City Weekly February 19, 2026

CITY WEEKLY salt lake FREE

PREGAMING THE GAMES

Downtown watch party starts the clock on an eight-year slide to the 2034 Olympics.

BY GRACE X. MAYA

S AP

BOX

“Trail Mix,” Feb. 12

Hits & Misses

Has Katharine Biele ever had a thought that varied from what one hears on CNN or in The Salt Lake Tribune? As in, ever? With her typical—and oh so ironic— smarminess, she uses her column to deride any actions to tackle chemtrails, mocking those who dare question the official line.

Wake up, sheeple! Those lingering streaks across our skies aren’t “contrails.” They’re chemtrails, deliberate poison dumps from jets engineered to dim the sun, manipulate weather and

choke our air with aluminum, barium and God knows what else.

I’ve seen them grid the Utah horizon on clear days, turning blue skies hazy, while “experts” gaslight us with physics fairy tales. But only some days do these planes appear and only on some days do they fly weird routes that can’t be seen on “nonchemtrail” days. How could there not be consistency if this were just normal air traffic? The on-off pattern screams selective operations, not random weather.

Now they’re brainwashing the masses to deny the aerial assault right above our heads, just as they gaslighted them on the “quacksine.” It literally was not a vaccine—they had to redefine the term in 2021 to shove that experimental gene therapy down our throats, calling it “protection” instead of immunity to cover their tracks. Untested, unsafe, it unleashed turbo cancers, sudden deaths, wrecked immune systems and a trail of excess mortality, all while Big Pharma cashed in and media parrots bleated “safe and effective.” These are the same corrupt mainstream scientists and agen-

cies pulling the strings—denying the spraying, downplaying the jab harms, and labeling anyone who questions it a “conspiracy theorist.”

It’s time we push back on a complicit— and even worse, smug—media.

MARIO RUIZ Salt Lake City

Downtown Watch Party and Drone Show

Can’t wait to rent out our house for two weeks and hit the road in our motor home … all the way to the bank!

MATT THOMPSON Via Facebook

Go Utah! Greatest snow on earth. Oh wait, greatest man made slush on Earth?

DAVID WEST Via Facebook

This is like a kid at a birthday party saying theirs will be so much cooler.

NATHANIEL HAGA Via Facebook

Wonder if there will be snow here next winter, let alone 2034.

MIKE D YOUNG Via Facebook

I’m still not a fan of the logo, but it’ll be great having the Olympics back again.

DEREK JONES Via Facebook

If you keep having winters like this you are in trouble!

PAUL WAGNER Via Facebook

Yeah, I don’t see any of this Olympic stuff in Utah coming to fruition.

STAN MCMURDO Via Facebook

Maybe we should finish our civil war before inviting international visitors.

ROY TANGONAN Via Facebook

Care to sound off? Write to comments@cityweekly.net or post on our social media.

THE WATER COOLER

Which winter Olympic sport matches your personality?

Scott Renshaw

I think I’m basically a curling guy: Slow and steady, fastidious, aiming for the center of the target and ready to knock anyone who’s in my way to the side.

Zach Abend

Hockey. Takes hits, is slightly chaotic, and occasionally overcommitted to the play. Plus my wife says I’m scrappy and ready to drop the gloves.

Katherine Biele

Do they have something like the Teacups at Disneyland?

Bryan Bale

Maybe biathlon. It appeals to my affinities for solitude and precision. Though in practice, the sport isn’t solitary enough for me.

Mike Ptaschinski

Curling—I aim for a good spot to end up in. Occasionally I drift off-course, needing a little push to get back on track. Other times, I’ve been told to slow down and enjoy the ride. Only rarely have I been swept off my feet, though I’ve been given the brush-off many times.

Paula Saltas

I want Snoop Dogg’s commentator job. I can be funny and likable and can interview people like no other. Just give me the chance.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

Colored Egg Prayers

This morning, I cracked two eggs into the frying pan. One egg was brown, the other was the color of my grandmother’s eyes—teal blue.

When I was young, the only egg color was white. But sometimes, a local farmer would deliver a dozen brown eggs. How exotic they were!

Gradually, brown eggs began showing up more commonly in grocery stores, to the point that their exotic nature waned and it became accepted that they cost more, for some unknown reason.

My grandmother said it was because brown eggs tasted better. Maybe. However, I’ve eaten tens of thousands of eggs in my life, many of them brown eggs, and I couldn’t tell the difference if my farm depended on it. It doesn’t help that most of those thousands of eggs were smothered in cheese and dripping with Tabasco sauce.

Same goes for my wine palate, upon which wine falls immediately after the dipping of crostini into a ragu of ethnic spices and mysterious vegetable shards. The Venn diagram of my egg palate and my red wine palate are a perfect circle. I really am not an egg snob.

As I opened the teal blue egg, I recalled a childhood memory of my first encounter with one. My grandmother’s brother, Arthur Caldwell, had a home on Redwood Road in Riverton. Like many Riverton folk, he raised chickens. It was most likely he who delivered the occasional brown eggs to our home in Bingham Canyon.

One day, my grandmother—a dedicated subscriber to the Deseret News, from which she would read the weekly Church Bulletin, and little else—exclaimed that I had to come and see something on those blessed pages. In one of

the news sections—not, I must make clear, in the Church Bulletin section—was a picture of my Great Uncle Arthur marveling before a cluster of what were described to be green and blue eggs, a sight rarely seen.

I’d seen baby chicks at Easter time in all kinds of rainbow colors. It used to be quite the thing to buy red, purple or green Easter chicks, for some reason. I’d never heard of green or blue eggs, however. Thus explains why my grandmother was so proud of her brother.

The thing is, though, the Deseret News was a blackand-white newspaper. The photo was in monochrome. I never actually saw those blue and green eggs, but I never doubted that the Deseret News would be truthful about such a thing.

Those were the good old days, when trust and newspapering were eggs of the same clutch. No longer.

Too few among us trust the media these days. Heck, you might even be thinking that I made up the story of Arthur Caldwell’s blue eggs. I wouldn’t blame you. I guess you could rummage a decade’s worth of Deseret News archives to find if it’s true.

But I might be hallucinating, and may have mistaken that it was actually a story from The Salt Lake Tribune instead, which is possible because my own family subscribed to that newspaper. However, my grandfather was of the breed of men who left for their shift work in the early hours and thus, like many other copper miners, he subscribed to the afternoon Deseret News despite it being “the Mormon Paper,” all the while holding his nose while reading it.

His pattern was to fully ignore the Church News section, and he taught me early on to also skip the Deseret’s opinion pages. As he would point out, both papers deliver the same weather report, so little else mattered, per honesty, anyway.

That’s funny to me for a couple reasons. Today, it’s gotten so bad—and I’ve had this validated dozens of times— that I will post something on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Threads) and quickly my trolling naysay-

ers will proclaim (just before I block them) “Yeah, right. That’s from (fill in the blank)! They are biased! They hate Trump!” They outright ignore that what I’ve shared was a generic, non-partisan newsclip, or a widely viewed, unbiased video.

Too many folks have become so trapped in their media bubbles that they will only believe what their bias lets them see in the first place. They scream, “I did my research,” but we all know they did not. They just looked in the mirror.

That’s a rather crappy way to be. Lying is a big industry, elevating unprincipled and indecent men like Donald Trump and Mike Lee into positions of power. Somewhere, we lost trust that a black-and-white photo of blue eggs was actually factual.

We fall for anything. Everyone, all at once, is claimed to be lying. Which is a lie.

I currently wear a hat—given to me by fellow Bingham Boy and lover of all things legal and truthful, Ron Yengich—that says, “Make Lying Wrong Again.” Yes. It’s about time.

Make lying wrong, folks, make lying wrong. Rinse, wash, repeat. Make lying wrong. Don’t be a Pam Bondi. Be honest. Don’t lie.

Like my grandfather said, the Deseret News couldn’t lie about the weather. Each day, he’d write in a little notebook the high and low temperature of the day. I never knew why he did that, but I guess that was his version of an internet archive.

I’m eating my teal egg now, gooped up with leftover pasta sauce and homemade salsa. It tastes like a regular egg. Outside, my finches and doves are feeding and there’s zero snow on the ground. The City Weekly weather banner says to expect a bit of rain and snow over the next 24 hours.

I believe that. But I don’t believe that the prayers of Spencer Cox had anything to do with it, no matter where it was reported. CW

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE |

MISS: City Slickers

On one hand, the Legislature wants all of the power. On the other hand, they’re happy to give it to developers. Those pesky voters just stand in the way of the people with big brains—you know, the ones you elected and the ones with all the money. At least some voters near Moab are having none of it and are suing to eliminate a special law. Passed in 2024, SB258 provides something called “preliminary municipality status.” In other words, a corporation with land holdings can set itself up as a city or town with the authority to adopt zoning and infrastructure decisions. Kane Creek Development Watch and the environmental nonprofit Living Rivers claim the law is unconstitutional. Echo Canyon—a proposed 176-acre, mixed-use development—is the first such project in Utah. The public appears to oppose it, despite the law being wrapped in affordable housing needs.

HIT: Lakeshore Property

Is it or isn’t it? That is the question surrounding HB523, filed by House Majority Leader Casey Snider, which would shut the door on any homeless shelter of 300 beds or more. He’s talking about the proposed homeless “campus” near Northpoint that the governor hails as a way to disappear so many of those unsightly unhoused people. But wait. Snider and House Speaker Mike Schultz might just be kidding, calling the bill a bargaining chip to make sure officials are looking at the long-term sustainability of the Great Salt Lake. Of course, there are some land swaps involved, too. The idea is to create a buffer around the lake—something the homeless campus doesn’t appear to have. Elected officials and landowners who stand to benefit financially say the negotiations are “sensitive” and “complicated,” and so the people of Utah really need to be kept in the dark. Snider’s bill holds a glimmer of light.

MISS: Wild West

The theme for this week appears to be the public being left out of decisionmaking. Just ask two west-side lawmakers who have fielded questions from constituents, concerned that the 1,300-bed homeless gulag will be coming to their neighborhood. This “campus” is proposed in Salt Lake City’s Northpoint area and residents worry about its scale and longevity, not to mention its effect on the Great Salt Lake’s wetlands. Locations near “empty” lands are always development favorites and often affect the west side of Salt Lake. You can call it NIMBYism, but residents deserve a seat at the table. Public input on any major development should be a right. To that end, the west-side lawmakers have proposed bills to add a community representative to the Homeless Services Board, to provide a tax credit to nearby homeowners and to require the board to make plans for staffing and transportation.

Rights and Wrongs

My youngest is 10 and trans. Knowing that, perhaps readers will understand my frustration with the Utah Legislature these last few years, as they trample over my child’s health care. This session is worse than ever. In addition to HB17— further restrictions on hormone therapies for kids—HB193 would prohibit public money from supporting genderaffirming care, including public employees on government health plans.

House Speaker Mike Schultz, RHooper, recently told the Deseret News that, “Kids should not be transitioning. Period. End of story. Minors should not be transitioning. Period. End of story.”

Science says Schultz is wrong. Period. End of story.

I emailed Schultz, telling him about my kid and trying to understand his view. To his credit, the speaker responded. “I’ve spoken with many Utahns on both sides of this issue and feel strongly this is the right policy for Utah,” he said. “Even though we don’t agree on this issue, I respect you and your family and appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective.”

Naturally, he can’t respect my family and still want to rob my kid of access to medical care that’s scientifically proven to lead to a happier life. I got the impression Schultz doesn’t actually know anyone who’s transgender. I offered to take him to lunch with my kid, but Schultz never responded.

I’m just a dad, so I called Rep. Grant Miller, D-Salt Lake City, who reminded me this is a hard road. “Every session, we see more and more bills that target the trans community. And they just keep coming, they don’t stop,” he observed. “It breaks my heart.”

Miller suggested most legislators have a philosophy built on cable news. The question is how to break through. He explained that as much as lawmakers elevate our blood pressure, they want what’s best—they simply don’t understand many of the people they represent. “They earnestly think they’re doing something good, even when it’s exceedingly harmful,” Miller said. “How do you educate someone that’s never met anyone who’s trans? It’s exposure.”

Unfortunately, that can be difficult and demoralizing, but there are tools available. Every legislator has a listed email and phone number. When these bills go for a vote, contact them. Be polite about how the laws affect you.

Miller let me in on the secret. “There’s this Utah way of talking,” he said, “with a very calm and steady demeanor—even though it’s next to impossible when you feel like you’re being erased by legislation. But the matter-of-fact recitation of facts and stories is really impactful. The Legislature responds well to that. While it doesn’t feel like it has an impact, the aggregate of it actually does.”

I might feel helpless trying to protect my kid, but I’ll keep at it. And if Speaker Schultz sees this, that lunch is still on the table. I just want what’s best for my kid and—spoken with a calm, steady demeanor—science is on my side here. CW

A&E

The Truth Is Out There

Two new theater productions explore women trying to understand their own history.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net

@scottrenshaw

Figuring yourself out is complicated enough under ordinary circumstances; it certainly doesn’t get any easier when the history that shaped you is clouded by lies and misrepresentations. In two current local theater productions, protagonists find themselves struggling to have their lives make sense when they feel that the truth is being buried or twisted.

For Becky Nurse (Teresa Sanderson)—the heroine of Sarah Ruhl’s Becky Nurse of Salem —that history goes back centuries, to an ancestor of Becky’s who was among the defendants in the notorious “witch trials” of Salem, Mass. A lifelong resident of Salem herself, Becky works as a docent in the local museum dedicated to that history while dealing with plenty of challenges in her personal life: raising her teenage granddaughter, Gail (Lily Hilden), who has spent time in a psy-

Teresa Sanderson in Becky Nurse of Salem

CoCo May Berwald in Sunny in the Dark

chiatric hospital; navigating a relationship with her married high-school sweetheart, Bob (David Hanson); dealing with an addiction to opioids; and oh yeah, maybe losing that aforementioned museum job.

That’s a lot for any person to bear, and for a little while, it feels as though Becky Nurse of Salem might buckle under the weight of so many targets of Becky’s (and, frankly, the playwright’s) ire. Morag Shepherd’s direction also sometimes points the audience in multiple directions at once, as supporting characters are frequently engaging in actions on the periphery of Becky’s existence—“witches” gyrating to mysterious forces, or someone writing on the ground as other characters enter and exit Becky’s presence. From the way Arthur Miller’s The Crucible misrepresented certain key facts of the witch panic history to the “lock her up” chants clearly echoing the 2016 presidential campaign to pharmaceutical companies, the play has a lot of anger to go around.

However, as the second act centers on Becky facing a possible trial of her own, Ruhl finds a metaphor that pulls the pieces together. Becky herself wonders if she is the victim of some sort of “curse” resulting from her family history, and in a manner of speaking, that proves to be true: It’s the curse faced by women throughout history who don’t conform to a particular standard. Sanderson does a great job capturing Becky’s contrary nature as a personal integ-

rity that simultaneously makes her the sort of “nasty woman” that ends up on the receiving end of plenty of societal body blows. This woman gets her day in a Salem court with more of a chance for justice than her predecessor, but it’s a hard road to get there.

There’s not quite as much historical complexity in the search for truth undertaken by 15-year-old Sunny Hadley (CoCo May Berwald) in Elaine Jarvik’s world-premiere play Sunny in the Dark , but it’s a matter that’s just as crucial to her: She just wants to know her own origin story. While her mother (Alexandra Harbold) begins a campaign for school board opposing a conservative book-banner in a conservative community, Sunny renews her interest in knowing about her absent biological father, a story her mom has never explained. So she imagines potential father figures beyond that of her own stepfather (Paul Mulder), including the form of the physicist/author (Matthew Ivan Bennett) whose descriptions of the beginnings of the universe have begun to fascinate her.

Like Becky Nurse, Sunny in the Dark certainly has a bit of an edge in its voice regarding certain societal issues, most specifically those surrounding the school board campaign and the need for Sunny’s mother to present the appropriate “values.” Director Marion Markham navigates that territory with some playful direction that never allows the story to dip into didacticism, and manages to fold the nature of God and the

universe into Sunny’s personal story in a way that centers the human need—as Sunny phrases it early on—to “make stuff up to make ourselves feel better.”

And it’s a truly lovely performance by Berwald at that center, conveying awkwardness, intelligence and curiosity in a perfect balance. Her steadying presence gives a face and voice to the “children” people talk about in the abstract when referring to “protecting the children,” in a way that robs them of their autonomy and need to understand their world. In a sense, Sunny in the Dark mostly becomes a tale about trying to make sense of the seeming randomness of creation in a way that centers individual connections and humanity rather than dogma. In the face of mystery, chaos and ignorance, it’s only love that makes it all worth living.

CW

BECKY NURSE OF SALEM Pygmalion Productions Rose Wagner Center Black Box 138 W. 300 South Through Feb. 21 pygmalionproductions.org

SUNNY IN THE DARK Salt Lake Acting Company 168 W. 500 North Through March 1 saltlakeactingcompany.org

theESSENTIALS

Mad King Productions: She Kills Monsters

The world of fantasy role-playing games has been a fascinating one for more than 50 years, inspiring “satanic scare” concern from conservative groups while offering players rich opportunities for exploration—including the chance for people to take on personas that might not correspond obviously to their real-world selves, for a variety of reasons.

Among those who saw the dramatic potential in the RPG milieu is playwright Qui Nguyen, in the 2011 dramatic comedy She Kills Monsters. It tells the story of Agnes, a woman who loses her parents and younger sister Tilly in a car accident. In an attempt to better know the sibling to whom she had never been particularly close, Agnes begins reading Tilly’s journals chronicling her Dungeons & Dragons campaigns—and the events of the play begin shifting back and forth between the real world and Tilly’s gaming adventures, including conveying the way those adventures allowed Tilly to investigate her sexuality in a world of ogres, fairies and other strange creatures. Mad King Productions’ presentation of the play adds an additional twist to the story by casting two completely different casts to perform on alternate nights, so that buying a ticket becomes its own kind of “choose your adventure” experience.

Mad King Productions’ She Kills Monsters comes to the company’s Fellowship Theater at The Gateway (167 S. Rio Grande) Feb. 19 – March 8, with performances Thursday – Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 student; visit madkingproductionslc.com to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Living Planet Aquarium Science Learning Center grand opening

The 25-plus-year history of The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium has been one of ambitious dreams and growth, from the traveling science van of 1999 to a small preview space in The Gateway, from a facility in Sandy to the current home in Draper. After reaching the landmark of its 10 millionth guest last spring, The Living Planet is celebrating the latest expansion of its mission with the grand opening of the long-awaited Sam & Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center, adjacent to the current Draper space, which will make it the nation’s fifth largest aquarium.

In addition to becoming the new home for the Ford Expedition Asia habitat— which will house existing guests like the Asian Small-Clawed Otters and Komodo Dragon, plus new exhibits like a Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo (pictured)—the building will include a large event space, as well as classrooms and laboratories for an Education Hub to host student visits and summer camps. “[It] represents far more than an expansion of our space,” says Living Planet CEO/founder Brent Anderson of the new center. “With this new building, we’ll be able to reach more students, inspire deeper connections to our living planet, and strengthen our impact in our community. … I’m excited to see the impact this space will have on every visitor who comes through its doors.”

The Science Learning Center grand opening takes place Friday, Feb. 20 at The Living Planet Aquarium (12033 S. Lone Peak Pkwy, Draper), and will be open to guests during regular operating hours thereafter. Visit livingplanetaquarium.org to make reservations, purchase tickets and for additional venue information. (SR)

MON-SAT: 11AM - 8PM SUNDAY: 11AM - 6PM 385-432-3600

theESSENTIALS

David Archuleta: Devout

In 2008, David Archuleta became one of the most visible members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the world. His successful stint to the runner-up position on the seventh season of American Idol—when he was just 17 years old—showcased his killer voice and a boy-next-door personality that won over plenty of fans. More than a decade of recording success followed, briefly interrupted by a church mission to Chile, but Archuleta stunned many of his fans when he came out as queer in 2021, and in 2023 he eventually acknowledged leaving the church.

It’s a complicated story of reconciling celebrity, sexuality and faith, and Archuleta finally shares it all in his new memoir, Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself. He describes his experience on American Idol, his complicated relationship with his father and the emotional turmoil of his path towards leaving the religion of his childhood. “I had to recondition almost everything I learned or was taught to believe, and that process can be challenging,” Archuleta shares. “This is a story about finding courage within yourself during your absolute darkest moment to persevere and become who you truly are.”

David Archuleta appears in a promotional event for the Feb. 17 release of Devout at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts auditorium (410 Campus Center Dr.) on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in conversation with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jessi Draper. The event also will include performance of a new song from the tie-in EP also titled Devout. Tickets are $37.51, and cost includes a copy of the book, plus photo line. Visit kingsenglish.com for Eventbrite ticketing link. (SR)

Dying in Darkness

All the President’s Men turns 50, and the Washington Post ceases to be a newspaper.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026—the day I re-watched All the President’s Men for this piece—the Washington Post effectively ceased to be a newspaper. Reasonable arguments could be made that the firing of hundreds of staffers was just the final death rattle of a long terminal illness, but the paper that brought down a corrupt president was no more. It was the paper owned by the guy who paid $75 million to distribute a documentary about the wife of a corrupt president.

All the President’s Men has often been described as a celebration of “shoe-leather journalism,” and you can see that pretty literally as the story plays out. Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) spend time walking door to door, flying across the country, meeting potential sources in hallways, on their front porches, in parking garages. And there is a lot of phone calling. Like, a lot of phone calling.

Yet that’s really only part of what makes this movie a fascinating document of what a particular challenge investigative journalism was 50 years ago. When a source suggests that one possible conspirator had checked out a lot of books on the Ken

nedys, Woodward and Bernstein have to thumb through stacks of analog library catalog cards—and the whole thing turns out to be a dead end. Later, when they find a check with the unfamiliar name “Kenneth H. Dahlberg,” there’s no Internet to search in order to figure out who this guy is. Woodward starts thumbing through literal phone books trying to find the name, and it’s only when a Post researcher finds a photo that he’s able to narrow the search to Minneapolis. You even get a sense for how important local journalism, local contacts and local beats are, when you realize how many breaks in the story came because someone the reporters knew once went on a date with someone who said too much, or what guy they know in the FBI.

By all logic, the kind of stuff I’m describing should not yield an interesting movie to watch, yet it is absolutely that. Director Alan J. Pakula’s visual flourishes are few, like the famous snap zoom on Redford’s

as he fears he’s being followed on the street, or the frequent shots that emphasize the reporters’ smallness relative to the world they’re investigating. Yet the structure almost turns the narrative into a heist picture in which we’re watching con artists try to make their Big Score in the face of impossible odds—and in some cases, con jobs are literally what Woodward and Bernstein are attempting, as they try to coax confirmations out of reluctant sources by suggesting they already have certain information. As much as this is a procedural about nuts-and-bolts old-school journalism—including the editorial meetings in which editor Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards) pushes Woodward and Bernstein to nail down more details—it’s also a profoundly satisfying piece of entertainment.

Granted, some of that satisfaction comes from the knowledge that someone in power was actually held to account—a satisfaction for which we get a proxy in the movie

as Robards’ Bradlee walks away from the conversation with Woodward and Bernstein about confirming Attorney General John Mitchell’s involvement in the conspiracy, and allows himself a little victory clap. A mong the more memorable lines given to Hal Holbrook’s Deep Throat is one knocking down the mythology of power in the W hite House: “These are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.” Finding out about those things takes a commitment to the idea that nothing matters more than the truth and that nobody is above the law.

All the President’s Men isn’t a mystery, a notion made clear by the fact that it begins with the actual Watergate break-in; this is a thing that happened, which there is no denying. It’s a story about the dogged gathering of information, the kind of thing that once mattered to a paper with the motto “Democracy dies in darkness,” before the guy who owns it decided to turn out the lights. CW

Pregaming the Games

Downtown watch party starts the clock on an eight-year slide to the 2034 Olympics.

BY GRACE X. MAYA

Milan’s opening ceremonies technically took place in the early morning, mountain time. But Salt Lake residents waited until nightfall to gather together and kick off their Olympic celebrations with a party downtown.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall led the festivities—including a countdown to relight the 2002 Olympic cauldron outside of Rice-Eccles Stadium—before heading to Italy herself.

Still, amid the party atmosphere, some were considering the work the city and state still need to accomplish before 2034, when Salt Lake City will host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games for a second time. While much of the Olympic preparations, to date, have occurred behind closed doors— and will continue to do so—the downtown watch party also signaled a new era of public-facing impact as urban renovation and social programming ramp up over the next eight years.

“Hosting the Games in 2034 would elevate local communities by inspiring and igniting a passion for Olympic and Paralympic values, especially among young people,” Karl Stoss, chair of the Future Host Commission, said in a recent presentation to the

Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “The Games would foster unity in the community by embracing diversity, equity and inclusion in all Games-related activities and sharing a common purpose to welcome the world.”

Friday’s watch party served as a showcase of Salt Lake and Utah culture. In addition to Mendenhall’s address, the University of Utah cheerleaders and marching band performed. Mascots from the Mammoth and Bees, among others, played rockpaper-scissors and took selfies with the crowd beneath a drone show.

And much like the attendees in Milan, Salt Lakers booed at the sight of Vice President JD Vance during the opening ceremony.

Rhonda “Honey” DuVall, a Native R&B singer, led a land acknowledgment and Jingle Dress Dance with the Urban Indian Center. DuVall said the watch party could be a taste of the city’s own Opening Ceremony in 2034.

“I would love to see our culture represented in the 2034 Olympics,” she said. “This is our land, and it would mean so much to see that honored in a real way.”

DuVall recommended the Echoing Spirit Dancers, a Salt Lake-based Native American Powwow dance group, as a valuable stakeholder. The Games could also serve as not just a showcase of Native culture, but an economic opportunity as well, she noted.

“Anytime something that big comes to the homelands of the seven tribes in Utah, it brings attention, opportunity and resources,” DuVall said. “It could create spaces where our voices are included instead of overlooked. But for me, it has to go deeper than just visibility. It has to include real partnership and respect for the tribes whose land this is.”

Updating a Legacy

Long-time residents remember the 2002 Olympic Games, which took place just months after 9/11. The Opening Ceremony included a presentation of the World Trade Center’s flag, the national anthem sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a parade of Native American nations and a flute performance led by Nino Reyos, a member of the Northern Ute and Laguna Pueblo Indian Nations.

The ceremony transformed Salt Lake City’s image from a sleepy, small town into one of the most desirable locations for outdoor sports in the world.

Utah’s Olympic legacy has grown in the 24 years since 2002. The state’s population is expected to have roughly doubled between 2002 and 2034, with a trend toward racial diversity.

A large portion of the demographic change comes from out-of-state transplants. And as of 2023, fewer than 50% of the statewide population selfidentifies as Latter-day Saint.

If Friday’s drone show was emblematic of the culture shift, the “New Utah” includes sports teams, soda bars and a growing downtown skyline.

“We hope you come before 2034,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a press conference from Milan. “We would love to host you and show you the very best Utah has to offer.”

The 2002 games also brought social updates to the state, including loosened alcohol restrictions. That legacy continues, as residents consider how to put the state’s best qualities on display.

Sophy, a Salt Lake City resident who attended the opening watch party, said her hopes for the 2034 games range from environmental progress, to social progress. She said she’d like for the state to put on a great face for the world.

“I hope we can get more water in the [Great Salt] Lake so we can show it off to all our visitors,” Sophy said. “I want to provide a really welcoming environment to everyone no matter where they’re from, and change our liquor laws so they’re a little more open.”

A large part of Utah’s 2034 pitch was the presence of pre-existing facilities from the 2002 games, with the assertion that no new Olympic venues need to be built. The low development costs improved the popularity of a second Olympics for fiscal conservatives. Still, venue renovations and upgrades to transportation infrastructure, planned in conjunction with the upcoming games, will incur significant taxpayer cost.

“I think we’ll try to continue to try to make our venues better,” Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said during a recent press conference. “Do we have to? No, we’re ready. Will we? I think there’s options.”

Sen. Karen Kwan, D-West Valley, echoed that sentiment. Her district includes the Utah Olympic Oval, which is expected to host speed skating and other events, as it did in 2002.

“I can guarantee there will be some improvements to make sure our venues are the prettiest and the best they can be in 2034,” Kwan said.

Some of the Olympic athletes will undoubtedly save on travel costs. Several of the nation’s winter teams are based in or regularly practice in Utah, and the state sent nearly a dozen resident athletes to Milan this year, including three University of Utah students. Many athletic organizations, including Utah’s figure skating leagues and Park City’s National Ability Center, also hope to prepare young athletes who will compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Thirty-one athletes with ties to the University of Utah will be competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics this month,” a University of Utah press release bragged. “In fact, the U ranks No. 1 among all U.S. colleges and universities represented at the Milano Cortina Games.”

Trouble at Home

For some Utahns, preparing for 2034 includes building a state that is representative of Utah’s changing demographics. It’s not yet known whether a Republican-led push to repeal Proposition 4 will appear on the ballot, and current court rulings would see Salt Lake County voters electing their own congressional representative under a map that replaced the Legislature’s unlawful gerrymander.

Lehi resident Angie Parkin attended the watch party on behalf of Decline to Sign, urging people not to add their names to the Republican Party’s anti-Prop 4 petitions.

“We’re trying to get the word out,” Parkin said. “The paid people brought in from out of state, they’re telling lies about what it is.”

Signature gatherers for the Republican repeal effort have garnered criticism—and some legal scrutiny—for confusing rhetoric and alleged forgeries. Parkin is one of the many unpaid private citizens involved with Decline to Sign, and she said she saw the downtown gathering as an opportunity to reach a lot of voters at once.

“People should choose our politicians, not the other way around,” Parkin remarked. “The people have already spoken.”

The city’s aesthetics ahead of the Olympics are also a topic of contention. Mendenhall’s vision includes major renovations to the streetscape, in-

cluding the creation of a “Green Loop,” encircling downtown. The plan and other efforts to make Salt Lake’s public spaces more walkable has come under threat through bills like SB242, which would roll back existing bike and bus lanes, mandating that car traffic be prioritized in the capital city.

“People see concrete, paint and changes they’re not used to,” City Council Chairman Alejandro Puy said of opposition to recent street safety projects. “The real motivation here is to prevent people from getting hurt.”

Utah has repeatedly pitched the 2034 Games as a catalyst for youth engagement, environmental sustainability and public unity. DuVall sees the promotion of Indigenous culture as complimentary to those goals.

“I want the world to know that we are still here. We are not just something you read about in a history book or see in a museum,” DuVall stressed.

She said that she’s seen, first-hand, a resurgence of Native language learning and cultural teaching, particularly among this generation of children. “I want people to see us as we are today,” she said. “Not just as we were in the past.”

Tragically, for some, the Utah Olympics are coming too soon. Amelia and her friend Artie are both age 4. While they’ve been skiing for a combined three years, they’ll be too young in 2034 for the U.S. ski team’s minimum age cutoff of 17.

“Watch this,” Amelia said, before demonstrating a zero spin on the grass outside the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Residents who missed the opening watch party will still be able to catch public Olympic screenings through Feb. 22, outside the downtown library on 200 East, and then again for Paralympics coverage from March 6 to March 15. CW

Feelin’ It at Felt

This downtown

nightspot

is making all the right moves.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

My annual game of playing catchup with Utah’s James Beard Award semifinalists has begun, and as usual, it’s made me acutely aware of all the cool stuff I’ve missed. (I just had a kid, so give me a break, will ya?) The biggest name on the list that I had yet to visit was Felt Bar & Eatery, so I decided to make a visit to this buzzy Main Street spot a priority.

En route to my destination, I passed the site where a considerable chunk of downtown businesses were gutted by the fire that ripped through the area last year. This particular stretch of Main Street between Broadway and University Avenue has long been a proving ground for upand-coming talent. The handful of bars and restaurants that remain seem to operate with an air of reverent vigil for their fallen comrades.

My friend and I got a table near Felt’s front windows, which offers an excellent spot to watch the traffic of Main Street unfold. The bar itself occupies the center of the space, and it’s ground zero for Felt’s particular brand of hip vibes and confident self expression—a hopeful, positive energy radiates from here and circulates among the surrounding tables and booths.

Felt’s menu is a character study of international flavors, and perhaps nowhere is that more evident than the passport cocktails. The mind reels at each cocktail’s succinct distillation of its chosen destination. For example, the Capetown, South Africa ($17) mixes a blend of rum with a pimento dram, citrusy orange bitters and a butternut squash foam topped off with

brown butter and a bit of cinnamon. Next to the Rome, Italy ($17), you’ll find a descriptor that reads “tastes like pizza.” It’s a gin, Aperol and vermouth combo dressed with sundried tomato jam and burrata cheese foam. It does indeed taste like pizza, and its aperol notes provide a subtle nod to Italy’s signature aperitif

As impressive and tempting as Felt’s line of passport cocktails are, the bar also serves up a selection of traditional classics like martinis, highballs, beer on tap and wine by the glass. Felt even has a non-alcoholic menu, which features plenty of well-curated flavor profiles itself. I’m always a sucker for an old fashioned, and Felt’s Honey Bunches ($18) makes good use of High West’s bourbon and rye by mixing it with some toasted oat honey and a bit of black walnut. It’s a sweet, smoky take on the old fashioned, and I highly recommend it.

The food menu at Felt is also a prime example of the location’s affection for international flavors, and the raw bar section is absolutely no joke. Scorched sablefish ($22) with ponzu, mango miso and cucumber wasabi is a buttery, citrusy delight, while the filet and marrow tartare ($22) come at you from the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s a rich, meaty situation highlighted by beer mustard and black truffles.

Felt’s sharables present some familiar bar snacks that have been appropriately turned on their ear. The red crab cakes ($22) stick to their Southern roots with a creole remoulade, but the lemon gelee and smoked trout roe hike up the swank factor considerably. The crab cake is sweet and wonderfully crispy, while the citrus notes from the gelee and smoked roe veer into sushi territory.

The grilled chicken wings ($20) are also prime examples of Felt’s ability to take something simple and dress it up with all kinds of class. The sauce on these wings is a bourbon buffalo, a house-made affair that immediately snares the taste buds and makes them stand at attention.

Instead of ranch and grocery store crudité, the wings are drizzled with whipped goat cheese and served with pickled jalapeños.

Outside of the sharables and raw bar, Felt offers sandwiches like its popular elk burger ($30) and lobster roll ($27), but my friend and I were a bit more enamored with the large plates. Though my eyes wandered up and down the list for a good amount of time, it was the fried chicken congee ($28) that kept capturing my attention.

For starters, I think it’s a baller move for a bar to serve congee. This Chinese rice porridge is widely considered to be an excellent hangover cure because it’s warm, comforting and hydrating. Having it on the food menu is like the promise of a warm blanket for those who maybe get a little overzealous with the cocktails. The fried chicken thigh is excellent—crispy and flavorful on its own, while enhancing the congee’s existing mushroom-forward flavors. The dish also has an ever-so-gentle pop of heat from the ginger-serrano chimichurri. In short, this is a healing dish.

My friend went with the wagyu and frites ($48), and Felt’s take on this is a success. Obviously the wagyu sirloin is a lovely cut of meat, and it’s served with the kitchen’s crispy fries. There’s no shame in eating the sirloin as is, but those who like their steaks served with a few wellcomposed condiments will be pleased with the salsa macha compound butter, the ghost pepper aioli and the roasted poblano and corn chimichurri. On top of a fine-tuned, internationally inspired menu that is executed with near perfection, Felt Bar & Eatery simply exudes vitality. The service is lively and accommodating, the vibes are immaculate and it’s the kind of place where the hours between arrival and last call simply melt away. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

New Release: Timberline West Coast IPA

Avenues Proper

376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com

On Tap: White Out - White Stout

Bewilder Brewing

445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com

On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Bohemian Brewery

94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com

NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier

Bonneville Brewery

1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com

On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

Chappell Brewing

2285 S Main Street

Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer

On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Craft by Proper

1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com

On Tap: Paradise Lost - dry hopped rice lager

Grid City Beer Works

333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com

On Tap: Barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale

Heber Valley Brewing

501 N. Main Street, Heber City, UT hebervalleybrewing.com

On Tap: Freshly canned - ‘435’ American Pale Ale 6% ABV

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co.

1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Coffee & Cream Stout

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Kiitos Brewing Sugar House Bar 1533 S. 1100 East, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Japanese Style Rice Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: Vienna Lager

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

Freshly canned: The Last Dance Lager

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: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale)

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

On Tap: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale)

Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com

On Tap: Gypsy Scratch

Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com

On Tap: Grand Bavaria

Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com

Desert Edge Brewery

273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com

On Tap: Edge’s Special Bitter ESB

Epic Brewing Co.

825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com

On Tap: Tropical Chasing Ghosts IPA

Etta Place Cidery

700 W Main St, Torrey EttaPlaceCider.com

On Tap: All-American Blend Cider, MangoHabanero Session Mead

Fisher Brewing Co.

320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com

On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com

On Tap: El Santo Mexican Lager

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com

On Tap:  “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com

On Tap: Nuts About Cherry (cherry almond hard cider)

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Bramble Brown

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Dunkel Dan

BEER NERD

West Coast, Best Coast?

Chasing the style that defined American IPAs.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

This week’s theme is West Coast IPAs. This IPA style is defined by malt, dryness and assertive hop character. Unlike hazy or juice-forward IPAs, the focus here is on bitterness, structure and crisp drinkability that leans into resinous territory. Here are two examples you should look out for.

Desert Edge - Distortion Double IPA: This West Coast double IPA pours exactly the way the style promises, and the way hop-lovers hope: a glowing, burnished amber with excellent clarity that signals classic intent. One look at the glass and you already know what direction this beer is headed, and the aroma confirms it. The nose is old-school West Coast— earthy and resinous up front, layered with fresh pine needles and a measured dose of citrus zest. It’s expressive without being brash, suggesting power while still leaving room for nuance.

On the first sip, the flavors track closely with the aroma. Pine and earth lead the charge, followed by a bright but controlled citrus note that reads more orange peel than juice. The hop character feels familiar and comforting rather than trendy, a nod to a time when West Coast meant structure, bitterness and balance rather than palate-scorching excess. What really stands out, though, is the mouthfeel. For a beer that leans so hop-forward, it’s surprisingly creamy and smooth, giving the beer a rounded texture that softens the edges and keeps everything in check. That creaminess doesn’t linger too long before the hops reassert themselves. The piney, resinous qualities return mid-palate, drying things out just enough to remind you this is still a double IPA. Despite the assertive aroma, the bitterness is more restrained than expected, allowing the malt backbone and alcohol to stay well-

integrated rather than overshadowed.

Verdict: At 9.0 percent ABV, this beer drinks impressively well for the style. It delivers the strength and character you expect from a West Coast double IPA without becoming hot, harsh or overwhelming. Balanced, classic and thoughtfully executed, it’s a textbook example of how powerful hops and drinkability can coexist in the same glass.

2 Row - Timberline: Built on a hop bill of El Dorado, Amarillo, Citra and Simcoe, the aroma wastes no time making its intentions clear. One swirl releases a bold, unmistakable WCIPA nose—bright citrus oil, resinous pine and a touch of dankness that immediately pulls you in. Grapefruit zest leaps forward first, backed by subtle tropical hints and that familiar Simcoe edge that keeps things grounded and classic.

The first sip delivers exactly what the aroma promises: a solid, no-nonsense swig that leans into structure and bitterness without losing balance. A light caramel note from the malt backbone shows up early, adding just enough sweetness and chew to keep the hops from running wild. It’s not sugary or heavy—more of a gentle counterweight that gives the beer some depth and staying power.

Mid-palate is where the hops really stretch out. Chewy grapefruit peel takes center stage, bringing a pithy, almost mouth-coating bitterness that feels deliberate and satisfying. Pine follows closely behind, lending a crisp, resinous snap that reinforces the West Coast identity. The interplay between citrus and pine feels dialed-in rather than chaotic, showcasing how well these hops work together when handled with restraint. As the beer finishes, it dries out beautifully. The lingering bitterness hangs around just long enough to invite another sip without becoming abrasive.

Verdict: At 7.1% ABV, this IPA is clean, expressive and true to style; this is a West Coast IPA that doesn’t chase trends. Instead, it leans into what makes the style great: aroma, bitterness, balance and a finish that keeps you coming back for more.

Timberline looks to be part of 2 Row’s regular line-up, so no hurry, but it’s super-fresh right now. However, Distortion IPA is a very limited batch and can only be found at Desert Edge Brewing in Trolley Square. As always, cheers! CW

BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Left Fork Grill Announces Closure

After 20 years in business, Left Fork Grill (leftforkgrillslc.com) has announced that it’s closing its doors. The news came via a post on the restaurant’s Instagram (@leftforkgrillslc) account, which stated that April 5 will be the restaurant’s last day in business. This South Salt Lake diner was always a great place to stop in for a wide range of comfort-food classics and became known for having one of the best selections of pie on the Wasatch Front. The cozy vibes and classic menu were created by Chef Jeff Masten, a veteran of Utah’s food scene whose culinary career included stints at The Roof, Market Street Grill and Red Rock Brewing. Make sure to pop in before April for one last slice of pie.

Heber Valley Railroad Wine Tasting Experience

It’s been the kind of balmy winter where the idea of kicking back with a glass of red while enjoying alpine views from the comfort of a crawling train sounds pretty nice. If you’re a like-minded individual, then you’ll want to check out the Heber Valley Railroad’s (hebertrain.com) Wine Tasting Experience on Feb. 21. Starting at 7 p.m., the railroad’s lounge car will be the site of a five-course wine tasting. The evening’s wine selection has been specifically curated with a variety of regional flavors to sample. Each table will also be provided with a shared cheese board, so sipping, munching and bubbly conversation will be pretty much guaranteed.

Mini Tarts Class at City Creek Kneaders

The City Creek Kneaders location (28 State St.) will be hosting a kid-friendly mini tart class on Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. Parents can join their kiddos while they get a rundown of how Kneaders prepares its mini fruit tarts, and then take a crack at it themselves. Each attendee will get six tart shells and all the ingredients necessary to make some cute little mini tarts. Ticket holders will also get a fountain drink and kid’s meal, and the store’s retail collections will be 20% off for parents who want to do a bit of shopping while their kids get creative.

Quote of the Week: “Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.” —Jane Austen

Music Mailbag February 2026

New releases from

Number

One Babe Team, Ritt Momney, frick. and Keep Close.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

The year is going by steadily, and the new releases are coming just the same. Everyone has the creative juices flowing, and listeners get to reap the benefits. Here are some new releases you need to check out.

Number One Babe Team, “r.i.p 2 u & me”: In time for Valentine’s Day and Friday the 13th, Number One Babe Team appropriately released their latest single, “r.i.p. 2 u & me.” The track processes hurt, confusion and frustration after a particularly devastating breakup through comedic horrorthemed allegory. “Six years ago, a romantic partner and I broke up, which resulted not only in the end of the relationship, but the end of the band I was in,” said frontman Austin Rian. “I wrote the song in one hour in the dead of night on acoustic guitar. Once I gave myself permission to truly express what I was feeling, the song just fell out of me. I needed to get it out of my system.” Even without hearing the background of this song, you get the twinges of sadness in its tone. The music itself gives Midwest emo vibes, and of course the lyrics are about a breakup, so there’s emotion there too. The cheekiness of the horror references do make the song a lot of fun, offering a mix of sensibilities. It’s a perfect Friday the 13th jam, but if you missed last

week’s, you still have a chance in March to celebrate with this fun track.

Ritt Momney, BASE: There are times in life when you just have to start over. It sucks, but there are many circumstances wherein chances to change things present themselves. Jack Rutter, who performs as SLC’s beloved Ritt Momney, had to face some pretty serious stuff with the release of his newest album BASE.

“To make BASE, Jack Rutter had to let go of everything,” reads the album description. “He had to get to the point where he thought he might quit music, forever. Tear everything down and build it all up again.

Rutter’s story is one of reinventing yourself.” Rutter had a lot of success with previous releases, even making it onto Billboard’s top 100 list. Despite this, Rutter found himself falling out of love with music. Recently, Rutter has bought a house, gotten married and gotten serious about music again. “In other words,” the description continues, “he’s made a life for himself. A life where he has created the perfect environment to make new music. BASE is the product of this freedom.” BASE has a bedroom lo-fi feel that’s welcoming and comforting; it feels like listening to a friend jam when you go to their house for an afternoon. Weird and cool electronic effects mix in with Rutter’s beautiful vocals. It also radiates the passion that Rutter worked hard to bring back into his life. Be sure to catch BASE when it releases Friday, Feb. 27.

frick., but it’s actually other people playing our songs again: SLC punk rockers frick. are back with more wacky and fun antics. “A couple years ago, we had the crazy idea of asking a bunch of strangers online to cover a frick. song

MUSIC

in whichever style they wanted,” frick. explains on BandCamp. “It went really well, so we knew we’d want to try it again one day. Well, that day has finally come! We asked a bunch more strangers online to cover our songs, and we got these tracks back! 19 artists/bands each covering one of our songs.” It’s a simple, yet incredibly fascinating idea to lend other artists your own music and see what they do with it. This new compilation features a wide range of sounds, including acoustic, electronic, hard rock and metal. It’s insanely fun to press play on each subsequent track, not knowing what you’re going to get next. Check out these re-imaginings if you’re wanting something unexpected, and maybe find more artists to listen to as well.

Keep Close, A Place to Rest Your Flowers: If you’re a fan of alt/metal sounds and you haven’t heard SLC’s Keep Close, now is the time to fix that. They’ve taken the scene by storm with their intense and satisfying heavy sound. They released a series of singles in 2024 and 2025, but just released their debut EP, A Place to Rest Your Flowers, this January. Shortly after the release, the band noted on Instagram that the EP was being well-received, and rightly so. The production on the EP is top-notch, and the band boasts an incredible sound that any alt-rocker/metal fan will instantly enjoy. The instrumentation and lyrics are both deeply emotional and suit each other well. You can tell that a lot of heart and soul was pumped into these six tracks. Keep Close recently had an insane release show to celebrate the EP, but be sure not to miss them the next time they play live; they’re a band you won’t want to miss.

A Place to Rest Your Flowers is available wherever you get your music. CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Steve Forbert @ The State Room 2/19

Mississippi native Steve Forbert followed his muse to New York City in the mid-1970s, becoming a vital part of the Greenwich Village folk scene. Forbert made a name for himself during the punk era, even landing well-received gigs at legendary clubs like CBGB. He scored a recording contract with Nemperoro/CBS, and released Alive on Arrival in 1978. But it would be his sophomore release, 1979’s Jackrabbit Slim, that earned Forbert the high profile his music deserved. A highlight of that release was “Romeo’s Tune,” a single that reached No. 11 on the Billboard chart. With that, Forbert peaked commercially, though his on-target songcraft and musical skills have long made him a critics’ darling with a devoted fan base. Today Steve Forbert commands a body of work that includes more than 20 studio albums, four live sets, no less than seven compilations, and a dozenplus direct-to-fans releases. A Grammy nominee, he’s also an accomplished author: His memoir Big City Cat: My Life in Folk Rock was published in 2018. Steve Forbert comes to the State Room on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m., with The Last Wild Buffalo opening. Tickets for this 21+ show are $35 and up, available from axs.com. (Bill Kopp)

WEEKLY LINEUP

PT&C Group, LLC dba Platform Accounting Group seeks Senior Business Advisor in Holladay, UT. Email resume to hr@platformag. com. Provides bookkeeping and accounting services for individual and business clients, including financial reporting, payroll and tax filings, account reconciliations, and compliance support using accounting software. 3 years’ experience as an accountant and bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Business Administration is required. Must be proficient with tax and accounting software including QuickBooks, Lacerte, Reach Reporting, Tvalue, Screen Connect, and Microsoft Office Suite. $70,555 salary, 401(k)/medical benefits.

MUSIC PICK S

Hayes Carll @ The Commonwealth Room 2/19

Hayes Carll is a proud Texan. His music—a blend of roots, folk and country—reflects that Texas tradition. He’s steadily gained attention from both fans and critics over the course of his 25-year career, with his fourth album, 2011’s KMAG YOYO, providing him with his big breakthrough. In addition to becoming his best-selling effort up to that point, it was accorded the Best Album award from the Americana Music Association. So too, his single “She Left Me for Jesus” won the AMA award for Song of the Year. In 2016, Carll was nominated for a Grammy for “Best Country Song” for “Chances Are,” which was covered by Lee Ann Womack. His latest album, We’re Only Human, was released last year. Though some refer to his music as “Americana,” Carll told this writer he eschews categories in general. “I really don’t think much about it,” he said. “I’m a singer-songwriter with a lot of different influences, and I just make the music I feel like making at that moment. If someone needs to label it or put it under the umbrella of something, then I’ll leave that up to them.” Regardless, he finds that niche elusive. “It doesn’t seem like anyone has ever really successfully defined Americana,” he added. “I think of it as anything with any kind of roots element that doesn’t fit neatly into the traditional genres. That covers a lot of music.” Hayes Carll’s “We’re Only Human Tour” with Ryan Montbleau comes to The Commonwealth Room on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $32 at axs.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

MUSIC PICK S

OPIUO @ Eleven SLC 2/19

The “2016 Trend” is a nostalgia-driven social media movement where users, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, share photos and music from 2016 on Instagram and TikTok. This trend includes the nostalgic 2016 EP Sneakers by New Zealand native Opiuo (Oscar Davey-Wraight). It’s a simple song with lyrics, “I like your sneakers / I like your boom box / I like your head band / I like your fanny pack…” then repeats throughout the song. The repetitive nature common in electronic music is purposely emphasized to highlight the symbolism in the lyrics. Sneakers symbolize movement, along with “headband” and “fanny pack” symbolizing self-expression through fashion. The album on which this EP was eventually featured, Omniversal, was nominated for “Best Electronica Album” at the New Zealand Music Awards, and solidified Davey-Wraight as a funkadelic artist with serious talent. He’s come a long way from a childhood wherein his parents lent their land to festival promoters, giving him formative experiences in the music industry. He continues to keep the positivity in the present, with many new releases in collaboration with fellow producer ASHEZ, such as “Underground,” “Bobby Dazzler,” “Ricochet,” and “My Love.” In 2025, he released his album Ascension Seeker, with the notable song “TALA ROCKET.” Davey-Wraight’s booty-shaking bass and mix of funk, soul, psychedelia is not a show to miss. His performance is on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the new venue, Eleven SLC (609 S. State). Doors at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30.01. Go to tixr.com for event info. (Arica Roberts)

The 29th of Never, 385, T Street @ Kilby Court 2/20

Alt-rockers The 29th of Never released their first single back in 2021, gaining traction with their debut “Bad Knees” and “10 Degrees Warmer” later on. The group disbanded for a bit in 2022, though, as their lead singer left for his mission. In Feb. 2025, they announced that they were coming back, rereleasing those first two singles in preparation for some fresh tunes after being gone for a couple of years. They’ve been cutting it up the last several weeks with other local

bands having a grand time, and this show will surely not be an exception. Also on the bill is Provo band T Street, who will bring their laid-back surf rock style to showcase. Their track “Artificial Colors” showcases the signature reverb-drenched guitar you’d expect of the style, accompanied by crisp vocals and an overall chill vibe. Last but not least, 385 will bring their insane noise rock that’s guaranteed to get the crowd up on their feet. Come hang out on Friday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Grab yours at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

A Wilhelm Scream @ Urban Lounge 2/21

Punk is too large to describe, much less define with any consistency—but the melodic hardcore band from New Bedford, Massachusetts called A Wilhelm Scream is everything that I want it to be. Formed in 1999, AWS is an attitude, a soundtrack and a philosophy around an ethos that seeks unmediated experience of the world as it is, and eschews fussy, fastidious personal preferences. Being graduates of the Greg Graffin DIY curriculum isn’t a bad look either. “Bad Religion was essentially our harmony school—that’s how we learned, by singing along to their records as loud as we could in the car or hanging out in my parents’ basement jamming,” guitarist/ vocalist Trevor Reilly told Noecho. “We are self-taught musicians, and I don’t really know music theory at all (scales, nothing). All I know is just grip it and rip it until it feels right.” Their new LP, Cheap Heat, is slated to drop on Feb. 27, and the first single, “Let It Ride,” is AWS at its best—a two-minute fun, fast sneer of wonder. With the lyrics, “I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout the year I lost my mind / Said fuck it, let it ride,” it’s that type of ecstatic willingness to work with what you have that keeps me going. If ever there were a moment for punk, it’s now. Death By Stereo and Doomsday open. Catch these musicians at Urban Lounge on Saturday, Feb. 21. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $23.63 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Saturn has entered Aries. I see this shift as potentially very good news for you. Between now and April 2028, you will have enhanced powers to channel your restless heart in constructive directions. I predict you will narrow down your interests and devote yourself to a few resonant paths rather than scattering your intense energy. More than before, you can summon the determination to follow through on what you initiate. My prayer: May you be bold, even brazen, in identifying where you truly belong, and never settle for a half-certain fit.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

I am issuing a Wow Advisory. Consider this your highvoltage wonder alert. Your future may offer you thrilling quests and epic exploits that could be unnerving to people who want you to remain the same. You will have a knack for stirring up liberating encounters with lavish pleasures and rich feelings that transform your brain chemistry. The rousing mysteries you attract may send provocative ripples through your own imagination as well as your web of allies. Expect juicy plot twists. Be alert for portals opening in the middle of nowhere.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

In Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, you find anatomical drawings next to flying machine designs, mathematical calculations alongside water flow observations, and philosophical musings interrupted by grocery lists. He moved from painting to engineering to scientific observation as curiosity led him. Let’s make him your inspirational role model for now. Disobey categories! Merge categories! Mix and match categories! Let’s assume that your eager mind will create expanded knowledge networks that prove valuable in unexpected ways. Let’s hypothesize that your cheerful rebellion against conventional ways of organizing reality will spawn energizing innovations in your beautiful, mysterious life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

In falconry, there’s a practice called “weathering.” It involves exposing trained birds to the elements so they don’t become too domesticated and lose their wildness. The falconer needs a partner, not a pet. Does that theme resonate? Is it possible you have been too sheltered lately? Either by your own caution or well-meaning people who think they’re protecting you? Let’s make sure you stay in touch with the fervent, untamed sides of your nature. You could expose yourself to an experience that scares you a little. Take a fun risk you’ve been rationalizing away. Invite touches of rowdiness into your life.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The loudest noise in history? It was the 1883 volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia, heard thousands of miles away. The pressure wave circled the Earth multiple times. I am predicting a benevolent version of a Krakatoa event for you in the coming months. Not literal loudness, but a shiny bright expression of such magnitude that it redefines your world and what people thought was possible from you. Can you be prepared for it? A little. You’ll be wise to cultivate visionary equanimity: a calm willingness to stay focused on the big picture. I predict your big boom will be challenging but ultimately magnificent and empowering.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Buddhism teaches about “near enemies:” qualities that may appear to be virtues but aren’t. For example, pity masquerades as compassion. Clingy attachment pretends to be love. Apathy and indifference pose as equanimity. In the coming weeks, Virgo, I hope you won’t get distracted by near enemies. Your assignment: Investigate whether any of your supposed virtues are actually near enemies. After you’ve done that, find out if any of your so-called negative emotions might harbor interesting powers you could tap into.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Many people think astrology is dangerous nonsense perpetrated by quacks. For a horoscope writer with an ego, this tends to be deflating. Like everyone, we want to be appreciated. On the other hand, I have found practicing an art that gets disdain has been mostly liberating. It’s impossible for me to get bloated with excess pride. I practice astrology for the joy it affords me, not to garner recognition. So in a backhanded way, a seemingly disheartening drawback serves as an energizing boon. My prediction is that you, Libra, will soon harvest an analogous turnabout. You will draw strength, even inspiration, from what may ostensibly appear to be a liability.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Mycologist Paul Stamets claims mushrooms taught him to think in networks rather than hierarchies. He sees how everything feeds everything through vast webs of underground filaments. This is Scorpio wisdom at its most scintillating: hidden circuitry working below the surface; the way nourishment is distributed incrementally through many collaborative interconnections; the synergy between seemingly separate sources. I hope you will accentuate this mode of understanding in the coming weeks. The key to your soulful success and happiness will be in how well you map the mycelial-like networks, both in the world around you and in your inner depths. Extra credit, study the threads that link your wounds to your gifts and your rage to your tenderness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The peregrine falcon dives at speeds exceeding 240 miles per hour, making it the fastest animal on Earth. But before the dive, there’s a period of circling, scanning and waiting. The spectacular descent is set up by the patient reconnaissance that precedes it. I believe you’re now in a phase similar to the falcon’s preparatory reconnaissance, Sagittarius. The quality of your eventual plunge will depend on how well you’re tracking your target now. Use this time to gather intelligence, not to second-guess your readiness. You’ll know when your aim is true.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

There’s a certain miracle you could really use right now. But to attract it would require a subtle and simple shift. In a related development, the revelation you need most is concealed in plain sight. To get these two goodies into your life, you shouldn’t make the error of seeking them in exotic locales. Ordinary events in the daily routine will bring you what you need: the miracle and the revelation that will change everything for the better.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Over the last 4,000 years, a host of things have been used as money in addition to precious metals and paper currency—cows, seashells, cheese, tobacco, velvet, tulips, elephant tusks and huge stone wheels. I hope this poetic fact will inspire your imagination about financial matters. In the coming weeks, I expect you’ll be creative in drumming up new approaches to getting the cash you need. Here are questions to guide you. Which of your underused talents might be ready to boost your income? What undervalued gifts could you be more aggressive about giving? What neglected treasures or underutilized assets could you use to generate money?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Big bright transitions are at hand: from thrashing around in the educational mire to celebrating your sweet escape; from wrangling with shadows and ghosts to greeting new allies; from messing around with interesting, confounding chaos to seizing fresh opportunities to shine and thrive. Hallelujah! What explains this exhilarating shift? The Season of Dazzling Self-Adoration is dawning for you Pisceans. In the weeks ahead, you will be inspired to embark on bold experiments in loving yourself with extra fervor and ingenuity.

urban LIVING

The Money Trail

There’s a new Federal Government Residential Real Estate Rule (FinCEN—the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network) that has introduced two major sets of reporting rules to stop money laundering and “shell company” secrets. For most buyers and sellers, this won’t come into play unless the transactions are “all cash” (nonfinanced) sales of residential properties (1 to 4 units, condos, or vacant land for homes). Simply stated, if you buy a home as an individual or couple with a new mortgage, these new rules don’t apply to your transaction.

Starting March 1, if a buyer is an LLC or corporation, or a trust, the title company or attorney closing escrow for the buyer will be responsible for filing the documentation with the federal government as to where the funds have come from to purchase the property. However, if no professional is involved in the sale and if a real estate agent is involved, the agent or even the seller will have to file the report so they can see the money trail.

The information must include the name, date of birth, residential address, citizenship and taxpayer identification number. Supposedly, this is part of a nationwide effort to protect the real estate market and identify and prevent suspicious activity.

This will include deals that are funded by the seller, as in “seller financing,” private hard money loans or any deal where the lender isn’t subject to the Bank Secrecy Act and antimoney laundering regulations. Simply put, if there’s no traditional mortgage or regulated lender, the transaction is considered non-financed.

Will this affect the market? Probably not, but fraud is rampant around the country. Almost daily, I get alerts from the Washington County, Park City and Salt Lake City Boards of Realtors about people pretending to be property owners who must “liquidate their holding ASAP,” often at an extreme discount from what the property is worth. Brokers and agents are on high alert for fraudsters who call and attempt to list and sell someone else’s home.

As a side note, there are media ads touting deed or title protection for a yearly sum of money, watching to see if someone is trying to tamper with your deed. Don’t spend a dime on that, no matter how scary the ad seems. Most county recorders around the state have a simple opt-in to do a free deed watch for you, in perpetuity, with a click of a button. There are almost 300 hard money lenders operating in the state, with the highest concentration along the Wasatch Front. About 30% of homes sold here last year were purchased by investors, with about 20% of sales being “all cash” transactions.

Hard money lenders are an alternative to bank or mortgage company loans, offered if your credit is not great or if you need fast money … with interest rates around 10%. They are usually used for short-term transactions and I am often involved in sales where flippers use hard money exclusively to purchase properties. CW

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. First, second, or reverse

5. Castle barriers

10. Muesli bits

14. European capital city formerly known as Christiania

15. “Star Wars” android ___ Detoo

16. Burr/Hamilton showdown

17. Singer who complements the lead

19. Dame ___ Everage (Barry Humphries alter ego)

20. “The Road Not ___” (Robert Frost poem)

21. “Walk-___ welcome”

23. Charged particle

24. “Affirmative”

25. Pre-employment screening

30. ___ Taco (discontinued Good HumorBreyers ice cream snack)

31. Blue Jays’ prov.

32. Apollo 13 gp.

35. ___ bait (Oxford’s Word of the Year

2025, referring to dubious online engagement tactics)

37. “Schitt’s Creek” star Catherine

40. Available again, like a hot item

43. All confused

44. Coffee-brewing choice

45. Wine bottle sediment

46. Chewed stimulant familiar to Scrabble players

47. Right now

49. 1980s movie starring Michael J. Fox

53. Fedora, e.g.

56. Ovine opinion

57. Snub-nosed dog

58. Mesoamerican staple crop

60. Actress Miranda

62. “I Want It That Way” group

66. Santos of “Superstore”

67. British racetrack locale

68. Projection room spool

69. Buccaneer’s refrain

70. Absolut competitor, informally

71. “Free Willy” creature

DOWN

1. “I ___ run!”

2. Written test format

3. Comparable

4. Dramatic part

5. Hawaiian ___ salad (noodle-based side dish)

6. Gold, in Guatemala

7. 4-wheel drive transport

8. Debate subject

9. Noise

10. Keats poem

11. Cassette

12. High guy?

13. Urban Dictionary content

18. Ancient symbol of life, in 52-Down

22. “Gin & Juice” rapper, familiarly

26. Insulated electrical cable

27. Holiday greeting that doesn’t include an envelope

28. “A Rake’s Progress” painter William

29. Wicked

30. Lunged toward

32. “Don’t share any information” contract, for short

33. Farm animal?

34. Pacific Northwest cryptozoology subject

36. “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” poet

38. Corned beef bread

39. “Six-pack” muscles

41. Eagerly devour

42. Hairstyle that uses hairpins

48. “Look ___ now!”

49. Wood traditionally used

in pianos

50. 3-to-1, for one

51. They’re sometimes blown

52. Country straddling two continents

53. Employment manager

54. Worshipper of Quetzalcoatl

55. Inventor Nikola

59. Prefix for nautical

61. Tic-tac-toe win

63. Bear, also in Guatemala

64. NBA center Manute who was 7’7”

65. “Didn’t need to hear that!”

Last week’s answers

X

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.

NEWS of the WEIRD

Bright Idea

Former college design professor Don Glickman was 93 and dying when he and his daughter discussed how he wanted to be memorialized, The (Spokane) SpokesmanReview reported on Feb. 9. Leah Glickman said her father faced his fate head-on: “We never used words in our house like ‘he passed,’” she said. “We said, ‘he died.’ No one gets out of here alive.” She and her dad came up with a clever idea: Send out postcards to family and friends, announcing his death. On the front is a photo of Glickman and the text, “If you’re reading this, I’m dead, and I really liked you,” with a small sketch of him that had become his signature. On the back, Leah wrote, “After 94 years on this planet, my dad has departed. ... In a last act of design and Glickman ethos, he asked that this postcard be created, photo and text chosen by him.” Glickman died on Nov. 11. Former student Jason Snape, 56, got a postcard. “It made me laugh really hard because it was just so him,” Snape said. “It’s unusual, it’s sweet, it’s straightforward.”

Oversharing

Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid, who won bronze in the 20km individual event, stunningly announced in his post-event interview on Feb. 10 that he had cheated on his girlfriend three months ago, Yahoo! News reported. Through tears, Laegreid, 28, said he met “the love of my life” six months ago, then “made the biggest mistake of my life.” He said his sport had “taken a back seat in recent days.” For her part, the girlfriend called his revelation “hard to forgive. Even after a declaration of love in front of the whole world.” Later, Laegreid told a group of reporters, “Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview. I’m not really here mentally.”

News You Can Use?

Researchers at the University of Maryland have developed new technology to ... yes, it’s true ... count the number of times people pass gas each day. The New York Post reported on Feb. 10 that previously, scientists believed people tooted on average 14 times a day, but UMD reported that the number is more like 32 times a day. The team created Smart Underwear, a wearable device that snaps into regular underwear and detects increased hydrogen levels. They say the previous lower estimates were based on self-reporting and people’s varying ideas of what counts as flatulence. UMD is looking for participants for its Human Flatus Atlas, which will measure the gas patterns of hundreds of people—in case you’re interested.

Awkward

Olympic gold-winning downhill skier Breezy Johnson was jumping around in excitement after her medal ceremony in Italy on Feb. 8 when the medal broke, the Associated Press reported. “It’s not crazy broken, but a little broken,” Johnson said. She’s not the only Olympian to experience a medal malfunction. German biathlete Justus Strelow realized his bronze medal had fallen to the floor as he danced with teammates, and U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu posted a photo of her team gold medal detached from its ribbon. Chief games operations officer Andrea Francisi said they’re working on it. “The medal is the dream of the athletes, so we want that in the moment they are given it that everything is absolutely perfect.”

Hair Today

During a boxing match on Jan. 31 in New York, heavyweight Jarrell Miller lost his head—or at least, his hair. Fox News reported that as Miller fought Kingsley Ibeh, one of Ibeh’s punches knocked Miller’s head back, and his hairpiece flew upward from the front, revealing a mostly bald head. Miller ripped off the toupee and thew it into the crowd, where spectators posed for photos with it. Strangely, Miller said he got the hairpiece just two days before, after he accidentally washed his hair with “ammonia bleach” instead of shampoo. Miller won the bout in a split decision.

Nope

At Ershui Junior High School in Taiwan, it’s not enough to be successful in the classroom, Oddity Central reported on Feb. 10. Before their graduation certificates can be signed, students must scale a 15-meter-high rockclimbing wall. The students take six climbing lessons each week in preparation for the test. The school says the training challenges students’ limits and cultivates focus and physical coordination.

Sir, This Is a Wendy’s City officials in Gastonia, North Carolina, got involved after a video surfaced of someone getting a tattoo in a Wendy’s dining room in the city, WBTV reported. The video was recorded on Feb. 5 from outside the restaurant and shows a man with his shirt off and another person sitting behind him, wearing blue gloves and holding a tattoo gun. A city official said an environmental health team member talked to the store manager on Feb. 6 and reminded them that the restaurant “cannot tattoo without a permit.” For its part, the franchisee said they “took immediate disciplinary action to address the situation.”

Wait, What?

Christopher Carroll, 36, was suspended from his job as a paramedic with the Baltimore County Fire Department and is facing 23 criminal charges following inexplicable behavior at work and elsewhere, WSFA-TV reported on Feb. 7. Investigators said Carroll urinated in different spots all over his workplace, including on his supervisor’s keyboard, in a pot of chili, in coffee creamer and in an icemaker. Prosecutors said Carroll “urinated into the ice, wiped on a scoop and used the scoop to mix the urine throughout the ice”—all while filming himself. Other targets were someone’s ChapStick, a can of vegetables and a carton of orange juice. Officials believe Carroll was making the videos to post to online subscription services. He was denied bail.

The Passing Parade

Residents of Stoughton, Wisconsin, have been complaining to police about someone using a city park as their toilet, WMTV reported on Feb. 7. The Stoughton Police Department said it had received numerous calls from citizens who found human feces and used toilet paper along a walking path in the park. Using trail cameras, police discovered the person was fouling the park in the early morning hours, then used a drone to catch a 46-year-old woman in the act. Officers say the woman is not homeless and doesn’t appear to be mentally impaired.

Awesome!

Six-year-old Girl Scout Pim from Pittsburgh, whom her dad calls “literally unstoppable,” has sold more than 75,000 boxes of cookies this year, People magazine reported on Feb. 11. Her numbers exceeded the previous record for single-year sales, and now she has her eye on the lifetime record, 180,000 boxes. Pim’s go-getter attitude goes beyond cookie sales; she read 506 books last summer for her library’s reading program, and her sales accounted for 10% of her school’s popcorn fundraising effort. Pim’s dad calls her troop “a place to be herself and belong. She is welcomed and loved.” Go, Pim!

Government in Action

Listen up, 29-year-olds in France: Health minister Stephanie Rist wants you to get busy! The Independent reported on Feb. 9 that all 29-year-olds in France will be receiving a letter from the government with “targeted, balanced and scientifically based information on sexual and reproductive health,” the health ministry said. Rist said France’s “concrete and long-awaited measures” will include increasing the number of fertility preservation centers. Critics suggest raising maternity leave from 16 to 26 weeks would have a greater impact.