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Christie Porter

Christie Porter has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade, writing about everything under the sun, but she really loves writing about nerdy things and the weird stuff. She recently published her first comic book short this year.

Nov 25
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New Documentary ‘KEEP SWEET’ Shows FLDS Life After Warren Jeffs

By Arts & Culture, Film

Keep sweet is a familiar mantra among the members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints (FLDS, a sect that broke off from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and still continues to practice polygamy) in Short Creek. The community straddles the Utah-Arizona border, encompassing Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona. At first, “keep sweet” appears innocuous—a simple reminder to be kind to everyone. The credo, however, was also used as a tool for keeping members compliant under the will and whim of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs. Now, KEEP SWEET is the title of a new documentary about the FLDS now streaming on Discovery+.

the Short Creek landscape from discovery+ documentary KEEP SWEET on the FLDS church
The Short Creek landscape; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

“As we met these FLDS families, we started getting a lot of incredible art pieces from these kids,” says the film’s executive producer Glenn Meehan. “And almost every piece of art said ‘keep sweet. Don and Glenn, keep sweet.’ That phrase kept coming up. We saw it everywhere.” 

“‘Keep sweet’ is baked into the fabric of the town, in a way. It’s about behavior. It’s about being a good person. It still has resonance there, but now, as the title of the film, like the town itself, it can now mean something other than what it used to,” says director Don Argott about the choice of the film’s title. He’s best known for directing the documentary Believer, which followed Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds as he learned about the LDS Church’s treatment of LGBTQ+ members.

KEEP SWEET takes a different approach with a wider scope than previous documentaries about the FLDS. It presents community conflicts and religious and political divisions in a fashion that allows viewers to draw their own conclusions. That will certainly make for interesting and spirited conversations around the table this Thanksgiving. 

Pray and Obey on Fireplace outside of a house. from Discover + documentary KEEP SWEET.
“Pray and obey” on the fireplace outside of a house in Short Creek; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

On its face, KEEP SWEET is a primer to the FLDS community—catching up the viewer on the 1953 raid by Arizona officials that still shapes the members’ views toward outsiders, the reign of Warren Jeffs, how he divided families and exiled anyone who could possibly challenge his influence and, primarily, how the community has changed since Jeffs’ arrest, child rape conviction and prison sentence. 

However, KEEP SWEET strives to be more than that, as that sort of documentary has been done many times. (Just for starters, if you’re looking for deep analysis and painstaking research into the FLDS, polygamy, and the rise of Warren Jeffs or thoughtful explorations into how he further isolated and radicalized a community and destroyed lives, there’s the Unfinished Short Creek podcast, the book Prophet’s Prey by Sam Brower and subsequent documentary, the book Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer, the documentary Sons Of Perdition, and so many more.) 

“We sat with the documentary for a while, trying to figure out what we were going to do with it,” says Meehan. “Then Don comes along. He sees this new angle to this documentary. We already had the side that was kicked out. But Don, as director, wanted to show both sides without giving our opinions.” 

Short Creek house with Zion sign hanging on an archway; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

“People have told the Warren Jeffs story before,” says Argott, “But there is something that’s happening in this town that is not being talked about. There’s a pressure cooker there, as all these different people are existing side-by-side. And it’s a story that hadn’t really been told before.” 

Rather than retread the same ground, KEEP SWEET hopes to compare the current situation in Short Creek to the American political and cultural climate at large. Specifically, the documentary portrays the divisiveness that emerges when facts are dismissed in favor of beliefs/bias and people stubbornly adhere to their own “truths.” 

Before Jeffs went to jail, a documentary crew may have been run out of Short Creek by the so-called “god squad” (Jeffs’ pick-up-driving private security forces.) Now, many of the walls have come down (literal walls Jeffs had constructed around the community). “I never thought we’d be allowed to say ‘hello’ to them [FLDS members], let alone have dinner in their houses and their families,” says Meehan, who first visited Short Creek about a decade ago. “I’ve really grown to like these people so much. And really that’s what the documentary is all about. Everybody has their own truth. Everyone has their own story. And here it is. We’ll give you all of the cards and you decide where your heart is.”

A point of contention that remains in Short Creek, the United Effort Plan (UEP), a land trust, which includes hundreds of homes formerly controlled by the FLDS, is now under the purview of a nonreligious board. Under the board, some former FLDS members—who were exiled, left or escaped Jeffs’ church—have returned to their homes. Some homes have been sold to “outsiders.” And some FLDS members, still faithful to Jeffs, have been evicted for refusing to cooperate with the board’s criteria to keep their homes as they do not recognize the board’s authority. 

Two FLDS girls watching the bulldozers take down buildings in Short Creek; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

Those faithful FLDS that still live in Short Creek claim they’ve been persecuted against by the former FLDS who now hold positions of power within the town—such as the UEP board members and Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop. They seem to fail to grasp the irony of being ousted from a community by refusing to cooperate with the people who were once exiled themselves. And therein lies the rub. Former FLDS and new residents are trying to bring democracy, capitalism and modernism to Short Creek and rebuild the lives they had before Jeffs stripped them of everything. In doing so, the FLDS feel they have been stripped of everything. Because, despite all of the evidence proving Jeffs’ crimes, they believe Jeffs to be a prophet, maligned by outsiders and authorities unsanctioned by god, comparing Jeffs to the Mormon prophet and church founder Joseph Smith. (Smith was arrested and imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois after ordering the destruction of a printing press when the newspaper revealed Joseph Smith’s practice of polygamy. Both of which he was guilty of, so, in that way, he was like Jeffs.) 

Unlike Smith, Jeffs is still alive in prison, but we see Jeffs’ ghost continue to haunt the town with his influence, dividing Short Creek into faithful and “other.” And never the twain shall meet. In that way, it seems as insurmountable as the political, religious and cultural divides we all face within our own communities and families. 

“When we were making this film, it was the height of the Trump administration,” says Argott. “And seeing how the country was being ripped apart, and frankly, still is, I realized [the town] is America five years from now. This is where we are headed. We are headed to this place where everyone has their own truths. Everyone has their own views of the world. But, guess what? I’m going to have to live next to this person and I’m going to have to figure it out.” 

Norma Richter and one of her daughters; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

Meehan recounted an experience he had while driving with one of the faithful FLDS, a woman named Norma. They passed a man on the street and Norma told Meehan that man was her brother. “I asked ‘Why didn’t you wave to him?’ And she says, ‘Oh, he left the church. We don’t speak.’ And here they are living in this small town, everyone knows each other, they pass siblings every day and they don’t talk.”

In that vein, Argott compares Jeffs to someone other than Joseph Smith. “No matter what side you’re on, whether you support Trump or don’t support Trump, people have lost family members over it. And that’s something I would say is a new phenomenon living in this country. We’ve always been able to have different ideologies, but there’s something about this guy who came in, much like Warren, and really polarized everybody.”

The documentary lets both sides of the divide share “their truths” with little commentary from the documentarians. So, allow me to provide some here. Both camps in Short Creek subscribe to non-reality at times. We see the FLDS refuse to acknowledge Jeffs’ crimes. Meanwhile, some former FLDS members cling to nostalgia, painting an idyllic picture of their lives in Short Creek before Warren Jeffs. Jeffs’ predecessor, his father Rulon (a.k.a. Uncle Rulon) might not have committed horrors on the same level as his son nor restricted the freedoms of the members to the same degree, but Under the Banner of Heaven uncovered that Uncle Rulon had underage wives all the same. Some were as young as 14 and forced to marry Rulon in his 70s and 80s. Life was hardly idyllic for those girls, before or after Warren Jeffs. 

Producer Glenn Meehan with some of the FLDS children; Photo by 44 Blue Productions, courtesy Discovery+

Does the image in the documentary of a divided community trying to heal itself bode well or provide hope for the future of a divided America? The filmmakers seem to think so. 

Argott describes a scene in the film between one of the faithful FLDS members and a relative that had left the church. An outsider who had moved into town, Christine, in her attempt to help reunite families, had arranged for them to get together. “Lamont Barlow ends up giving Esther a hug,” says Argott. “And I feel like that’s the kind of healing that can happen, and hopefully continues to happen.” However, with his work on Believer, and now with KEEP SWEET, Argott has observed a trend when it comes to extending olive branches over religious divides. “You have to be the one to meet the religious people where they are. That’s a frustrating thing to have to deal with in general. People are going to be stubborn.”

“I have a lot of hope for the children, in some ways,” says Meehan. “They didn’t ask to be a part of this religion. They were born into it. Now, these kids have access to the internet. They have an awareness that wasn’t there before. Things are going to change. Maybe they’ll see the world a little differently than their parents.”

Here’s the official synopsis for KEEP SWEET: 

Warren Jeffs was the Prophet of the FLDS, an offshoot of Mormonism. Jeffs’ demanded absolute loyalty, and instituted complete adherence to the religion, requiring strict dress codes, banishing community celebrations and casting out followers who didn’t fall in line. His controversial reign ended with a conviction for sexual assault with underage girls, landing him in jail for life. Jeffs’ downfall sent shock waves throughout the community, with some continuing to pledge their loyalty to him, while others turned their backs on Jeff’s and the FLDS religion altogether. 10 years after his arrest, those left behind attempt to rebuild their community. KEEP SWEET is an allegory for the unsettling reality we are living through in America. Can we learn how to live with one another despite our different ideologies, or are we destined to live apart?

KEEP SWEET is directed by Don Argott (Believer, The Art of the Steal) and executive produced by Rasha Drachkovitch, Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch, Glenn Meehan and David Hale for 44 Blue Productions and Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce for 9.14 Pictures. Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes. Watch the trailer for the documentary here. Now streaming on Discovery+.

For more documentary news from Salt Lake, we reviewed Netflix’s Murder Among the Mormons and spoke with a journalist who covered Mark Hofmann’s 1985 Salt Lake City bombings. 

Nov 05
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A Manly Makeover

By Lifestyle

In a society that prizes machismo and often promotes toxic masculinity, not many dudes want to own up to getting facials or laser hair removal or breast reductions. But more and more men are getting cosmetic procedures and aesthetic treatments than ever before. So, maybe it’s about time we lose the machisma and the stigma?

Marina Helm has worked as a Master Medical Esthetician for 10 years. She’s spent the last four at Lucienne Salon, Spa and Boutique, and, in that time, she says she’s seen more men coming in and using the aesthetic services. “Laser hair removal, body treatments, facials for skin maintenance—men are joining the beauty industry more and more,” she says. 

One of the top procedures Helm performs on men is called an EmSculpt. The device uses radio-frequency heating to strengthen muscles and burn fat. People ask her to firm up their abdomens, arms, legs and “a lot of toning of the buttocks,” says Helm. “A lot of those treatments are on male clients.” It sure beats doing squats, and it’s less invasive than liposuction or a sculpting lipo treatment that can arrange your fat cells to look like abs. 

But, the procedure Helm performs the most, both on men and women, is microneedling. “It’s something I do a lot of, maybe five or six treatments a day,” says Helm. The procedure is basically what it sounds like. A tiny needle pricks the skin of the face, stimulating the production of collagen and elastin in the body, which is supposed to create a more youthful appearance. Professionals are also seeing an uptick in men going for the surgical option as well: a good, old fashioned face lift. 

Helm sees that men are getting more comfortable with the idea of being open about the cosmetic procedures they’ve received, but, “some of them still want it to be a secret, but they are getting more involved,” says Helm. 

In the end, it’s not about which procedures are meant just for men or just for women. The truth is, we’re all just trying to fit an ideal, so let’s be upfront and open about it. 

Marina Helm is a Licensed Master Medical Aesthetician, PC Certified, Medical Laser Technician Skincare Specialist, Certified Microblading Eyebrows Artist and Body Contour Specialist.

Lucienne Salon, Spa and Boutique

10690 S. River Front Pkwy., South Jordan, 801-601-8282

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Nov 04
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The Final Dash to Draw New Districts

By City Watch

We’re in the final hours of Utah’s redistricting process. The process was already rushed this year, thanks to COVID and delays in getting 2020 census data, but the Utah State Legislature still has to vote on the new boundaries in time to have them in place by the beginning of 2022. One of the last chance Utah voters had to potentially impact what those boundaries look like was at a public hearing at the Utah State Capitol on Nov. 10, but the meeting was cancelled. So, what now? While this is about to get a little wonky, if you want your vote to count for as much as your neighbor’s in another district, this should matter to you. After the Legislature decides on new boundaries, we’re stuck with what we get for another 10 years. 

This year—two groups engaged in simultaneous, but mostly separate, redistricting efforts. Both groups held public hearings and called on Utah citizens to draw and submit their ideas for possible boundary maps. Both groups made their own maps and met to decide which maps provide the best representation for Utah’s burgeoning population. But only one group has the authority on which potential boundary maps are put up to the legislature for final approval. In the end, the other group’s maps might not even get a vote.

So, why have two redistricting groups at all? Because a majority of Utah voters wanted it that way (by about 7,000 votes). Flashback to 2018. The group Better Boundaries put forth Proposition 4, which would create the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission to draw up electoral boundary maps and recommend them to the Legislature. The Legislature could then vote on whether to approve or reject those maps. The intention was that an independent commission would not be drawing the boundaries of their own districts, as legislators would, and, therefore would not have conflicts of interest or incentive to gerrymander. “It centers redistricting on voters versus centering it on politicians,” Better Boundaries executive director Katie Wright says of the independent commission. “Better Boundaries believes that voters should be choosing their politicians, not politicians choosing their voters.”

United States Congressional Districts in Utah since 2013. Red: District 1; Orange: District 2; Yellow: District 3; Green: District 4 Source: nationalmap.gov

When Is It Gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is when district boundaries are drawn to favor one party, which has the effect of making elections less competitive and disenfranchising other voter groups. It can be almost impossible to prove when lines have been intentionally gerrymandered. While there is some debate over whether or not Utah boundaries are gerrymandered, in 2010, the GOP-controlled Legislature drew lines in such a way to break up Salt Lake County, a democratic stronghold, among three congressional districts. 

But, here’s the thing. Lawmakers are still drawing maps of their own districts. After the proposition passed, lawmakers threatened to repeal the initiative altogether, so Better Boundaries came to the table to negotiate. The 2020 compromise, Senate Bill 200, rolls back some of the initiative’s original redistricting reforms passed by voters. It removes the requirement that the Legislature vote on the commission’s proposals and follow specific redistricting criteria and gets rid of the right of private citizen lawsuits if the Legislature approves maps different than the commission’s recommendations.

The Legislative Redistricting Committee is the other group that’s drawing possible electoral boundary maps, but the group of 20 lawmakers (15 Republicans and five Democrats) is not adhering to the same map-drawing standards as the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission pro by Better Boundaries.

The law outlines some redistricting standards. Like all states, Utah must comply with constitutional equal population requirements—just how equal in population districts have to be seems to vary state to state. In addition to this tenuous legal requirement, the self-imposed principles adopted by the Legislative Redistricting Committee include:  

  • Districts must be contiguous and reasonably compact.
  • State legislative districts and state school board districts must have substantial equality of population among the various districts, with a deviation less than ±5.0%.
  • Congressional districts must be as nearly equal as practicable, with a deviation no greater than ±0.1%.

When drawing electoral districts, the independent commission considers population distribution as well as the three Cs: keeping cities and counties and communities of interest intact—these are localized communities that share economic and cultural interests (allowing voters with aligning interests to form an informal coalition). The commission also does not take into consideration political party data or where incumbents live (if a lawmaker gets drawn out of their current district, so be it). The Legislative Redistricting Committee’s criteria does not forbid including incumbent data, which, as Better Boundaries has pointed out, could be considered a conflict of interest. In theory, lawmakers could draw boundaries to make their own seats safer or to punish political opponents. 

But, if that does happen, how do you prove it? And even if you can prove it, the only recourse is voters giving a damn and voting that representative out. Which could be made all the more difficult if their district’s boundaries have already been redrawn in that elected official’s favor. In order for any of this to work, it requires people to (again for emphasis) give a damn, get involved and hold their elected officials accountable. “Redistricting is an issue so fundamental to our democracy and how citizens interact with their government,” says Wright. “It is a lot. And it is very confusing, complex and a bit wonky, but redistricting determines with whom you’re united within your representation.” 

On Monday, the Independent Redistricting Commission presented its recommended maps to the Legislative Redistricting Committee. Now the committee will choose which maps—from those drawn by the committee, the commission or the public—to recommend to the full Legislature. But the process has not been without drama. Some members of the Legislature have done a considerable amount of marking their territory when it comes to redistricting. Utah voters may have chosen to create the independent commission, but the opinion of some lawmakers seems to be that it doesn’t matter what the majority of voters wanted.

Better Boundaries believes that voters should be choosing their politicians, not politicians choosing their voters.

Katie Wright, Better Boundaries

When they presented the maps to the legislative committee, the independent commission detailed the process of how they arrived at their maps. Of course, this comes after its commissioner, Rob Bishop, abruptly resigned from the commission—in supposed opposition to its map drawing process—during one of its final meetings. He accused the committee of gerrymandering in favor of Democrats by being too “metro-centric.” Never mind the fact that most of Utah’s population lives in metro areas. Likely, what he’s really concerned about is any map where Salt Lake County residents have enough consolidated voting power in a single district to vote in a Democrat to congress.

“I share his [Bishop’s] frustrations with how the commission has conducted its business. His decision to step down at this point in the process is further evidence that the duly elected representatives of the people are best suited to redraw district boundaries,” said Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson in a statement immediately following Bishop’s resignation. It’s worth noting that Wilson is also the one who appointed Bishop as commissioner in the first place, so the grandstanding and political theater, meant to cast doubt on the commission, smells faintly of contrivance.

The legislative committee is set to select the final maps in an upcoming interim legislative session, sometime mid-November. Then the maps are approved by the full Legislature and go to the Governor for final approval by December. Even though the legislative committee has full discretion here, the independent commission’s maps could still serve a purpose. Voters can inspect how the commission’s recommended maps differ from what the legislature adopts, providing some level of transparency and, potentially, the opportunity to hold our representatives accountable.  

You can see the boundary maps presented by Independent Redistricting Commission in its final report, available for download on their website. You can also view and comment on maps considered by the Legislative Redistricting Committee on its website. This story first appeared in the November/December print issue of Salt Lake magazine. Subscribe for more.

Oct 08
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Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Moves Salt Lake Audiences

By Arts & Culture

Beyond Van Gogh defies the definition of a typical museum exhibit. While not directly interactive, it is immersive and captivating. After traveling the country for months, the exhibit has arrived in Salt Lake City this week at Atmosphere Studios.

Beyond Van Gogh Salt Lake City

Don’t let the warehouse-like exterior and unassuming lobby deter you—the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit delivers on its promises. The self-guided tour begins with a mirrored and neon-lit entryway, illuminated with one of Vincent Van Gogh’s more famous lines setting the tone: “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” Indeed, there is a dreamlike quality to the experience.

Beyond Van Gogh Exhibit Salt Lake City
A collection of Van Gogh’s florals.

The hallway takes guests to a gallery with lit panels of text and empty golden frames suspended from the ceiling. It’s the most traditional museum-like portion of the exhibit. The panels and frames guide guests through a zig-zag pathway and narration of Van Gogh’s life, punctuated by quotes from the artist, pulled from his letters to his brother and friends. 

One of the final panels gives gratitude to Van Gogh’s younger brother Theo, who was a near constant source of love and support for Vincent, and credits him with much of the later renown Vincent and his work received. The exhibit should also mention the person who proliferated Van Gogh’s work after both brothers had died, leaving her a single mother with an apartment full of paintings: ​​Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Theo’s widow. She’s since become “The Woman Who Made Vincent Van Gogh.” 

Beyond Van Gogh Exhibit Salt Lake City
The transition into “Starry Night Over The Rhone”

The true heart of the Van Gogh exhibit is a large room with a row of pillars at its center. Every surface, from the walls, pillars and floor, is a moving canvas. Soft orchestral music accompanies the animation with near seamless transition from artwork to artwork. A woman’s voice reads lines from the artist’s correspondence, selected with purpose. Splashed across one of Van Gogh’s dreamy nightscapes (“Starry Night Over The Rhone”), golden letters blaze, “It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly colored than the day.” 

Such is the detail of the projections that one can see depth in the brush strokes, as if you could reach out and feel the texture of the paint. One of the most stunning moments of the display arrives with quotes about the love between the brothers, as branches of Van Gogh’s “Almond Blossom” form on the walls and flowers bloom one by one. At the culmination of the painting, white petals rain down, gliding gently across every surface of the room. 

Beyond Van Gogh Exhibit Salt Lake City
“Starry Night Over The Rhone” interpreted by Beyond Van Gogh

The exhibit features over 300 of Van Gogh’s most iconic masterpieces, including “The Starry Night”, “Sunflowers” and “Café Terrace at Night.” You’re meant to linger, standing, or lounged back in one of the provided bean bag chairs. Guests snapped endless photos and seemed, overall, transfixed by the moving representation of Van Gogh’s work, but one attendee, unimpressed, compared it to a Windows screensaver. 

Co-creator of the exhibit Mathieu St-Arnaud said Beyond Van Gogh allows people to “step inside the paintings to meet Vincent.” If you would like to “meet Vincent,” the exhibit is open Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday, and open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., at Atmosphere Studios (326 W. 700 South, SLC). Tickets are available on the Beyond Van Gogh website and will cost you about $35 each.

For more visual art exhibits, check out Salt Lake magazine’s Arts & Entertainment section or subscribe to receive the latest print issue.

Oct 08
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Utah Pride Center Celebrates National Coming Out Day With Road Rally

By Community

Thousands of vehicles will drag Main Street in Salt Lake City on Sunday to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and National Coming Out Day. The Utah Pride Center is organizing the Utah Pride Road Rally and expects an even bigger turnout than they had in 2020, the inaugural year for the event, which proved a successful solution to celebrating amidst pandemic restrictions. 

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Coming Out Day than for all of us to decorate our vehicles and come together in this way,” says the Utah Pride Center CEO Stacey Jackson-Roberts. “It gives everyone an opportunity to be true participants in a cause, rather than simply spectators. Given everything the LGBTQ+ community has been through this past year, this is a chance to show the broader community that we’re here, we belong and we have pride.” 

National Coming Out Day began in 1988 on the one-year anniversary of the second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. That march, which attracted hundreds of thousands of attendees, demanded funding for medical research and an end to discrimination against gay people. National Coming Out Day was founded by psychologist Richard Eichberg and activist Jean O’Leary as the AIDS Epidemic raged in the U.S., encouraging queer people to publicly declare their sexual orientation and fight for gay rights. 

Come Sunday morning at 11 a.m., participants will arrive at one of the nine rendezvous locations across the Wasatch Front, where they’ll decorate their vehicles for the big drag. At noon, the rally kicks off with pace cars for everyone to follow that will stagger their arrival on Main Street. 

Jackson-Roberts says National Coming Out Day provides an important opportunity for members of the LGBTQ community to come out and be seen and validated as their authentic selves. The Pride Road Rally will also bring in funding for services provided by the Utah Pride Center–including mental health and wellness services, education and training and suicide prevention resources. “By registering vehicles and raising money, we’re shooting for $150,000,” says Jackson-Roberts. “This will help people who are pushed to the margins of our society, which values heterosexual and cis-gender experiences over LGBT life experiences.” 

During the pandemic, the Utah Pride Center had to suspend or shift many of its in-person services to online. But, come January, Jackson-Roberts says that should change. “Our staff has been diligently working very hard to make sure we are providing the services virtually, and our behavioral health department has started seeing some people in-person, but it’s not fully in place yet. We hope to put policies and practices in place to be able to open in January with a full slate of in-person services.”

Jackson-Roberts, who took the position as Utah Pride Center CEO just this past September, is also planning a listening tour for later this year. “We want to find out how we can best serve LGBT individuals in smaller, rural communities throughout the state of Utah.” 

For more information and to register for the Utah Pride Road Rally, visit the Utah Pride Center website. Read more about life in Salt Lake City.

Oct 07
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Owen Mortensen Tames Wild Artifacts into Functional Art

By Arts & Culture

“I remember a tumbleweed blowing into my yard and thinking ‘Wow, what am I going to do with this?’ I put it on a shelf knowing it would eventually present itself.” Artist Owen Mortensen eventually picked that tumbleweed off the shelf of his studio in Northern Utah and from it—along with LED lights and dozens of similar tumbleweeds—he crafted nature-inspired light fixtures. The ethereal pendants became a success, and many of them now hang in homes across the West as well as Yuta, The Lodge at Blue Sky’s signature restaurant in Wanship. 

Artist Owen Mortensen assembles a Tumbleweed Pendant in his northern Utah studio
Artist Owen Mortensen assembles a Tumbleweed Pendant in his northern Utah studio; Photo by Read McKendree

The pendants are fractal and alien in appearance, but the orb of spidering branches will feel familiar to those who make their homes in the West. They also call to anyone who longs to bring a piece of wilderness home with them. “Nature produces the most interesting shapes, colors and textures,” says Mortensen. “Going into nature does something to us. It rejuvenates, excites, sparks the imagination. By bringing nature inside, we’re able to experience it on a more intimate level.”

Mortensen pulls the inspiration and materials he uses to craft his pieces from the West’s still-wild landscapes and the natural world around us. Once the tumbleweed revealed what it needed to be—his 36-inch diameter tumbleweed pendant—Mortensen began driving around a 26-foot U-Haul to collect more tumbleweeds. Carried by the wind until they caught on fences and other obstacles, their forms craft the artist’s popular light fixtures. 

Tumbleweed Pendant assembled from 50 to 60 individual tumbleweeds
Each Tumbleweed Pendant is assembled from 50 to 60 individual tumbleweeds. Available at owenmortensen.com; Photo by Read McKendree

“I think the magic lies in looking at nature in slightly different ways,” Mortensen says.  “A single tumbleweed branch is neat, but when you start to see it in a functional way, it becomes an accent, a sculptural piece to enjoy.”

When Mortensen first discovered his love of transforming nature into art through function, he was studying architecture at Utah State University. His journey began with leaves, collected throughout the seasons from the same aspen grove, in an attempt to capture and immortalize the transience of nature. In the end, that temporary nature is also what drove him to source new materials for his work. “I really wanted to produce something that is longer lasting and more durable than leaves,” says Mortensen. “That’s when I started ‘branching out.’”

“In the West there’s a tradition of memorializing your experience with nature,” says Mortensen, touting the example of mounting a deer or elk head to commemorate a hunt. But Mortensen reached beyond taxidermy—beyond the expected—and found inspiration from the Old World. “I started looking into the European mount scene where they just use the skull and antlers but no fur.”

Deer Antler Accents are wrapped in stainless steel wire
Deer Antler Accents are wrapped in stainless steel wire. All antlers used in Mortensen’s art are sourced from natural sheds and are sustainably gathered; Photo by Read McKendree

Mortensen gravitated toward bison skulls, another icon of the West, gilding them in copper, gold or silver leafing, creating the unexpected by fusing the modern with the organic. One of his signature pieces is a set of nine bison skulls, hung in a Jackson Hole space. Each skull is gilded or stained in coordinated tones of gold, silver, charcoal black and bone white. 

Gilded, stained bison skulls sourced by Owen Mortensen from ranches in North Dakota and Colorado
Gilded, stained bison skulls. Mortensen sources his bison skulls from ranches in North Dakota and Colorado. Photo by Trevor Tondro

Mortensen considers each of his pieces a collaboration with nature. “Humans try to tame the wild wherever they are,” he says. “But, instead of taming it and bridling it, let’s go with the flow with nature and see what it has to provide, regardless of where we find ourselves.” Currently, he’s working on an innovative way to utilize antlers as lightning, not as ornaments like the antler chandeliers ever-abundant in mountain and farmhouse interiors, but functionally with the light emanating from the antler itself. As far as what will come after that for Mortensen, it may depend on what blows into his yard next.  

Subscribe to get Salt Lake magazine directly to your mailbox. This article was originally published in Utah Style & Design.

Oct 07
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Worth the Trip: Strange Scenes Along Scenic Byway 89

By Adventures, Travel

Inside the “Jewel of Kanab,” the first modern home in Kane County, feels more like a mausoleum than a museum, preserving the remains of the day-to-day life of Mormon polygamist settlers, down to the home’s original furniture. Around every corner, I expect to find a 19th-century ghost, hunched over a writing desk, gazing out one of the wide windows, and it would feel perfectly natural, even mundane. After all, I am the intruder here.

Exterior of Kanab Heritage House Museum
Kanab Heritage House Museum; Photo by Christie Porter/Salt Lake magazine

The 127-year-old home has been restored and transformed into the Kanab Heritage House Museum (115 S. Main St.). My museum guide, Tina, acts surprised when I show up for the tour as if I am the only visitor she has seen in days. When the tour starts, it is just the two of us. She conducts me through each room with hushed tones. I wonder who she is afraid will overhear her. In the dining room, Tina proudly shows me a family photograph of the home’s inhabitants as if it were a picture of her own brood. The photograph hangs above one of the many fireplaces, the frame stretching from one end of the mantle to the other to make room for the six wives of Thomas Chamberlain (a wool merchant) and their 55 children. 

Inside the Heritage House in Kanab
Inside the Heritage House; Photo by Christie Porter/Salt Lake magazine

In the dining room also hangs a photograph of Chamberlain in black and white stripes, in prison for the crime of polygamy. Beside it, is a picture of five women standing: the newly-elected 1912 mayor, Mary Woolley Chamberlain, and the city council of Kanab. It was the first time in the history of the United States that a town council and mayor were comprised entirely of women—eight years before it would become legal for any of them to vote in the U.S. 

When Tina takes me upstairs and shows me where the children slept (original bed, antique dolls and all). I ask if I can stay the night. She instead recommends a couple of  local B&Bs in similarly preserved turn-of-the-century homes.

Kanab (Start Here)

Moqui Cave sign at ancient history museum
Moqui Cave sign at ancient history museum located at sandstone erosion cave; Photo by MichaelVi/Adobe Stock

Historic tableaus like that are on full display all over Kanab. Just like the actors who once graced the sets of the westerns that gave it the nickname “Little Hollywood,” Kanab has been through more than a few costume changes. Chamberlain’s descendants owned and operated the nearby Moqui Cave (4581 Hwy. 89). The natural sandstone cave was once used as a bar and dance club to entertain the stars of Little Hollywood. Parts of the original bar are still there, but the rest of the space is now dedicated to an eclectic array of Native artifacts, dinosaur tracks, football memorabilia and glowing rock collections. It’s as weird as it sounds. Nearby, there are two short, but worthwhile, hikes to the Belly of the Dragon and Moqui Caverns, located along the same stretch of Highway 89. 

Kanab’s reputation as a perfect starting point for adventures in southern Utah has forced the desire to preserve its small-town vibe into conflict with the need to accommodate its ever-growing tourism industry. It’s facing labor and home shortages and rising housing prices. While not everyone who lives there is happy about its effects, its reputation is well-earned. Kanab is the lynchpin of the Grand Circle, within spitting distance of Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim and Lake Powell.

Where to Eat: Kanab

Wild Thyme Cafe in Kanab
Wild Thyme Cafe

Kanab Creek Bakery (238 W. Center St.) keeps the case full of laminated pastries and the coffee fresh and hot, which you can take to-go or sip while sitting with a croque for breakfast. For lunch, Wild Thyme Cafe (198 S. 100 East) sources much of their menu from their own organic gardens. Their specialty bowls come in varieties like Yellow Curry and Falafel over tasty coconut rice. And for dinner, try the offering of French home-style food—an intriguing find in Southern Utah—at Vermillion 45 (210 S. 100 East).

Where to Stay

Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase
Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase; Photo courtesy Under Canvas

Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase has luxury canvas safari-style tents with working showers and toilets as well as dining options on-site.
555 S. Jacob Tank Rd., Big Water, 888-496-1148

Purple Sage Inn is a redone turn-of-the-century home built in 1884.
54 S. Main St., Kanab, 435-644-5377

Grand Circle Bed & Breakfast is another converted home built in 1912. 250 N. 100 West, Kanab, 435-644-8008

Quail Park Lodge is a classic ’50s hotel, redone.
125 N. 300 West, Kanab, 435-644-8700

Cave Lakes Canyon offers tipis, hogans and conventional rooms.
Kanab, 435-644-3812

Canyons Hotel, a boutique hotel.
190 N. 300 West, Kanab, 435-644-8660

Off the Path (But Not Too Far)

If you don’t stay in Kanab, there are plenty of places around to camp, but that doesn’t mean you have to rough it. About one hour east, along Highway 89, a new luxury campsite by Under Canvas has popped up on the rim of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. And it is on the rim of an actual canyon. The on-site concierge directs me to a number of hiking trails spiraling outward from the campsite into hidden sandstone slot canyons. You’re also perfectly poised to head deeper into the National Monument and just minutes away from the Glen Canyon Recreational Area and Lake Powell.

The nearby BLM Big Water Visitor’s Center can also assist in the launch of any outdoor adventures. The Ghost Town Pahreah trail is a must for anyone as fascinated with abandoned, potentially haunted things as I am. It is a four-mile, out-and-back trail not far off of Highway 89. The eponymous Pahreah, or Paria, was another Mormon settlement, eventually abandoned by its inhabitants after one too many hardships. Terrible yearly flooding that washed away crops and homes proved to be the last straw. It saw second life for a short time as a backdrop for western films, but film crews likewise struggled with the periodic flooding. So much so, they built their own staged Old Western town not far away, which you can also visit. 

Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend; Photo courtesy Adobe Stock

If you like your strange sights to be a little more ancient, it’s a two mile out-and-back hike for the Toadstool Hoodoos. Keeping on Highway 89, there is only one place in the Glen Canyon Recreational Area where you can camp just feet from the water and swim, and boat and ride. In addition to out-of-place stretches of soft, sandy beaches, Lone Rock Beach Campground offers spectacular views, the centerpiece of which is the aforementioned Lone Rock—a monolithic pillar of sandstone, carved out by water over millennia. For an even more stunning vista, Horseshoe Bend Lookout is an easy mile hike from the parking lot in Page, Ariz. and could not be more worth the money to park. 

On the way, you can stop at the Glen Canyon Dam Overlook to see up close the manmade marvel generating five billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power annually to keep lights on in much of the Western United States. It’s probably also haunted, as 17 workers died on the job during its 10-year construction. (A fitting monument to dedicate to Ladybird Johnson, I suppose.) You can see where some of those workers used to live, and even sleep where they slept, in one of the mid-century motels on the aptly named Street of Little Motels in Page. 

On the Water: Lake Powell 

Lake Powell was created when the Glen Canyon Dam was built in 1963. The lake’s shore is the red rock spires of what was once Glen Canyon and all those nooks and undulations add up 2,000 miles of shoreline which is more than the combined states on the Pacific Coast. It is best explored on the water. 

The Lake Powell resort at Wahweap Marina is the perfect base to explore the lake. The resort, situated on a bluff overlooking the lake offers beautiful views as well as a selection of rentals and tours to get you out on the water. 

On the Way Back (Take a Piece of It With You)

If you’re returning to the Wasatch Front or points north, don’t go by way of I-15 unless you have to. Instead, stay on Scenic Byway 89. Besides, the trip is not over until you have a souvenir to take home. Skip the many gift shops and rock shops (or not, rock heads) and instead, acquire something with a little history to commemorate the experience. Go for the antique shops. Almost every town you drive through on Highway 89 will have one.

Smokin’ Hot Antiques & Collectibles at The Old Firehouse
Smokin’ Hot Antiques & Collectibles at The Old Firehouse; Photo by Christie Porter/Salt Lake magazine

Not far past the turn-off for Scenic Byway 12 and Bryce Canyon (an adventure for another time), I hitch my horse in Panguitch and I am not disappointed. The small historic Main Street is home to Smokin’ Hot Antiques & Collectibles at the Old Firehouse (38 N. Main St.), which, as advertised, is inside an old Firehouse. The employees are friendly and helpful in their way, so I spend hours inside, picking over cracked leather cowboy and rancher gear, handmade beaded purses, tiffany lamps and more tin crockery than anyone could ever need. In the end, I go home with the creepiest antique doll I can find.  

Get ready for your next adventure with more travel tips from Salt Lake magazine.

Sep 07
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Sunday’s Best Feeds Our Growing Brunch Obsession

By Eat & Drink

There is something about brunch. It’s the sweet spot between breakfast and lunch with all of the best menu options of both. It’s popping a bottle of chilled champagne for another round of mimosa. It’s getting wasted with your squad at 11 a.m. Whatever it is, we love brunch. And a new restaurant on the south end of the valley is feeding that love seven days a week.

Restauranter Michael McHenry and Chef Tyler Stokes of Sunday's Best
Michael McHenry and Chef Tyler Stokes. Photo courtesy Sunday’s Best

“Brunch is experiential,” says Michael McHenry, the restauranter behind Sunday’s Best (as well as Ginger Street). “Champagne, laughter, connectivity…that’s what we had in mind when we were building the essence of it. We wanted it to feel like the moment you pop the bottle of champagne.” 

Avocado toast with rye bread furikake, radish, boiled egg, lemon and sesame dressing from Sunday's Best
Photo courtesy Sunday’s Best

The restaurant is the brainchild of McHenry and his partner, Chef Tyler Stokes (Provisions). They both love brunch, too. (Then again, who doesn’t?) “It’s our favorite meal. We’re most passionate about it. We love building a lifestyle and culture around it.” That’s right, brunch is a lifestyle. And, it doesn’t hurt that, “Tyler is incredible when it comes to cooking brunch and breakfast,” says McHenry.

Interior of Sunday's Best, an all-brunch restaurant in Sandy, Utah

If You Go

Reservations are encouraged. 
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
10672 State St., Sandy
801-441-3331
brunchmehard.com

The menu shows Stokes’ range, but it might be jarring at first. At the top you’ll find Avocado Toast ($9) above much pricier items like Tomahawk Steak And Eggs. The wide range is intentional. “If you want, you can come in for a cup of coffee and a diner breakfast. Or, you can come in for an ’06 bottle of Cristal and caviar. The two co-exist in the same space.”

Brunch at Sunday's Best
Photo courtesy Sunday’s Best

Walking into Sunday’s Best, you’re met with a bold color palette of yellow, seafoam and flamingo pink as well as the lively conversation you’d expect in a place that’s basically been packed since opening day, June 16. “We’ve never experienced anything like this. The response has been remarkable,” says McHenry. “I am just blown away by how Utah has shown up to Sunday’s Best.”

Cocktail at Sunday's Best
Photo courtesy Sunday’s Best

The alchemy partly behind that success is one part niche and one part location. On the south end of the valley, in a sea of chain restaurants, people don’t have access to the same amount of unique, local flavor that you’ll find in downtown SLC. It’s also meeting a demand—not just the demand for brunch but the demand for connection. “For the last year and a half, we have all been hungry for connectivity,” says McHenry. “People want to sit at the table together and share and celebrate with each other.”

Get the latest on food and drink in Utah. The September/October issue of Salt Lake magazine is on newsstands now.

Sep 01
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Superstar Violinist Headlines Benefit Concert for Haitian Orchestra Institute

By Arts & Culture, Music

In 2010, when a 7 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti just outside of the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Getro Joseph was just 8 years old. When he was 13, his world changed again when he saw a man playing the cello in Port-au-Prince and told his mother he wanted to take up the instrument. “I don’t know what happened,” says Getro. “I couldn’t stop playing. I don’t know what it was. I don’t think I can ever explain it.” In 2017, Getro’s dedication to the cello earned him a place in the Haitian Orchestra Institute, an educational outreach program that allows Musicians of the Utah Symphony to travel to Haiti and teach more than 100 Haitian musicians during an intensive week of workshops and demanding practice. In support of the institute, violinist Hilary Hahn will perform at a benefit concert in Park City on Sept. 14.  

The program continued in 2018, with more Utah Symphony musicians traveling to Haiti to teach, including director Thierry Fischer. In 2019, protests and ongoing political unrest in Port-au-Prince made travel too risky, and, in 2020, COVID-19 thwarted their efforts again. This August, an earthquake, even stronger than the one in 2010, shook Haiti, killing and injuring thousands. It’s one of the multiple crises Haiti has seen this year, including the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and Tropical Storm Grace. Needless to say, the return of the Haitian Orchestra Institute will have to wait at least one more year. 

Violinist Hilary Hahn will play benefit concert for Haitian Orchestra Institute (photo by Dana Van Leeuwen)
Violinist Hilary Hahn will play a benefit concert for the Haitian Orchestra Institute in Park City, Sept. 14, 2021 (Photo by Dana Van Leeuwen)

Utah Symphony musicians John Eckstein and Yuki MacQueen, co-founders of the institute, are eager to return to Haiti to teach in 2022. MacQueen, a violinist, says she often hears from her Haitian students that music is their refuge. “I’m always struck by their dogged determination to practice,” she says, “despite the noise in their communities.” 

Eckstein, likewise, says he is touched by students’ working through even the most difficult of circumstances. “We, as humans, have always created art in difficult times. It’s a necessity.” 

Getro holds out hope that music and programs like the Haitian Orchestra Institute can help people through the turmoil and heal some of the divisions in Haiti. “We don’t always get along,” he says, referencing a deep history of classism and strong political divides, “but when we play together, we can become friends. We don’t care about social class.” 

The outreach program can allow for this, at least partially, because it brings together students from all over Haiti regardless of social strata. “We select students solely based on their auditions, merit and preparation,” says Eckstein. While the nuances of the class system may be lost on the Utah musicians, the institute tries to incorporate Haitian culture into the program as well by incorporating works by Haitian composers and enlisting a Haitian assistant conductor. 

In addition to Hahn’s performance, Getro, who is currently visiting the United States to learn more about teaching other musicians, will speak at the musical education benefit concert in Park City. Billed as a salon, the concert will be an intimate affair at Goldener Hirsch Residences on Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. “It’s rare to get to see someone like Hilary Hahn perform so up-close,” says Eckstein. “She’s a superstar in our field. Normally, she’d be performing for audiences of 3,000, not a few hundred.” 

Violinist Hilary Hahn will play a benefit concert for the Haitian Orchestra Institute in Park City, Sept. 14, 2021 (photo by Dana Van Leeuwen)
Hilary Hahn (Photo by Dana Van Leeuwen)

Hahn is a three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist as well as a prolific recording artist and commissioner of new works. Her 21 feature recordings have reportedly received every critical prize in the international press. In March of this year, Deutsche Grammophon released Hahn’s 21st album, Paris, recorded with Finnish conductor and violinist Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Paris features the world premiere recording of classical composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Two Serenades, a piece written for Hahn and completed posthumously by Kalevi Aho. The album also includes performances of Ernest Chausson’s Poème and Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a long-time signature piece of Hahn’s.

According to Eckstein, Hahn showed great interest in the work done by the Haitian Orchestra Institute but vetted the program thoroughly before agreeing to support it. All of the symphony musicians volunteer their time, so the proceeds will all go to cover the operating costs of the Spring 2022 program. 

Getro, now 19, attends high school in Mirebalais, Haiti, where he also teaches cello to 13 of his own students. Working on pedagogy is another important aspect of the Haitian Orchestra Institute, teaching the students to become music teachers themselves. He and other participants in the program share a dream that it can one day lead to the formation of Haiti’s own national orchestra, which the country currently does not possess. “Music breaks barriers,” says Getro. “It gives life—hope and life.”  

For tickets and information about the Sept. 14 performance by Hilary Hahn visit the HOI website, where you can also donate directly to the Haitian Orchestra Institute.

Find more music and local concerts in our arts section, including a profile on the Utah Symphony’s new CEO. While you’re here, check out what’s in the latest issue of Salt Lake magazine and subscribe.

Aug 24
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Utah’s Ban on Vaccine Mandates Is Ruining My Childhood

By Arts & Culture, Music

A bit shy of 20 years ago, I was a 13-year-old kid excited for my first-ever live rock show. I had won a pair of tickets to Counting Crows at the USANA Amphitheatre from a local radio station, and, in true 8th-grade fashion, I was going with my mom. The band had just released Hard Candy, its fourth studio album, and one of the first albums I ever owned. I remember the concert itself was a blur of energy, dancing on the grass, bright lights and scream-singing along to songs I still know by heart. While I have been to many rock shows since, I, like many, remain sentimental about my first time.

Even at the risk of going from sentimental to positively drippy, I admit I was in love with the idea of seeing Counting Crows again this year. They were set to play this week at Red Butte Garden’s Outdoor Concert Series, and I would get to relive the untamed, childlike joy of that first show. I would spread out my blanket on the grass, and, just like I did back then, dance around and sing along to all of those same songs. It’s been a hard 18 months; why not indulge in some blatant and shameless nostalgia? Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen, and it’s all the Utah State Legislature’s fault. Yes, Utah lawmakers are ruining my childhood. 

Counting Crows cancels Salt Lake City stop on The Butter Miracle 2021 Tour over Utah's ban on vaccine mandates.
Counting Crows cancels Salt Lake City stop on The Butter Miracle 2021 Tour (photo via countingcrows.com).

If you too were planning on attending the Counting Crows show, then you already know it was canceled. The Counting Crows will not be “hangin’ around this town,” and you have the Utah lawmakers who passed and the governor who signed H.B. 308 to blame. The bill prohibits a governmental entity from requiring a vaccine for COVID-19. So what does that have to do with Counting Crows? I’m getting to that.

COVID-19 cases are back on the rise, fueled by the Delta variant. In Utah, the average daily rates of new coronavirus cases are back to where they were in fall 2020. Back then, we were all pretty squeamish about going to events like concerts and most traveling musicians had long ago canceled any planned tours. Unlike last fall, we now have a vaccine that makes you much less likely to develop a serious coronavirus case. Of course, we actually have to get the vaccine for it to work. 

This is all to say, touring bands and musicians who may have canceled their tours last fall are ready to rock this time around if people are ready to prove they’ve been vaccinated for coronavirus. This is the case with Counting Crows. The band announced on their Facebook page that, starting Aug. 21, all Counting Crows concerts would require fans to produce either a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the show or proof of full vaccination. It’s their show; they should get to do whatever they want, right? Well, not if the great State of Utah has anything to say about it.

The Counting Crows would have performed on stage at Red Butte Garden, which is on the University of Utah campus. The university, as a state school, falls under the law’s definition of “governmental entity.” That means, under H.B. 308, the venue can not require people to show proof of vaccination at the Counting Crows concert or any other event (should another performer insist on vaccine mandates), so the band had to cancel the show, and it is all the State’s fault.

In a statement to ticket holders, the band says as much, “​​Unfortunately, due to state mandates in Utah, the venue for our Salt Lake City show on Aug. 26 at Red Butte Garden is unable to enact our Covid-19 entry protocols so we have made the difficult decision to cancel the show.”

The band goes on to say, “This is a decision we didn’t make lightly but we must continue to prioritize the health and safety of our fans and crew. Stay well and we’ll see you next time, SLC.”

The venue likewise apologized to would-be concert-goers, saying, “We are all disappointed that the Counting Crows concert has to be canceled. If you are planning to attend other concerts at the Garden this summer, we look forward to seeing you soon. We appreciate your understanding and support of Red Butte Garden’s Outdoor Concert Series.” You can learn more about getting a refund to the Counting Crows show on the Red Butte Garden website. 

Because of the State ban on vaccine mandates, private venues might be at an advantage when it comes to attracting touring musical performers who want some assurances, especially if more bands decide to require vaccines. The State Room is requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test result for attendees. Live Nation also announced that it will require proof of vaccination at its venues like USANA Amphitheatre and The Depot. 

At the time of this posting, about 60% of eligible people are fully vaccinated in Utah, according to the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), and the FDA has granted full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for people 16 years old and older. In a statement on the FDA announcement, the UDOH says, “​​Full FDA approval is the final step in a rigorous approval process to confirm the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The FDA’s announcement should provide confidence to anyone who may have hesitated to get the vaccine while it was under emergency use.” (I think the health department is looking at you, 40% of eligible Utahns who are still not fully vaccinated.)

Most Americans also support some form of COVID vaccine mandates. According to a poll from the Associated Press and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, concerns about contracting the coronavirus are at their highest level since January but confidence in vaccine effectiveness against new variants has remained largely unchanged. More than half of Americans support vaccination requirements for government workers, members of the military and workers who interact with the public, like at restaurants and stores. About 6 in 10 support vaccine mandates for hospital or other health care workers. 

No matter where public support lies, any change to the State’s policy on vaccine mandates would require another act of legislature unless it becomes subject to lawsuits like unto the Utah law that prohibits schools from mandating masks. In the meantime, it remains free to ruin more childhoods like mine. 

Tickets are on sale to other shows for the Red Butte Outdoor Concert Series website. See the full Red Butte summer lineup and Salt Lake’s guide on how to Red Butte.