kind of chocolate milk.

Farmers around the world often rely on community markets to sell their wares, making extra cash by cutting out the middlemen. In Utah, we love our farmers markets, with the largest (Salt Lake City’s Downtown Farmers Market) starting up again at Pioneer Park on June 7 after running a smaller winter edition at the Gateway.

Utah is home to over 45 farmers markets, and Salt Lake City is about to drop millions of dollars into Pioneer Park so as to build a permanent structure for the housing of a year-round market. The revitalization of the park will include not just a multi-purpose building, but maintained bathrooms, pickleball and basketball courts, more trees and a picnic pavilion.

Salt Lake City has budgeted $18 million for this new round of park enhancements. Pioneer Park, for those unaware, was where LDS settlers created the Old Pioneer Fort about a week after the first immigrants arrived in 1847. There were 450 log cabins and an

around the fort. But in 1898, the location was dedicated as one

and the

40. Dark German lager variety

41. “Sure, sure”

43. Shoe blemishes

47. Necessitate

51. Green hill

52. Does double duty?

57. Item you may wait with

58. Event where you win, lose, and draw?

59. Temptation

60. One who prefers NES to the Switch 2, perhaps

61. 1914 Belgian battle river

DOWN

1. One end of a Goodwill rack

2. Court locale, with “The”

3. Stinging

4. 2001 comic book-based black comedy with the tagline “Accentuate the negative”

5. Fist-bump greeting

6. “As I see it,” in a text

7. Somebody

8. Les Jeux Olympiques d’___ de Paris

9. “___ bene!”

10. At right angles to a ship’s keel

11. Bad AI-generated “art”

12. Airport-to-hotel option

13. Kuwait VIP

14. Fires up the engine

20. Manhattan map line

23. Bracket tournament stage

24. Sliced thin

25. Narrative device that resolves plot holes

27. ___ conducciÛn (driver’s license, in Durango)

28. In forthright terms

29. New Orleans veggie

30. Country where the Buddha’s breastbone is reportedly located

31. Shipwreck site

32. “Yes, Chef!” judge AndrÈs

33. They may get into cereal boxes

34. Either of the Proclaimers, by birth

35. Joke “prizes” on a certain game show

36. Waiting to hit

41. Northern abode

42. Former spirituality/ philosophy radio show “On ___”

44. Half of a Daymond

John-owned apparel brand

45. Warning signal

46. More sneaky

47. “Lupin” star Sy

48. Snoozefest

49. NFL Hall of Famer

Last week’s answers

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

Ronnie

50. Price hike, briefly 53. Rockstar series, for short 54. Fashion line

55. Mao ___-tung

56. Bering or Magellan (abbr.)

NEWS of the WEIRD

It’s Come to This

Sure, the Indianapolis 500 is loud and dangerous, but after 100-plus years of racing, you might not be faulted for stifling a big yawn before the cars cross the finish line. But fear not! On May 23, six Wienermobiles will compete in the first-ever Wienie 500, KTLA-TV reported. Each Wienermobile will represent a regional hot dog, to wit: The Chi Dog (Midwest), the New York Dog (East Coast), the Slaw Dog (Southeast), the Sonoran Dog (Southwest), the Chili Dog (South) and the Seattle Dog (Northwest). A finish-line celebration in the “Wiener’s Circle” will include a condiment spray for the champion. If you miss the Wiener 500, tune in during the Indy 500 pre-race show on May 25 for highlights.

Oops!

More than 12,000 chicks that had been shipped out from Freedom Ranger Hatchery in Pennsylvania to clients across the country were discovered in early May abandoned in a USPS truck, the Associated Press reported. The turkey, geese, chicken and quail chicks were found at a Camden, Delaware, distribution center. They had been in the truck for three days without food or water, and some had perished. The surviving chicks were delivered to First State Animal Center and SPCA, where a few hundred were adopted out. Executive director John Parana said the agency is struggling financially to take care of the birds.

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me

A couple in Great Abington, Cambridgeshire, England, are distraught after being caught in a scheme to build their dream home, the Daily Mail reported. Jeremy and Elaine Zielinski were approved to build a two-story commercial building on 17 acres for a horse semen collection center and laboratory, but instead they constructed a three-bedroom home. When the local council found out, the planning inspector issued an order to demolish the home within 12 months. The Zielinskis told the council that the COVID-19 pandemic had ruined their business, so they switched gears to turn the property into their home. “It doesn’t make sense to tear it down,” Elaine said. “I don’t want to go and live in a caravan.” She said she and her husband didn’t know that converting the property would be illegal. But the inspector dismissed their appeals, saying it had been built as a house from the start. The Zielinskis are seeking legal advice.

Hello? 1973 Calling

Ashlee Roberts, 37, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, has been stewing over a flood of prank calls she’s received, the Detroit Free Press reported on May 21. Turns out Roberts’ number was posted on a wall at Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, and people waiting in line for the Cedar Creek Mine ride are dialing her up. Roberts said at first it was funny, but now it’s “getting a little old.” After the Free Press contacted Cedar Point, a spokesman said they would try to address the issue.

Smooth Reaction

■ Andrew Smith was fishing on Pensacola Beach in Florida on May 15 when a frantic girl ran up to him and asked if he could swim, WSVN-TV reported. Her friend was being sucked out by a rip current, but Smith doesn’t swim. He does, however, use a drone to set bait for sharks. Thinking fast, Smith attached a flotation device to the drone and sent it out over the water. “I flew it out and it was a terrible miss,” he said. “I released it too early.” A bystander gave him another flotation device, and this time he took his time and waited until the girl had grabbed it before releasing it. EMS and lifeguards told Smith if the girl hadn’t had the floater, she wouldn’t have made it. She was checked out and sent home, and her father called Smith a “guardian angel.” “It was pretty crazy,” Smith said.

■ Also in Florida (where else?), a tiki boat captain came to the rescue of a drunken patron of TT’s Tiki Bar in Punta Gorda after the man jumped over a railing into the water, hitting the rocks below and bloodying himself dramatically. WMUR-TV reported that on May 17, as Cole Kelly steered a karaoke cruise, he saw a man struggling in the water. “It was apparent that he was bleeding really badly,” Kelly said. “He had a terrible wound on his hand. He wasn’t very coherent.” Police said the man had jumped over the railing to impress his friends and landed on rocks along the shoreline. “This is now the craziest thing that’s happened on the boat,” Kelly said.

Bright Idea

Guards at a prison in Costa Rica caught a mule ... er, a cat that was ferrying more than 230 grams of marijuana and 67 grams of crack cocaine in early May, the CBS News reported. A guard spotted the tiny black-andwhite feline after it jumped over a periphery fence; after it was caught, packages were cut away from its fur. The courier was turned over to the National Animal Health Service for evaluation.

Field Report

On May 15, swimmer and environmental advocate Lewis Pugh set out on a special mission: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the movie “Jaws,” Pugh is hoping to urge people not to view sharks as monsters but as part of a healthy ocean ecosystem. The Martha’s Vineyard Times reported that Pugh is planning to swim all the way around the island, where “Jaws” was filmed—about 60 miles—in 11 or 12 days. “I’m frightened of sharks,” Pugh said, “but I’m more terrified of a world without them. We need a new narrative about these magnificent animals.”

Queen

Olivia Jaquith co-anchors the WRGB-TV morning news in Albany, New York, with Julia Dunn, United Press International reported. On May 21, the pair shared some truly breaking news: At 4:15 a.m., Jaquith’s water had broken, but she went to work, and the show went on with her in the anchor seat. Jaquith, who was two days past her due date, said it was “early labor” and her contractions were far apart, but she headed to the hospital after the broadcast.

News You Can Use

In 1946, Harvard Law School spent a whopping $27.50 on what it thought was a copy of the Magna Carta, Sky News reported on May 15. It was dated as being made in 1327 under King Edward III. Fast-forward to 2023, when professor of medieval history David Carpenter saw the document on Harvard’s website and realized it might be an original. Further examinations revealed that the Harvard version was indeed an original, dating from 1300 and issued by King Edward I. As such, it’s worth millions of dollars—but Harvard isn’t selling. The Magna Carta was established in 1215; there are four of that original issue and seven of the 1300 version, including Harvard’s. Carpenter, of King’s College London, said he was astonished “that Harvard had been sitting on it for all these years without realizing what it was.”

Awesome!

As of May 18, Landerneau, France, holds the distinction of being home to the largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs, United Press International reported. Perhaps because of excitement about an upcoming Smurfs movie, the town gathered 3,076 costumed people together, breaking a record set in Germany in 2019. “Schtroumpfs,” as they are known in France, were created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford (“Peyo”).