City Weekly March 12, 2026

CITY

On the Down-Low

Big moves on transit and alcohol got little attention at the 2026 Legislature.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD

S AP

BOX

ICE is Out of Control

Utah loves to celebrate its pioneer story— ancestors who crossed borders and deserts fleeing persecution, searching for safety, faith and opportunity. We call that courage and grit. Today, however, as immigrants are hunted, detained and disappeared by an increasingly aggressive and unaccountable federal government, the values Utah claims are not the values its leaders are defending.

Across the country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded

into a blunt instrument of fear. Detention capacity has ballooned. Enforcement actions are designed to be public, destabilizing and intimidating. People are arrested in airports, courthouses and workplaces, then transferred across state lines and separated from families with stunning speed. This drift—from border administration to violent domestic confrontation—should alarm every Utahn. Since New Year’s Eve, ICE agents have been involved in fatal shootings in other states, including the deaths of Keith Porter Jr., Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. These tragedies have sparked protests nationwide and underscored how enforcement has become violent and destabilizing. Here at home, Utahns have watched ICE operate in public places, including Salt Lake City International Airport, and seen families scramble to locate loved ones vanished into a system engineered to move faster than lawyers, courts and accountability.

For years, Utah’s political class has wrapped itself in the rhetoric of family values, personal responsibility and local control. But when a Republican administration unleashes an enforcement apparatus that terrorizes families, ignores due process and leaves shooting victims in its wake, those principles evaporate. Federal power becomes permissible when it targets the “right” people. This isn’t merely partisan loyalty; it’s the deeper failure of political insiders who manage optics instead of exercising authority.

Privately, many Utahns are appalled. They believe in law and order, not lawlessness by the state; in border enforcement, not cruelty. They want government to protect communities, not turn neighbors into targets. Aggressive enforcement makes people afraid to report crimes, cooperate with police, seek medical care or send children to school. It drives exploitation underground and erodes trust in every institution it touches.

If Utah truly believes its founding story, it cannot accept a system built on fear, secrecy and mass detention. It cannot treat today’s immigrants as less deserving of humanity than those who came before. Utah deserves leaders willing to confront ICE’s actions, demand transparency when federal agents operate in public spaces, scrutinize cooperation between state institutions and detention systems, and speak out when enforcement crosses into abuse—even when doing so carries political risk.

History will remember who spoke, who acted and who hid. If Utah wants to live up to its values, silence is no longer an option.

MICHAEL FARRELL Salt Lake City

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

THE WATER COOLER

What’s a local business you’d go to war for?

Zach Abend

Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli. I will not live in a world without proper sandwiches or gabagool.

Eric Granato

Paradise Palms, the best plant shop in the state!

Scott Renshaw

Salt Lake Film Society. It’s so important to still have a showcase for independent film in a communal, big-screen setting; and Sundance going away doesn’t erase all the locals who love what it stands for.

Mike Ptaschinski

Fish Tech—good guys, good gear, good location and good intel.

Bryan Bale

I’m not really the warring type, and I’m not fiercely loyal to any particular brand. But there are a few businesses I’d defend, including Man vs. Music. A lot of local music has been recorded in that studio.

Carolyn Campbell

My local butcher is the business I’d go to war for. I am a sitcom character for it because I am such a regular.

Benjamin Wood

Wasatch Touring for bike gear and tuneups; Siegfried’s Delicatessen for lunch.

PRIVATE EYE

BY JOHN SALTAS

I Think I Can’t

All of my days begin with the same optimism. Each morning, I recite these words: “John. You can make it to the bathroom.”

In those early moments of clarity, I don’t care about pushups or laps. I don’t care about the price of butter. I only care about what is in front of me—and every morning, that is the bathroom door.

I don’t imagine I could summit Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. I’m more like The Little Engine That Could. I see the bathroom: “I think I can, I think I can.” I see the door: “I think I can, I think I can.” Just two more steps: “I think I can, I think I can.”

Ahhh, I knew I could. I knew I could.

That is the pinnacle of my optimism these days. A win is a win.

For some folks, optimism is a core attribute. For others, pessimism rules daily behavior. One might assume that people who are optimistic have it better off than those who are pessimistic, but like Willie Nelson said, there are more old drunks than there are old doctors.

So being optimistic is not always the winning ticket. Take the case of Billy Wilder, for example.

Wilder was a famous movie director in old Hollywood. His classic films include Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, The Apartment and Stalag 17—the latter of which is a war movie with the overriding theme of finding the traitor among men being held prisoner.

Yeah, deception—the old shiny object that never lives and never dies.

In 1934, Wilder fled the persecution of artists such as himself working in Nazi Germany. He subsequently lost relatives to the Nazi regime, including his mother, who died in a Polish concentration camp in 1943.

Other contemporaries fled at nearly the same time, many relocating to Hollywood. Among them were directors like Fritz Lang and Otto Preminger, musicians like Kurt Weill and actors like Marlene Dietrich and Peter Lorre. For a time in Hollywood, Wilder and Lorre lived together, sharing but one can of soup a day to live on.

Wilder later found great success on U.S. soil and proclaimed of his experience that, “The optimists died in the gas chambers, the pessimists have pools in Beverly Hills.” Wilder, therefore, was a pessimist, who could see the doom coming in the Hitler years.

He left behind those optimists who believed Adolf Hitler would lead Germany to greatness. Around 6 million of his contrymen—people more optimistic than Wilder— died during Hitler’s reign. Or they just couldn’t get away.

I have four friends who have left the United States to live in Europe. I never had the chance to ask them if their move was based in either optimism or pessimism, but each indicated they were fearful of life in Donald Trump’s version of a Great America. I can’t say I blame them.

It’s not so easy for me to leave, but I do dream of doing so if I ever could. I suppose a second-best move would be to just leave Utah.

My first pick would be to locate back to Chicago, the best city in the USA. Period. I might be OK living in Albuquerque, mostly for the Route 66 signs, the proximity to Santa Fe and the perfect chile verde. Next, I’d seriously consider Pittsburgh.

I’ve never been to Pittsburgh; it just looks cool. Not to sound pessimistic or anything, but being a blue dot in a red state, frankly, sucks.

Other folks in red states are making their moves already. For evidence of their departures, witness the political shifts toward blue right here in Utah.

Besides Salt Lake County—daily growing more bluish due to diversity and younger inhabitants—Summit and Grand Counties are getting bluer thanks to incoming folks from states like California, Illinois and New York. Even Utah County is getting Teletubby purple these days, with all kinds of progressive thinkers rising within the political arena.

A great irony will be when the Utah Legislature starts parsing out Utah County!

It’s barely a wonder why the Utah Republican Party, currently in charge of such matters, is scrambling to make sure they stay in power by cheating people out of honest representation.

Because the truth is, once it unfolded, the quilt of Utah contains a lot of purple and several squares of deep blue. One may scoff. But consider that California 40 years ago was also quite conservative. California was the state of Ronald Reagan, the icon of the modern conservative movement, but with the exception of his 1980 and ‘84 elections, the state had not voted Republican in a national election for four decades.

The Latino vote was reliably Republican. Then, Cold War-era military jobs fled thanks to the prospect of world peace, the Republican Party crapped on those Latinos at every marginalizing opportunity, and California reinvented itself as a tech hub, attracting new residents and investment dollars.

Meanwhile, there is a shift from red to blue within Utah. The state’s deep-red counties are basically thoughtdeserts and will stay that way till they wake up. Tech is attracting new residents to the Wasatch Front, and the LDS majority is losing influence as young members of the faith community migrate leftward or outward.

The rigging of the caucus system and low primary turnout provides Utah with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to downright stupid, bigoted and ineffective politicians.

Layton Republican Rep. Trevor Lee—who went 0 for 12 on passing his bills during the legislative session—has emerged as the front face of Utah’s Republican Party. It’s not Spencer Cox, it’s not John Curtis or Mike Lee.

It’s Trevor Lee. He is Utah.

Without even needing to rig new maps, Utah will simply, by nature’s force, begin to change. It must. I just don’t believe I’ll be here to see it.

I’m not terribly optimistic about that. I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can.

Send comments to john@cityweekly.net

HITS & MISSES

BY KATHARINE BIELE | @kathybiele BY

HIT: Old Time Religion

It doesn’t take a genius to see how “religious” the Legislature is. Estimates are that up to 90% of state lawmakers are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That’s not nothing, considering less than 60% of the state population identifies that way. Yes, there were many bills this session that sought to bring the heavens to earth. SB174 passed, allowing health care providers to choose not to provide treatment or services if it violates their religion or conscience. At least it didn’t include emergency departments. Several others ended up on the governor’s desk: SB193 makes Good Friday a legal holiday; HB204 lets students opt out of classes if they go against their beliefs; and SB268 requires the “fundamental role” of religion be taught in schools. Even if you don’t believe in separation of church and state, at least Utah isn’t requiring it for school.

MISS: What’s in a Name?

Speaking of religion, be careful when testifying before the Legislature. During a committee hearing on the Judiciary, a woman speaking against a bill identified herself as a member of Mormon Women for Ethical Government. That led the committee chairman, Riverton Republican Sen. Dan McCay, to object to the organization’s name. “Do you represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?” McCay asked. She answered no, because MWEG is not officially tied to the church. “What’s the purpose of Mormon in your name?” McCay continued. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints has asked people not to use [Mormon] anymore. Why do we still do that?” She said the organization was founded before former president Russell Nelson discouraged the nickname. “We are a faith-based organization,” she said, urging McCay to check their website for more information. Maybe he should research all the examples of failed rebrandings to answer his question—starting with Cracker Barrel.

MISS: Huntsman Hot Takes

You think you know someone, like Paul Huntsman. He was the white knight who rode in to save The Salt Lake Tribune when he bought it in 2016. While he made deep cuts to the staff, he also turned the paper into a nonprofit which, by most accounts, helped keep the paper afloat. But in late February, Huntsman began posting on X about the “Marxist” ideology of the newspaper. He said Jeff Bezos was right about legacy newsrooms. “Accountability, innovation, growth, and profitability are an anathema to their cultures,” Huntsman wrote. He quoted others saying journalism is a front for progressivism and the Democratic Party. Of the Washington Post’s recent failures, Huntsman said “the blame falls squarely on the newsroom’s myopic Marxist culture.” And the Trib itself? It’s a “niche eastside newsletter for urban whites to spew their anger.” Huntsman—who now owns the Coronado News in California—must be happy he’s out now, although he might look up the definition of “Marxism.”

Going Home

McKenna Hamilton remembers her grandfather’s last day. Her mother called her at work and told her to come home if she wanted to say goodbye. Hamilton rushed and found the nurse and her mother were already there.

“I crawled in bed with my grandpa and held his hand as he took his last breath,” Hamilton recalled. “It felt as though he waited for me to get home to say goodbye.”

Moments like these are why Community Nursing Services (CNS) exists. On March 10-12, CNS held its 37th annual Art and Soup fundraiser, which featured an art sale, food, live music and a chance to meet the artists.

Most attendees will not see the work that CNS does, which is providing care to people when they are at the end of their lives.

CNS is Utah’s oldest nonprofit home health and hospice organization and offers care to all patients, even those unable to pay. Hamilton, the Hospice and Palliative Clinical Care Coordinator at CNS, said that patients who receive care in their homes are more vulnerable because nurses are entering their safe space.

“Nursing is the guest and we are there to meet them where they are at and keep them as comfortable as possible,” she said. “Most of the time we start as strangers and end as family.”

Sophie Eberly, a CNS nurse, said that a common misconception about hospice is that people go there to die, or that “we will kill them.”

The reality, she said, is that hospice workers are there to give people the best quality of life, regardless of how long they have to live. “One of the most beautiful parts is being able to walk in their homes and show them I care about them,” she remarked.

For Dr. Timothy Fuller, an emergency medicine and palliative care physician at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, dying at home can help to restore death’s place in the human experience.

“In our culture that often hides dying behind hospital walls, home-based end-of-life care invites families to witness, accompany and find meaning in the final chapter of life,” he said.

For families, the impact extends well beyond the moment their loved one passes.

Dr. Laura Bradbury, an assistant professor at the University of Utah’s College of Nursing, said that end-oflife care at home often creates “more opportunities for meaningful memories and a lasting legacy.”

However, grief affects the whole self, she observed, impacting everything from a person’s relationships to their spiritual convictions, values and external behaviors.

“Essentially,” Bradbury said, “grief reshapes every part of who we are.”

Hamilton said her grandfather would make coffee each morning before the hospice team came, so they would have something to drink. CNS’ fundraiser supports work that often begins just as simply—with a nurse sitting in a living room over a cup of coffee with a patient. CW

THEATER

Words, Words, Words

An Evening With Shakespeare looks to emphasize the Bard as an intimate, spoken-word experience.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

For many, the plays of William Shakespeare can retain an intimidating inaccessibility, perhaps from lingering trauma of the way they were taught in school. For David Sessions—who directs a current local showcase of Shakespeare scenes— that trauma never had a chance to develop, thanks to his own childhood experience.

“We didn’t read Shakespeare,” Sessions recalls. “I don’t ever remember reading a Shakespeare play in my entire time of [going to school].”

Sessions—a veteran actor, theater director and acting teacher in Los Angeles who recently relocated to Utah—grew up in Berkeley, Calif. in the 1970s, where the curriculum was unconventional for the time, and where Shakespeare was performed regularly in an outdoor venue. That allowed for an emphasis on something many American schoolkids aren’t exposed to nearly enough when learning about Shakespeare: That these plays are actually plays, meant to be performed rather than read.

“I’m a big believer in the spoken word,” Sessions says. “[Pioneering British theater director] Peter Brook used to talk about

that all the time: It’s not literature, it’s the spoken word. When you raise your voice, there’s a power there.”

An Evening With Shakespeare, co-presented by New World Shakespeare and Edmund Kean Theatre, attempts to reemphasize that notion with a showcase of some of Sessions’ favorite scenes from Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet and more, even as the director understands that Shakespeare remains difficult for many, in part from the potential obscurity of the language. “Shakespeare went to the local grammar school,” Sessions notes. “He learned Latin and the classics, and he loved to be referring to things from his schooling and his studies. Hamlet talks about the ‘hobby horse;’ this is not just something that actor can bring to life, because it’s just an obtuse reference.”

Sessions wanted the individual scenes he chose to be ones that could stand alone effectively outside of their full plays, as he didn’t want to interrupt the overall flow with prefaces or explanations for the context of what was happening. “The scenes have to be self-explanatory in terms of who the characters are and what they’re talking about,” the director observed. “I was watching the whole time thinking, ‘Is there something audiences aren’t going to get?’”

But it was also important to find scenes that would gel with the actors he had available to work with, given the challenges of performing Shakespeare.

“It’s just so difficult for the actors: loaded with imagery, loaded with emotion,” Sessions says. “As I said to the cast before we started, I put it out as an invitation to get our Shakespeare to a different place. There’s a lot of technical work you have to do with the prose and the style, words you have to color. Then you get to the really

An Evening with Shakespeare

A&E

important part: If you don’t have the emotional truth of the character, and you’re not bringing that, you’re not going to get to that top level. Lastly, all of that emotional truth has got to lift the language. You can’t set the language aside, have this emotionally powerful moment, then pick up the language again like a knapsack you’ve set down.”

While the production incorporates scenes from several different plays, Sessions uses Hamlet as a kind of throughline, with five different scenes from that play presented in chronological order.

“I am biased, because I love that play so much,” he remarks. “Hamlet is called the greatest piece of art of all time, and I’m partial to the play. … I think the greatest Shakespeare scene is the one with Hamlet and his mother. It’s just so difficult for the actors, loaded with imagery, loaded with emotion.”

For all the potential intimidation factor of Shakespeare, though—whether to the audience members or to the actors themselves—Sessions wants to keep the experience intimate, an opportunity allowed by the Alliance Theatre space at Trolley

Square. He describes coming from the tradition of small “Equity Waiver” theater in Los Angeles. As someone who has taught acting for the screen, with its different emphasis on creating emotional stakes and unique requirements for physical performance, he relishes bringing Shakespeare to that small-theater sensibility.

“It was a wonderful tradition, and I became completely in love with it,” Sessions says. “I only do that; I’ve had opportunity to do bigger theater, and it’s a completely different style. I love this intimate theater, and I hope it really takes root out here. I think it can go further than its gone.” CW

AN EVENING WITH SHAKESPEARE

New World Shakespeare/Edmund Kean Theatre Alliance Theatre @ Trolley Square

602 E. 500 South Through March 21 Friday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 14, 2:30 p.m. $20 newworldshakespeare.com

theESSENTIALS ENTERTAINMENT PICKS,

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

MARCH 12-18, 2026

Utah Opera:

The Elixir of Love

Like so many of the classics of the operatic canon, Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) is a tale of love, in this case of the comedic rather than tragic variety. The story of a lovestruck young man who turns to a con artist’s promise of a “love potion” (in the form of cheap wine) to win over his beloved provides a charming reminder of what it’s like to imagine the best outcome possible. Indeed, according to Daniel Ellis—who directs Utah Opera’s production of Elixir—just such hope was part of this project’s genesis.

As Ellis shares in his notes for the production, early notions for this interpretation were born when the creative team started meeting during the COVID-19 lockdown six years ago. “In the midst of uncertainty and isolation,” Ellis says, “this project brought us real joy. It rekindled our passion through shared purpose, camaraderie and hope. … [E] ach weekly Zoom meeting reminded us why we fell in love with this art form. Free from the pressure of immediate production deadlines, we rediscovered our creative process: developing a shared vocabulary, exploring how storytelling infuses every design choice, and allowing time for deeper research to shape each detail—from the texture of a wall to the stitch of a bodice to the flicker of a distant smudge pot.”

Utah Opera’s The Elixir of Love concludes its run at the Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) with performances Friday, March 13 @ 7:30 p.m. & Sunday, March 15 @ 2 p.m. Tickets are $19 - $117; visit saltlakecountyarts.org. (Scott Renshaw)

The Nostalgia Con 2026

Nostalgia, so the saying goes, is a hell of a drug. But like many drugs, it’s not harmful in reasonable doses, and can be good for what ails you. Popculture conventions have become a great way to revisit the pleasures of one’s youth, offering a chance to meet the creative artists who helped to shape a formative time in our lives.

This week, the national operation known as The Nostalgia Con brings its lineup of talent to Salt Lake City for a full weekend showcasing those artists, with a non-exclusive emphasis on stuff that would have been part of the Millennial childhoods of the 1990s and early 2000s. Among the scheduled guests are: Bob West, the original voice of beloved/reviled purple dinosaur Barney; Nicholas P. Jones, voice of Cartoon Network’s Chowder; voice performers from the Sonic the Hedgehog game series including Ryan Drummond, the original Sonic; Adventure Time (pictured) cast members Jeremy Shada (Finn), John DiMaggio (Jake) and Olivia Olson (Marceline); Father of the Bride groom George Newbern; Jimmy Neutron voice actor Debi Derryberry; Brooklyn NineNine/Encanto star Stephanie Beatriz; plus many more from the worlds of TV, movies and gaming. With group and individual photo ops, plus vendor floor, it’s a weekend of bringing (back) out the kid in you.

The 2026 Salt Lake City Nostalgia Con comes to the Salt Palace Convention Center (100 S. West Temple) March 13 (1 p.m. – 7 p.m.) and March 14 (11 a.m. – 7 p.m.). Single-day tickets are $34.51, 2-day tickets $56.15, with VIP options also available. Visit thenostalgiacon.com for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

Frank Caliendo @ Wiseguys Gateway

Great impressionists and a terrific comedian go hand in hand. Consider such entertainers as Rich Little, Dana Carvey and Robin Williams as ideal examples. Fast-forward to the present, and you’ll find another one in multitalented comedian, actor and impressionist Frank Caliendo, who’s engaged audiences for over 20 years. His subjects—or perhaps we should say, his “targets”—have included any number of top-flight celebrities, athletes and, yes, politicians and politicos. Not surprisingly, he’s shared his skills in any number of leading venues, including his three-year residency at The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, a pair of Super Bowl Pre-Game shows, and an MTV football pre-game event with Jimmy Kimmel. In addition, he’s made regular appearances on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and SportsCenter, as well as various commercials, an original “mockumentary” and several Fox NFL Sunday pregame shows.

Yet his credits don’t stop there; he appeared in his own TBS television series; an hour-long TBS special, Frank Caliendo: All Over The Place; a half hour Comedy Central special; Fox TV’s MADtv; and an assortment of late-night TV shows, animated films and prime-time series. A note of caution if you happen to be a wedding planner: When told to “speak now or forever hold your peace,” he’ll likely consider that an open invitation.

Frank Caliendo performs at Wiseguys Gateway’s Showroom on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets for this 21+ show cost $40 including fees. Go to wiseguyscomedy.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Oscar Prop Bets Redux

Fun additional prediction odds for One Battle After Another, Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters and more.

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

Back in 2024, I suggested that what the Academy Awards could use to juice interest—considering it’s the Su per Bowl for movie nerds—was “prop bets.” For those unfamiliar, those are bets that involve outcomes beyond the simple winning or losing of the game, including for statistical achievements like first touchdown scored, yards by a specific receiver and so forth.

Well, somehow the intervening two years have seen even more of an explo sion in sports betting, so it felt like an appropriate time to revisit that concept for the awards involved with this year’s ceremony (taking place Sunday, March 15)—for entertainment purposes only, of course. Here are a few of the possible options to add a little spark to your Oscars prediction pools.

Total awards for One Battle After Another (+/- 5.5): Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland is certainly the favorite for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and has a shot at others including Editing, Original Score, Supporting Actor (with two nominees), Supporting Actress and the inaugural Casting award. But this doesn’t feel like the kind of year where a favorite is going to sweep through with double-digit wins. Are there enough avenues for OBAA to get to six?

Total awards for Sinners (+/- 3.5): Despite a slew of nominations, Ryan Coogler’s period vampire thriller only seems to be a favorite in three: Original Score, Cinematography

who could get an iconic Oscars moment to pair with sitting stone-faced with husband Ed Harris during the presentation of Elia Kazan’s honorary Oscar in 1999. KPop Demon Hunters vs. the field in both Animated Feature and Original Song: One of the things that can get casual viewers interested in an Oscars year is having a rooting interest, and undoubtedly there will be plenty of fans looking to see the Netflix smash pick up awards in the two categories where it’s nominated. It feels almost crazy to think that any of the other nominees has a shot against KPop’s ubiquitous hit “Golden,” and chances aren’t much better for the Animated Feature competition. I’d take the KPop sweep at -350.

and Original Screenplay. Is there anywhere else it could eke out a victory? It could take an upset, or a groundswell of support for one of the year’s truly original hits.

Acting parlay for Stellan Skarsgård, Timotheé Chalamet, Jessie Buckley and Amy Madigan: The two lead acting categories feel like the safest bets, with Buckley and Chalamet—the latter in line for his first win—taking home a lot of hardware this awards season. The veteran Skarsgård is a sentimental choice for Sentimental Value it’s really a lead role, but don’t even get me started on “category fraud”—while Supporting Actress could land wins for OBAA’s Teyana Taylor or Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku. Give me +175 on the foursome including veteran Madigan,

Geeta Gandbhir vs. the field in both Documentary Feature and Documentary Short: It’s never happened before that a filmmaker has won both of the documentary categories, but Gandbhir has a legit shot for her feature The Perfect Neighbor and short The Devil Is Busy. The Documentary Feature category this year is legitimately stacked, though Perfect Neighbor has been talked about as a favorite for a while. Can her short film (co-directed with Christalyn Hampton) about a day in the life of an Atlanta abortion clinic make it a double? Lay it at +250. First/final spot in the “In Memoriam” montage: Sadly, the period since last March’s awards has been loaded with the loss of legendary and beloved Hollywood figures, including Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, Rob Reiner and Robert Duvall. It’s entirely possible the producers shake up the format to offer highlight moments for more than one individual, but I have a sense things will kick off with someone offering a longer commentary tribute to Redford, with Reiner in the closing position.

Jokes by host Conan O’Brien about the Paramount/ Warner Bros. merger (+/- 1.5): It seems unlikely that O’Brien would fail to mention the breaking development that would impact most of the people in the room, even if it would be “inside baseball” to much of the viewing audience. When it comes to stories like this, some gallows humor would be hard to resist. You can bet on it. CW

On the Down-Low

Big moves on transit and alcohol got little attention at the 2026 Legislature.

BY BENJAMIN WOOD bwood@cityweekly.net

CAPITOL HILL—If all goes according to plan, by the time Salt Lake City hosts the world for a second Winter Olympic Games in 2034, the Utah Transit Authority will have transformed into a truly regionwide service provider, built off the “backbone” of a highfrequency Frontrunner train that competitively rivals Interstate 15 for efficient travel along the Wasatch Front. That transformation will be accelerated through SB197, which restructures UTA’s governing board to more closely resemble that of the Utah Department of Transportation, and which begins to close the funding gap between transit and roads through a new sales tax earmark that grows with the economy.

“This is a great step forward,” the bill’s sponsor, Taylorsville Republican Sen. Wayne Harper, told his chamber colleagues. “Especially as we want to maximize the investment as the state looks for partnering more as we prepare for the Olympics.”

But for a bill that purports to make generational shifts in both the policy and infrastructure of transportation, at least one senator was surprised by the lack of debate it had generated on the Hill.

“My read of this bill is that it makes pretty substantive policy and governance changes to the way things have always been. And I guess I’m very curious that I haven’t heard anything about it,” Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, noted during the bill’s first floor vote in February. “Why isn’t UTA reaching out to say, ‘This we do like or we don’t like?’ Or why isn’t the Department of Transportation engaging with senators on this issue?”

It was a good question, Harper responded, one that he had also asked himself.

“We put this bill out, we anticipated a lot of public questions and comment,” he said. “You haven’t really seen anything in the press. ... I don’t have the answer. I just know that they seem comfortable with the way that we are heading.”

The episode was one of several examples during the 2026 legislative session in which topics that could have devolved into trench warfare quietly moved along with a nod and a handshake. Not secretly, necessarily, but quietly—in full view of the public, with ample time for comment, but with little fanfare or pushback.

Incremental tax cuts will see a few more bucks in Utahns’ wallets, a now-annual gesture from the conservative supermajority. But less-scrutinized taxing incentives hope to unlock thousands of would-be affordable homes that are currently stalled throughout the state, and to unlock millions of gallons of gasoline in a supplyside strategy to lower prices at the pump.

“We’re trying to address the affordability crisis in our country,” said Rep. Cal Roberts, R-Draper. “At the end of the day, most Utahns still drive cars and still use fuel. It’s a cost component of family budgets.”

Alcohol laws—a perennial source of both great profit and great shame for Republican lawmakers—saw argu-

ably the most significant liberalization since the fall of the Zion Curtain. While holding the line on proximity to churches and schools, HB597 opens the door for alcohol sales near parks.

The bill also walks back unpopular rules around age verification that created logistical headaches for restaurants, and it clarifies that the identification cards of foreign countries are permissible for visiting patrons.

“It was a going away gift,” said longtime liquor law sponsor Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, who is not seeking re-election. “We’ve got the Olympics coming up and those things are really important to not clutter ourselves up in a bunch of minutiae.”

Vice Squad

While it may soon get easier to enjoy a parkside cocktail, lawmakers cracked down on nicotine and kratom products, as well as online gambling through prediction markets. The kratom bill, which restricts sales to smoke shops and bans everything but pure leaf, drew particular attention from Senate leadership during daily briefings with the press corps.

“This is a business that has addicted and killed people,” said Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork. “To me, it’s gas station heroin and I don’t want to be a part of it, as a state.”

The Legislature also continued to take aim at social media, adding to the restrictions around app usage by minors and setting a default “bell-to-bell” ban on smartphones in public schools.

But in voting to loosen the proximity rules for alcohol sales near parks, lawmakers weren’t necessarily responding to demands from the public or from proprietors. The long-sought waiver route through DABS licensing could finally allow for things like a hotel bar at the corner of Sugar House Park, but it won support in large part because lawmakers are keen on building a mixed-use entertainment district at the old prison site in Draper.

Stevenson has been the Senate’s alcohol man for many years, and is typically seen as one of the more moderate and pro-consumer forces on the issue. With his retirement, that role will pass to one of his younger colleagues, which will result in a new negotiating posture from the upper chamber.

Asked whether the movement on proximity rules is a sign of things to come—like waivers near churches and schools?—Stevenson declined to speculate. “That’s like asking a guy on his death bed, ‘What’s next?’” he said.

Street Fights

Funding for day-to-day operations at UTA largely comes from city- and county-level sales taxes. But recent years have seen the state taking a leading role developing fixed-guideway services like trains and bus rapid transit.

Key to the state’s transit strategy is the strategic double-tracking of the Frontrunner regional train, which would allow for a 15-minute frequency during peak hours and pave the way for planned service extensions to Brigham City and Payson.

The double-tracking project is estimated to cost more than $3 billion (a corresponding widening of I-15 will cost roughly the same amount) and the state is optimistic that the bulk of that tab will be picked up by the federal government. If not, a new sales tax earmark and increased bonding authority for transit will help to cover the gap and keep construction on track.

“It’s the backbone of the entire system,” Roberts emphasized. “We want to start with a small investment and make sure we have the cash available to finish doubletracking Frontrunner.”

Roberts initially sponsored the sales tax earmark as its own bill, which was then absorbed into Harper’s SB197. It captures 5% of annual growth in the General Fund and diverts that money into an account for transit capital investment, beginning at roughly $15 million in the first year and projected to grow to around $75 million by 2034.

“At the end of the day, most Utahns still drive cars and still use fuel.” Rep. Cal Roberts

“I think about the 2002 Olympic games and all the infrastructure investment that we made then and how much of a benefit we’re deriving from that today, 20 years later,” Roberts said. “What can we do today to benefit the next generation and Utahns for the next 20 years?”

But for all the talk of transit as Utah’s future—including multiple officials testifying that roadbuilding alone cannot and will not meet the state’s future needs—the Legislature also threw a roadblock into Salt Lake City’s effort to make its local street grid more accessible for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders.

Under SB242, virtually all of the city’s local streets will be assigned a tier classification by UDOT, with traffic calming and lane reductions banned on higher-tier corridors and restricted on the lower tiers.

The bill was prompted by anecdotal objections to new bus and bike lanes on 200 South, 400 South and 300 West. And while those facilities are expected to remain largely intact after a mandatory “mitigation” by UDOT, the city is effectively prohibited from attempting to build more of them.

“I think roads are the future, along with transit,” said Senate President Stuart Adams, who complained about driving on 200 South. “I think we’ve got to have a holistic approach and I think we have to make sure the roads function along with the transit facility.”

Boom and Bust

Several high-profile bills fizzled out in the final days of the session. Some controversial proposals restricting the lives of undocumented immigrants and transgender individuals either failed or were amended to less-punitive forms, while the Senate put a halt to legislation that would have ended mail-in voting by requiring voters to submit their ballots in person with a photo ID.

House Republicans were reacting to prevalent—though baseless—allegations around election integrity, which

A bill from Sen. Jerry Stevenson, R-Layton, opens the door to alcohol sales near parks.

has become a cause célèbre on the political right during the presidency of Donald Trump.

But while Senate leadership shared the goal of securing elections from the perception of fraud, they said the bill would have created too many logistical hurdles, particularly in rural areas. “Most people take their ballot to a drop box,” Adams said. “We’re trying to make sure we maintain the convenience.”

The Legislature was also briefly pulled into a feud with the state of Idaho over a tax proposal that would have imposed new levies on fuel shipped out of state. The bill was designed to be revenue neutral, but was replaced after Idaho’s objections with a scheme that spends millions in sales tax revenue to temporarily buy down the state’s gas tax rate—essentially subsidizing the purchase of gasoline through the taxes paid on everything else.

Lawmakers believe that permitting reforms and other policy changes will empower Utah’s refineries to run more efficiently and lower their prices through increased market supply.

It’s not yet clear what impact these changes will have on the long-term trends for transportation funding, which have required ever-increasing amounts of subsidization out of the state’s General Fund.

“We have long-term structural problems in the Transportation Fund,” Roberts said. “You want it to function like a user fee, and as fuel economy gets better, cars use less fuel and we start to slowly transition to electric vehicles, if you’re relying on the gas tax, you will have less revenue to maintain your roads.”

Speaking to reporters on the final day of session, House Speaker Mike Schultz lauded the work of lawmakers in achieving the chamber’s top priorities. He said the legislative process had made good bills better, while filtering out those proposals that still needed work.

“I think the public should always look at what the Legislature passes,” Schultz said, “not what an individual legislator puts out there.” CW

Senate President Stuart Adams said he doesn’t know how to turn right on 200 South.

Share the Wealth

Alesser-known piece of state law requires cities to contribute half of their local sales tax revenue into a pool of funding that is then redistributed based on population. Thanks to Sen. Nate Blouin, D-Millcreek, we now have clear data on how much cities either contribute to or benefit from that process.

Blouin’s proposal to let cities keep 100% of their local sales taxes didn’t make headway at the Legislature, but a staff analysis prepared on the bill’s potential impact doubles as an interesting ranking of municipal productivity, relative to size.

Here’s the cities that are providing the most economic support to their neighbors each year (note SLC leading by a country mile), and the cities that benefit the most from the economies of others.

Top Contributors

1. Salt Lake City: $31,428,000

2. South Salt Lake: $8,693,000

3. Park City: $7,496,000

4. St. George: $7,316,000

5. Murray: $7,113,000

6. Draper: $5,258,000

7. Riverdale: $3,880,000

8. Orem: $3,525,000

9. Lindon: $3,414,000

10. Sandy: $2,656,000

11. American Fork: $2,629,000

Source: Office of the Utah

Top Beneficiaries

1. Provo: $7,296,000

2. Herriman: $5,936,000

3. Eagle Mountain: $5,741,000

4. Taylorsville: $4,255,000

5. Kearns: $3,984,000

6. West Jordan: $3,575,000

7. Syracuse: $3,433,000

8. Magna: $3,386,000

9. Roy: $3,115,000

10. Millcreek: $3,092,000

11. Clearfield: $2,888,000

DINE

Drinking Buddies

A few local pubs for your Saint Patrick’s Day festivities.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

Though I was never really one to cut loose on Saint Patrick’s Day, the holiday does get me thinking of how much I like a good pub visit: cold beer on tap, plates of unapologetically greasy food and a collection of patrons as lovely and glittering as the stars in the night sky. Of course, Utah isn’t exactly the pinnacle of pub culture, but we do have some spots that have become local favorites, thanks to the efforts of a few passionate business-owners. Whether you’re going to be out for Saint Paddy’s Day festivities or just looking for a friendly neighboring watering hole, here are some of my favorite local pubs.

The Hog Wallow Pub (3200 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd., 801-733-5567, thehogwallow.com): A good pub should present itself as a distillation of the community in which it finds itself, and this is where The Hog Wallow truly shines. Its bones include those of Utah pubs whose legacy goes back to 1947, and its proximity to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon makes it a popular spot for a drink after a day of skiing through the greatest snow on Earth. The inside of The Hog Wallow feels rustic enough to capture Utah’s Old West roots, but it’s contemporary enough to avoid any gimmicks that tend to associate with such territory.

From a menu perspective, Hog Wallow

is all about the smokehouse; it’s a great place to get ribs and wings for those who like their pub food smoked and sticky. The pub’s burgers can also accommodate plant-based or gluten-conscious diets, so pub fans with dietary considerations can also find plenty to enjoy here. Between the pub’s attractive, wood-paneled space and its nightly live music, The Hog Wallow is one of the most accessible and welcoming pubs along the Wasatch Front.

Ice Haüs (7 E. 4800 South, 801-2662127, icehausbar.com): Good burgers and good pubs often go hand in hand, and Ice Haüs is home to some of the best pub burgers in town. Good burgers often beget good side dishes, and Ice Haüs also delivers on this front. An order of the pub’s award-winning poutine fries should always be expected when dining and drinking here, and the baconwrapped brat bites are almost too good to be true. As far as burgers go, my heart belongs to the Bavarian Burger, mainly because it’s dressed with a Sheboygan bratwurst along with caramelized onions and sauerkraut. Many have tried to combine the perfect hot dog and the perfect burger, but only Ice Haüs has succeeded.

Piper Down Pub (1492 S. State, 801468-1492 piperdownpub.com): Ever since it opened back in 2003, Piper Down has worked tirelessly to become Salt Lake’s most iconic Irish pub. From its old-world signage on proud display along State Street to its lengthy menu of Irish classics, this is the place where most, if not all, of Salt Lake gets its luck o’ the Irish. If you’re visiting Piper Down for its famous brunch, you can never go wrong with its corned beef hash. Served with onions, peppers and potatoes along with eggs and sourdough toast, this is one of

Among the many delicious eats to enjoy at your local pub for St. Patrick’s Day

Piper Down’s specialties. The corned beef is also present on the pub’s regular menu with the Irish nachos—and if you’ve never had nachos topped with house-made corned beef, then this just might be the year to remedy that situation. Incidentally, if you’ve never had corned beef on a burger, then make this the year to also try the Dublin Down Burger. Though Piper Down has plenty of love for Ireland’s meat-centric staples, the pub has one of the most expansive plant-based menus in town. Vegan Daddy provides the meatless corned beef, and Piper Down’s Spicy Tiger Wings were recently recognized by PETA as one of the country’s best plates of plant-based wings.

Bohemian Brewery (94 E. 7200 South, 801-566-5474, bohemianbrewery.com): Pubs attached to breweries occupy a special place in my heart, as these spaces are among the absolute best places to get a good beer. Sure, beer on tap is a pleasure, but it’s a thing of beauty when that tap connects to the brewery itself. I fell in love with Bohemian’s Viennese Amber Lager during my first visit, and ever since, it’s been a fairly constant presence on my own grocery store beer runs.

Of course, Bohemian Brewery is an excellent purveyor of local craft brews, but enjoying a stein of beer and a meal within the Bavarian-inspired confines of this Midvale brewery is an experience in and of itself. Regardless of the season, the interior of Bohemian Brewery looks and feels like a hunting lodge on the outskirts of German civilization. Bavarian vibes call for Bavarian food, and the bratwursts, pierogi, spaetzle, schnitzel and paprikash are all available here for your enjoyment. CW

2 Row Brewing

73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com

On Tap: Piney Peaks 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

In a Can: Extra Pale Ale

Heber Valley Brewing

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

New release: KUMA Extra Stout 7.1% ABV

Helper Beer

159 N Main Street, Helper, UT  helperbeer.com

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com

On Tap: Märzenhead Lager

Kiitos Brewing

608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com

On Draft: Bliss IPA (Extremely Small Batch)

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

On Draft: Bliss IPA (Extremely Small Batch)

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

On Tap: Vienna Lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.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: Meet Me at the Provo IPA

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

On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier

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!

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

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com

RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com

On Tap: Bramble Brown

Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com

On Tap: Dunkel Dan

SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Draft: Oenobeer

Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: OPEN ROAD SERIES #3 - Barrel

BEER NERD

Celebration IPAs

Hop-fueled reasons to mark special occasions.

BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

Fisher Brewing - Nine Years of Nectar: Nine years after its modern revival, Fisher Brewing Company continues to honor its deep roots with a celebratory Nectaron IPA that feels both reflective and forward-looking. Originally founded in 1884 by German immigrant Albert Fisher, the brewery rose to prominence as a major regional producer. It weathered Prohibition by diversifying into other goods, triumphantly reopened in 1934, then changed hands to Lucky Lager in 1957 before its eventual closure in 1967. This anniversary release doesn’t just mark nine years back; it bridges nearly a century-and-a-half of brewing history.

Pouring a radiant golden hue, the IPA greets you with an inviting stone fruit nose. Ripe peach leads the charge, fleshy and aromatic, with hints of apricot drifting just behind it. There’s a subtle thread of herbal hops woven through the aroma, adding a green, slightly grassy edge that keeps the sweetness in check. On the palate, that round peach character becomes the focal point. It’s smooth and full without veering into syrupy territory. A flash of citrus zest brightens the mid-palate, offering a subtle snap before herbal and grassy hop notes layer in. The Nectaron hop profile shines here—expressive yet controlled, juicy yet structured. Bitterness is firm, providing a backbone that grounds the fruit-forward elements. The 6.5 percent ABV doesn’t overwhelm, but it makes its presence known, ensuring the beer finishes crisp rather than soft. The finish is decidedly hoppy and lingering, with echoes of peach skin and herbal resin that stick around long enough to invite another sip.

Verdict: For a brewery built on resil-

ience and rebirth, this IPA feels fitting— bold, balanced and proudly rooted in its past while embracing the present.

RoHa - 222 Sunshine: This IPA’s name refers to “222 days of light,” a poetic nod to Nightwish and their song “Sleeping Sun.” In that lyric, light stands as a symbol of warmth, hope and a longawaited stretch of peace after darkness. It’s an ambitious concept to hang on a beer label—but this IPA carries it well, delivering its own version of radiant optimism in liquid form.

Pouring a bright golden hue, it glows from the glass. The label alone creates its own sunshine, but the aromatics seal the deal. Amarillo, Centennial and Citra hops lead the charge with a bright bouquet of grapefruit zest, freshly-cut grass and just a whisper of pineapple. It’s a classic citrus-forward nose, clean and inviting, like stepping into daylight after a long winter.

The first sip confirms expectations, in the best way possible. Grapefruit takes center stage, pithy and vibrant, while grassy, herbal notes weave through the middle. A subtle pop of pineapple adds dimension without tipping into tropical overload. Beneath it all, the malt backbone provides structure: lightly toasty with a gentle sweetness that keeps the hops from running wild. It’s balanced, thoughtful and composed.

As it finishes, the beer dries out gracefully. A light but persistent bitterness lingers, echoing that citrus peel character and encouraging another sip. Its 7.2 ABV is not abrasive; instead, it feels deliberate, like the final rays of sun stretching across the horizon before dusk.

Verdict: Much like its namesake phrase, this IPA embodies brightness after darkness. It’s not over-the-top or blindingly intense. Rather, it’s steady, reassuring and quietly uplifting, making for a well-crafted expression of hopdriven sunshine—perhaps not 222 days’ worth, but certainly enough to make you believe in the light again.

Whether you’re celebrating the return of the light or raising a glass to a meaningful anniversary, these IPAs deliver a bright, vibrant appeal and practically demand a celebratory clink—whether the occasion is formal or completely impromptu. As always, cheers! CW

the BACK BURNER

BY ALEX SPRINGER | @captainspringer

Monkeywrench Expands to Sugar House

Fans of top-tier plant-based ice cream will be pleased to hear that Monkeywrench (@monkeywrench_slc) recently opened a second location in Sugar House. The new scoop shop is at 1845 S. 700 East, and will be featuring a menu of single- and double-scoop ice cream cones, along with pints, shakes, malts and other frozen specialties. Ever since Monkeywrench opened its first location at Gallivan Plaza, it’s become a fixture not only for plant-based diners but for anyone who loves a good scoop of fresh ice cream. If you’ve never had the chance to indulge in one of Monkeywrench’s classic flavors, it just got a bit easier to remedy the situation.

Urban Gyro & Chicken Also Expands to Sugar House

Urban Gyro & Chicken (ugcplatters.com) seems to have taken a cue from its Gallivan Plaza neighbors at Monkeywrench and set up a second shop in Sugar House. The fast-casual gyro and wrap restaurant opened its second location at 2121 S. McClelland Street, which seems like a good fit for its grab-and-go capabilities. I had the chance to visit Urban Gyro & Chicken at its Regent Street location, and was thoroughly impressed. You can’t really go wrong with any of the place’s gyros, and its rice platters are equally tasty for those after something a bit more substantial. Having 100% more Urban Chicken & Gyro is definitely a good thing.

Ritual Chocolate Signature Drinking Chocolate Class

There’s hot chocolate, and then there’s drinking chocolate—and those who know the difference lead very different lives. Whether you’re unfamiliar with the pleasures of drinking chocolate or have been a longtime sipper, Ritual Chocolate (ritualchocolate.com) has an upcoming event you’ll want to check out. On March 19 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ritual Chocolate will be hosting a drinkingchocolate class that will offer a peek behind the scenes of the downtown chocolatier’s inner workings before creating their own unique flavor of drinking chocolate to bring home. Of course, no one will judge you if you want to snag some of Ritual Chocolate’s unique treats while you’re there.

Quote of the Week: “Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies.”

-John Q. Tullius

Mock the Power

Utah-based singer and songwriter Austin Archer tries to get his wry takes on the world out into that world.

BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

The music industry seemingly changes on a daily basis. As easy as it is for an artist to release their music via social-media platforms, it’s a huge challenge to get folks to listen to it. The popularity of TikTok has definitely changed that for many, including Utah’s own Austin Archer. He began using his talent as a musician to write hilarious songs about political/current events, and continues to do so, regularly releasing catchy, poignant and hilarious tunes.

Some of his best hits include songs like “Nobody Cool Likes Tucker Carlson,” “Vaxxed,” “Congratulations!” His most recent, “PDF Files,” offers a scathing take on the current administration and those who support it blindly. “There’s this woman named Lisa, I don’t know her last name and I don’t care to, who’s just your typical runof-the-mill, utterly deranged Trump supporter who made this video where she was calling us perverts for wanting to know what’s in the files,” Archer explained. Because of guideline restrictions on apps like TikTok, the term “PDF files” has become a replacement for the word “pedophile,” the use of which would lead to content being suppressed. Archer doesn’t stutter, however, as he sings, “MAGA is a cult of pedophiles / A bunch of fuckin’ Nazi pedophiles / Prove me wrong you’re not a pedophile / Stop supporting Nazi pedophiles.”

The track started as a mockery of this particular woman, Lisa, but as Archer

thought more about it, he found that there was more to it than that. “It started leading into this idea, this slogan, ‘Every accusation is a confession,’ which is what they do,” he said. “They always accuse other people of the thing that they are. It’s never a drag queen, it’s never the gay schoolteacher who has a pride flag in their classroom, it’s never that. It’s always the youth pastor, it’s always the Republican senator who was trying to pass bathroom bills to ban transgender kids from going into the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. So I was like, ‘Prove me wrong that you’re not a cult of pedophiles—like, denounce this shit.’”

Archer has been writing and making music since he was 15 years old, and it’s also what started his following on TikTok. As things have changed in the app, however, it’s tougher for him to get these songs out to people who want to hear them. That development led him to stop focusing on making music for a time, but he does write and produce when the inspiration strikes.

“At this point in my life,” he said, “songwriting comes on like a faucet that turns on or off, and sometimes it’s off and my guitars just sit in a holder in my living room for months at a time, and they just collect dust, and I don’t touch them. Then all of a sudden, I’ll hit a point where there’s just like a song every day, or maybe two or three some days, that just is like falling out of my head, and I have to sit down and get it out.”

In recent years Archer has also become discouraged with music-streaming platforms and how they don’t support independent artists well enough. Archer has a ton of great music on his BandCamp page that any indie music lover would thoroughly enjoy, but it doesn’t reach enough ears. He’s taken all of his music off of Spotify and all other major platforms, promoting BandCamp not only for himself, but all the independent artists who put their music on there.

“When I took all my music off of Spotify last year, it was a really hard decision,” he

MUSIC

said. He encourages others to do the same, but knows it’s a tough ask. “Fascism already takes so much from you. It’s really hard to willingly give up even more.”

Music on BandCamp is very fairly priced, but they also give artists a larger cut of that money. They also have BandCamp Friday once a month, where all money spent is passed directly to artists. That said, you can stream music from your favorite local/indie artists completely for free. All you have to do is download the app and make an account; then everything on there is accessible to you. Consider hopping onto BandCamp and TikTok to enjoy Archer’s talent, wit and catchy tunes. Perhaps while you’re on BandCamp, you’ll find other artists you wouldn’t have found otherwise. “It’s the only place where indie musicians have a fighting chance at getting any kind of return on the investment they put into their art,” Archer said.

Although being on the Internet is a bit tough at times, Archer is doing very well. “I take care of my mental health,” he said. He speaks on the balance of speaking up for what you believe in and fighting for it, while also taking breaks and enjoying time with loved ones. Tough times may make you ask, “Am I allowed to laugh at times like this?” When this question was posed to Archer he answered emphatically, “Not only are you allowed to, you have to.” CW

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

BEST BAR IN UTAH!

GREAT FOOD

MUSIC PICK S

Rising Appalachia @ The Commonwealth Room 3/12

Effectively bringing together three aesthetics—Boho-hippie culture, a world-music mindset and elements of folk and old-time music—Atlanta-born sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith launched Rising Appalachia in 2005. Over the years, the group has called Atlanta, New Orleans and Asheville, N.C. its home base, but frequent touring around the globe qualifies the group as world citizens. And their undercurrent of socially-conscious messaging is very much in line with that characterization: While their acoustic-electric sound draws from mountain music and non-American musical styles, their lyrics often focus squarely on issues related to the environment, social justice and other big ideas. The band has been consistent in its album release schedule; with more than 10 albums to their credit, Rising Appalachia has operated largely outside of the music industry machinery. The band’s reflective, poetic-leaning lyricism has made them a sensation on the festival circuit, appealing to the bright-eyed idealist that exists within many listeners. And the group’s passionate activism in support of causes it holds dear means that unlike some of their well-meaning contemporaries, Rising Appalachia truly walks the talk. The group comes to the Commonwealth Room on Thursday, March 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets for this 21 and over show are $45 and available from axs.com. (Bill Kopp)

UPCOMING SHOWS

Road to Reverie: Desert

Reverie Music Festival

Promo Show

A Gathering of the Children of the Fence: Neverender Movie

Marathon Watch Party

Ethyl Cat

Tow’rs

The Sloppy Boys

MUSIC PICK S

Modern Speed, Seeking the Sun, The Lip @ Urban Lounge 3/12

SLC group Modern Speed is a fun group with an exciting sound. They showcased their dynamic tunes on the Van Sessions concert series in Ogden recently, and of course they play awesome shows around town. Their sound offers a mix of indie and psych rock, never making their music feel stale or like every song sounds the same. Their 2023 track “Schizoid” has a harder rock feel to it, the crunchy guitar rhythm reminiscent of something The Offspring would play. Their 2022 track “Wayside,” on the other hand, takes a different approach, fitting more into the indie category with tons of reverb and a slower beat. Modern Speed hasn’t released anything new since “Schizoid,” but that changes with this show, as they’re celebrating the release of a new track. It will be exciting to see where their inspiration has taken them from the past few years. Popular rock band Seeking the Sun is also on the bill, their alt/prog sound pairing well with Modern Speed’s. You’ll want to check out their latest track “Lobotomy,” released last October. The Lip is rounding things out for this lovely Thursday evening show, with their alt/reggae vibes. Catch this great trio of locals at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 12. Tickets for the 21+ show are $13.35 in advance and $15.59 at the door. Grab yours at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

MUSIC PICK S

Get Lucky @ Saltair 3/13-14

V2 Entertainment celebrates the 20th anniversary of its iconic festival GET LUCKY, with an impressive lineup of electronic artists. Friday night, Deadmau5 headlines with an extra special drum ‘n bass set. The Canadian EDM DJ and producer, aka Joel Zimmerman, is a true legend of EDM who has been making electronic music since 1998. You may know his 2x platinum-certified single “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” and recognize him from his usual mouse helmet (“mau5head”) headgear. Saturday, the melodic house artist Gryffin (Dan Griffith) will headline. His 2024 album Pulse features 14 tracks that lean heavily into 2000s dance music, progressive house and trance influences. It was a complete tear-jerker, so bring some friends along for emotional support. As a twoday festival, there are several other artists such as Kai Wachi, Sidepiece, Armnhmr, Francis Derelle, Midnight Tyrannosaurus, Joyride back-to-back with Habstrakt and many more. Show up early to support the local artists: Audeamus, Branden Estrada, Geovante and Vertekz. They work hard to keep SLC a fun and safe place to party. General admission for two-day costs $179.38. One-day tickets are also available for $110.98. Tickets are selling out quickly so also consider upgrading to VIP. Go to getluckyslc.com. (Arica Roberts)

Celtic Celebration

@ Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 3/17

What better way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, the holiday that everyone enjoys regardless of background, nationality or place of birth, than with a genuine Celtic Celebration? No, we’re not talking in a generic sense, but rather about the real deal. The annual Celtic Celebration shares Irish and Scottish culture courtesy of Callanish, the Celtic Beat Dancers and the Wasatch & District Pipe Band, offering everything one would expect—high energy jigs and reels, timeless Old Country ballads, step dancers, pipes, drums, and visions of faraway cliffs overlooking the ocean and the moors and meadows. Even if one has never seen such sights, Celtic celebration allows audiences to easily imagine what a journey of that sort would entail. High-stepping lads and lasses, complete

with vibrant instrumental accompaniment allows, in a real sense, the next best thing to experiencing that otherworldly magic and merriment in our own hometown environs. It is, in a very true sense, a deep dive into the culture and heritage that’s forever defined the essence of the Emerald Isle and the Scottish Highlands. Ultimately, Celtic Celebration gives Irish eyes—and for that matter, everyone else’s—real reason to smile. Celtic Celebration takes place at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 17. General admission costs $10 - $15. Children ages 2 and under are free, but must sit in a lap. Go to etix.com. (Lee Zimmerman)

Up To Something @ Aces High Saloon 3/18

To say punk is dead, or even question its relativity, would be quite an ignorant statement to make. Punk music will constantly reinvent itself and will always exist, especially here in the Beehive State. Salt Lake City’s Up To Something could be one of those groups that’s in the right place at the right time, with the right musicians. Andrew Hoyt (guitar), Chris Burton (guitar), Sean Clement (drums) and Rob Hunter (bass, vocals) have been carefully crafting their self-titled debut project that showcases their talent with supreme DIY garage-y explosive power: tight chord progressions; no overproduction; unpretentious, down-to-earth, songs that go somewhere and say something; and, very important, being “close” to the audience. I also like the fact that you can hear the distinct instruments. Their debut is a great record overall, but the track “Claw Machine” stands out for me. With gearedout nasty riffs, pissed-off energy and volume, Up To Something makes it clear that we can learn a lot from this band. There is a healthy scene in SLC today with a broad spectrum of eclecticism and sub-genres, and it’s not just the old guard anymore. Up To Something is off to a promising start; bands and music like this will always be necessary. Frick. and Atypical Heroes also play. Catch these musicians at Aces High Saloon on Wednesday, March 18. Doors at 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ event are $10 and can be found at aceshighsaloon.com. (Mark Dago)

free will ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

In theater, “breaking the fourth wall” means acknowledging the audience. Actors step out of the pretense that what’s on stage is real. It’s a disruptive moment of truth that can deepen the experience. I would love you to break the fourth wall, Aries. It’s a favorable time to slip free of roles you’ve been performing by rote and blurt out more interesting truths. Tell someone, “This isn’t working for me,” or, “I need to be my pure self with greater authenticity.” Breaking the fourth wall won’t ruin the show; it will be fun, real and entertaining.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

English speakers like me use the terms “destiny” and “fate” interchangeably. But a scholar of ancient Sumer claims they had different meanings in that culture. Nam the word for “destiny,” was fixed and immutable. Namtar meaning “fate,” could be manipulated, adjusted and even cheated. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe you now have a golden chance to veer off a path that leads to an uninteresting or unproductive destiny and start gliding along a fateful detour.

GEMINI

(May 21-June 20)

The coming months will be a favorable time for you to shed the fairy-tale story of success that once inspired you when you were younger and more idealistic. A riper vision is emerging, calling you toward a more realistic and satisfying version of your life’s purpose. The transformation may at first feel unsettling, but I believe it will ultimately awaken even deeper zeal and greater creativity than your original dream. Bonus: Your revised, more mature goals will lead you to the very rewards your youthful hopes imagined but never quite delivered.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Even if you’re not far from home, I bet you’re on a pilgrimage or odyssey of some kind. The astrological omens tell me you’re being drawn from familiar ideas and feelings and are en route to unknown country. You’re transforming, but not sure how yet. During this phase of exploration, I suggest you adopt a nickname that celebrates being on a quest. This will be a playful alias that helps you focus on the pregnant potential of this interlude. You might consider: Journey Seed, Threshold Traveler, Holy Rambler, Map-Edge Maverick or Wanderlust Wonderer. Choose one that tickles you with the sense that you are being born again while you travel.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Love is more than a glow in your heart or a spark in your body. When fully awakened, it becomes a revolutionary way of being in the world that invites you to challenge and rethink all you’ve been taught. It’s a bold magic that alters everything it encounters. You can certainly choose a milder, tamer version of love if you wish. But if you’d like to evolve into a love maestro—as you very well could during the next 12 months—I suggest you give yourself to the deeper, wilder form. Do you dare?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Octopuses have neuron clusters in their arms that enable them to “think with their limbs.” Let’s make them your spirit creature for now, Virgo. Your body’s intuitions are offering you guidance that might even be as helpful as your fine mind. This enhanced somatic brilliance can serve you in practical ways: a creative breakthrough while doing housework, a challenging transition handled with aplomb, a fresh alignment between your feelings and ideas. I hope you will listen to your body as if it were a beloved mentor. Trust your movements and physical sensations to reveal what you need to know.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

I love your diplomatic genius: the capacity to understand all sides, to hold space for contradictions, to find the middle ground. But right now it’s in danger of cur-

dling into a kind of self-erasure where your own desires become the one thing you can’t quite locate. Another way to understand this: You are so skilled at seeing everyone’s perspective that you sometimes lose track of your own. Here’s the antidote I recommend: Practice the revolutionary act of having strong opinions, of preferring one thing over another without immediately undercutting your preference with a counter-argument. I guarantee that your relationships will survive your decisiveness. In fact, they will deepen as people locate the real you beneath your exquisite balance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

New love cravings have been welling up inside you, Scorpio. These cries of the heart may confuse you even as they delight you and invigorate you. One of your main tasks is to listen closely to what they’re telling you, but to wait a while before expressing their messages to other people. You need to study them in detail before spilling them out. Another prime task is to feel patient awe and reverence for the immensity and intensity of these deep, wild desires.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

If you’re fulfilling your birthright as a Sagittarius, you are a philosopher-adventurer with a yearning for deep meaning. As you seek out interesting truths, your restless curiosity is a spiritual necessity. You understand wisdom comes from collecting diverse, sometimes contradictory experiences and weaving them into a coherent worldview. You have a fundamental need to keep expanding and reinventing what freedom means. These qualities may make some people nervous, but they are among your primary assignments now and forever. They are especially important to cultivate these days.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In traditional navigation, “dead reckoning” means finding your position by tracking your previous movements. Where you have been tells you where you are. But it only works if you’ve been honest about your course. If you’ve been misleading yourself about the direction you have been traveling, dead reckoning will get you lost. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I really want you to rededicate yourself to telling yourself the deepest, strongest, clearest truths. Where have you actually been going? Not where you told yourself you were going or where other people imagined you were going, but where your choices have actually been taking you. Look at the pattern of your real movements, not your stated intentions. Once you know your true position, you can chart a true course for the future.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You’re entering a rambling zigzag phase. Each plot twist will branch into two more, and every supposed finale will reveal itself as the opening act of another surprise. Fortunately, your gift for quick thinking and innovative adaptation is sharper than ever, which means you will flourish where others might freeze. My suggestion? Forget the script. Approach the unpredictable adventures like an improv exercise: spontaneous, playful, and open to the fertile mysteries.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Can you compel acts of grace to intervene in destiny? Can bursts of divine favor be summoned through the power of will? Some spiritual scholars say, “Absolutely not.” They claim life’s wild benevolence arrives only through the mysterious tides of fate—impossible to solicit and to predict. But other observers, more openminded, speculate that your intelligent goodness might indeed attract the vivid generosity of cosmic energies. I bring this up because I suspect you Pisceans are either receiving or will soon receive blessings that feel like divine favor. Did you earn them, or are you just lucky—or some of both? It doesn’t matter. Enjoy the gift.

urban LIVING

Erin Go Bragh

I

t’s almost St. Patrick’s Day and the Hibernian Society is in the final planning stages for their annual parade in our capital city. I’m not Irish, but I love history—and Irish history in Utah is vast.

I’d always heard that the fifth-century Christians killed off the “snakes” (the Druids/Pagans) in Ireland, but there does not seem to be much evidence of such murders. St. Patrick was born in Britain, captured by Irish raiders when he was 16 and escaped his captors, only to return to the country as a missionary for his church.

The legend that he killed off the snakes came from a book written in the early 1900s.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Reach half a century (which yours truly will do in March!)

10. SI unit named for a Serb

15. Differently

16. How some bras are available for order, color-wise

17. Fuel that can be made from soybeans

18. Yarn

19. Shady character?

20. To a tee, slangily

22. Envelope acronym

23. Seafood restaurant item

24. Pixelated image, on old computer displays

26. Major label broken up in 2012

27. ___ Pacific University (Christian institution near L.A.)

30. Doctor (Richard Dreyfuss) antagonized by Bob (Bill Murray) in “What About Bob?”

32. White Stripes album named after a Dutch art movement

34. Not raw

Fast forward to the United States and a place called Deseret. Immigrants from the Green Isle came to our state to work on the railroad that was being built, for the local silver and copper mines or to join the army. Many made this their permanent home.

Mostly Catholics, the Irish weren’t easily accepted by other Christians, so living among another religious group that was likewise not in public favor seems to me a good fit.

Utah’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1864 and was held each year until the 1920s, restarting again in the late ‘70s. Internationally, the Irish were scorned for being neutral and not fighting in World War I and got massive blowback from what is known as the six-day Easter Rebellion of 1916.

The uprising was started by Irish Republicans against their British rulers. The movement was squashed by thousands of British army soldiers, artillery and a gunboat.

There were massive casualties on both sides, public executions, 3,500 people were arrested and 1,800 were put in prisons.

The Hibernian Society of Utah, which puts on our parade each year, was established in 1978 and was founded to foster community through education, celebration and tradition. They hope through their activities to bring people closer together, raise funds and awareness for charity.

Their webpage describes how four men in 1977 were together in Salt Lake City when one declared, “Let’s have a parade!” They stood and walked down 400 South and “the rest is history.”

The 49th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. at the Gateway. The theme this year is “A Celtic Odyssey,” focusing on the idea of an epic journey or adventure, which symbolizes the travels of Irish immigrants and cultural exchanges between Ireland and the U.S.

The Siamsa (“shee-am-sah,” meaning folk entertainment) is the Celtic Festival held from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. the same day, with tons of vendors and food trucks along the Rio Grande Street through the mall.

There will be plenty of music and dancing and drinking for those over 21 years old.

Both celebrations are free to attend, and folks are encouraged to take Trax to get there and back. ■

35. Fair

36. Hill crest, in England (or “sack” lead-in)

37. Diversion using parts of speech

40. Low-cost carrier based in Kuala Lumpur

44. The current record for one is 275.97 knots

47. Time served

48. System that reads credit cards

49. Rolled snack?

51. “Let There Be ___ ... Ruff Ryders’ First Lady” (1999 debut rap album)

52. Piz Bernina and Schreckhorn, for two

54. Live dangerously

56. Miss Piggy tagline

57. Tale of Troy that doesn’t get to the Trojan Horse

59. Misleadingly named little pet

61. Ours in Tours

62. Area affected by plantar fasciitis

63. Promotional link

64. Enterprise is its flagship

DOWN

1. Words after “Good” or “Born”

2. Draw on

3. Diamond figure

4. Australian bushranger Kelly

5. “Looney Tunes” animator Freleng

6. “___ my sunglasses at night” (Corey Hart lyric)

7. Regarding money

8. Sleeping sickness vector

9. Summon loudly

10. Contracted agreement

11. They’ll check your head

12. Ski town near Montpelier, on envelopes

13. Wyoming’s only university town (so their website says)

14. “You pick which one”

21. Mocha resident

25. Detection systems

28. Snatched

29. Martial art involving wrist and elbow grips

31. Tear

33. Half of #33?

36. Counterpart of kanji and hiragana

37. Classic drawing program with Airbrush and Curve tools

38. Retroactively named space mission of 1967

39. Notwithstanding

41. Always, in Acapulco

42. Dunning focus

43. When some primetime shows are scheduled

Ache

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

NEWS of the WEIRD

Government in Action

Call in to the Washington state Department of Licensing, and you’ll have the option for Spanish language communication. At least that’s what you’d expect. But instead, the Associated Press reported, an automated AI voice just speaks English with a strong Spanish accent. Maya Edwards, whose husband pressed 2 for Spanish, said, “It was hilarious to us in the moment because it was so absurd. But at the same time, it has real accessibility issues for people who ... need to speak in a different language.” The DOL apologized and said the glitch had been fixed as of Feb. 27, but calls to the service still resulted in the accented voice and using Spanish words only for numbers, as in, “Your estimated wait time is less than tres minutes.” Buena suerte !

Wait, What?

After being reported missing on Feb. 14, a 36-year-old Florida man was found on Feb. 26 up to his neck in mud, WCJB-TV divulged. Andrew Giddens, who friends said had been depressed after a recent breakup, was found near the Vulcan Sand Plant in Melrose. A Vulcan employee discovered him and called authorities. Rescue crews from three counties spent more than two hours using ropes, ladders and other supplies to free him from the mud. After 12 days in the elements, without food or water, he was in critical condition at a local hospital.

Bright Idea

On Feb. 22, drivers on China’s congested highways encountered a determined fellow traveler, the South China Morning Post reported. Tan, 26, was headed to his girlfriend’s hometown 580 miles away from his home with a singular mission: to propose marriage. As such, he posted a sign on his car’s back window that read: “Brothers, let me go first. I am heading to Guizhou to propose to the love of my life.” His girlfriend had returned home for Chinese New Year, during which roadways become crowded with travelers. “At first, the journey felt endless, but the closer I got, the more excited I became,” he said. “The kindness I received made my happiness even greater.” Tan said his betrothed was surprised to see him after his 12 1/2-hour trip, and she happily accepted his proposal.

Fine Points of the Law

Mob boss John Gotti’s grandson, Carmine Agnello, 39, is headed to prison after pleading guilty to fraud in 2024, the New York Post reported. As his sentencing date, March 13, approaches, Agnello is hoping the federal judge will give him a break because he’s donating a kidney to his mom, Victoria Gotti. But the Eastern District of New York isn’t having it: “Being a kidney donor does not ... constitute extraordinary family circumstances and warrant a below guidelines sentence,” the office wrote. They also argued that the Bureau of Prisons is more than equipped to care for Agnello after his kidney donation. Nice try.

News You Can Use

■ If you’re planning to fly through Tampa International Airport anytime soon, better put on your best duds. The airport announced on X on Feb. 26 that pajamas would no longer be tolerated at the facility, Fox News reported. “We’ve seen enough. We’ve had enough. It’s time to ban pajamas at Tampa International Airport,” the post read. As it turned out, however, Tampa was just kidding (or maybe testing the water?). An airport statement said they “regularly share lighthearted, satirical social media content” and called the post “another playful nod to day-of-travel fashion debates.” Mmm-hmmm.

■ This one’s no joke: United Airlines updated its policy on Feb. 27 to prohibit travelers who watch videos or play games without using headphones, Fox News reported. Under United’s new “refusal of transport” rules, passengers who refuse to use headphones may be denied boarding or removed from a flight. Including the rule in the contract of carriage gives crews more ability to enforce it.

But Why?

Scientists in China have used gene editing technology to create a new tomato variety that smells like buttered popcorn, The Independent reported on Feb. 26. The project was conceived to address the problem of tomatoes losing aroma and flavor during transport and storage. Peng Zheng, an author of the study, compared the alteration to creating varieties of fragrant rice. But why popcorn? Why couldn’t they smell like ... tomatoes?

The Passing Parade

On Feb. 28 in Thailand’s Prakhon Chai district, 37-yearold Duangduan Ketsaro made headlines when, in the same ceremony, she married two Austrian men, the Times of India reported. Ketsaro met Roman, a retired police officer, five years ago, and then had flings with his friend, Macky, also a police officer. The three had settled into an open relationship, but they put a ring on it in a traditional Thai wedding. “Marry one, nobody remembers,” Ketsaro said. “Marry two, they’ll never forget!”

That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me

Layne Featherngill, 58, took matters into his own hands on Feb. 26 in Sykes Creek, Florida, WFTV reported. An ambulance on a call had parked in a way that blocked Featherngill from moving his car, so he got into the ambulance and started to move it out of the way. Brevard County Fire Rescue crew members were working on a patient in the back when they felt the truck begin to roll. When one of the first responders got out and confronted Featherngill, he jumped out of the ambulance and into his own car, then struck a paramedic in the leg as he drove away. Deputies tracked him down and arrested him for grand theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of an occupied conveyance.

Field Report

Shoppers at The Market Place antique store in East Durham, New York, came across a cute little item on the shelves on Feb. 21, the Associated Press reported. There, tucked in next to a ceramic chicken cookie jar, was a sleepy eastern screech owl. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation was called in, and officers carefully cradled the sleeping owl and removed it from the store, then released it in a nearby woods.

Oops

Visitors to the Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong, China, may be admitted to a special feeding area where they can feed lions through cage bars, the New York Post reported. But on Feb. 26, a 10-year-old girl was attacked by two lions after being allowed in the area, even though she was underage. The girl was against the cage when a female lion reached through the bars and grabbed her leg. A staffer used a metal rod to hit the cat’s paw away from the girl’s leg, eventually freeing her. The staffer who let the girl into the restricted area was suspended, the zoo said. The victim had minor leg injuries and received a rabies vaccination.

Inexplicable

Mitchell Fairbarn, 33, of Ontario, Canada, is this week’s tourist behaving badly, KLAS-TV reported. On March 3 in Las Vegas, Fairbarn allegedly broke into the Flamingo Hotel’s flamingo habitat around 5 a.m. and injured several of the iconic birds. Surveillance video showed that Fairbarn then grabbed “Peachy,” one of the flamingos, and returned with it to his room. (Wonder what the other guy in the elevator thought?) Fairbarn told police that he had seen a flamingo in distress and went into the habitat to “pop” its wing back into place, saying doing so is “a common practice for birds, such as ducks,” police said. “He has knowledge of this because he is a farm boy.” But on Fairbarn’s phone, officials found photos and videos of him torturing Peachy in his room, and police located a “large bloody feather” in the room. Fairbarn’s bail was set at $12,000 and he was ordered to surrender his passport.

Two-story Home

Gilmer Park (1160 E. Michigan), 4BR, 2BA, 2CG, lush back yard, Art Deco features, OPEN HOUSE 3/14 1-3 pm $999,900 MLS #2126768

Downtown Condo at 350S. 200 East at the METRO. One BR, top floor, light open space w/laundry in the unit, new price! $339,900 MLS #2126427

2BA, good bones but needs complete update. Cash only offers-sale pending, back up offers ok

MLS #2133854

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