All of Utah is now in either moderate or severe drought, which is causing the state’s lakes and reservoirs to decline at an abnormally fast rate.
According to a report this week from the Utah Division of Water Resources, the state’s reservoir levels dropped by about 10% between June 1 to July 1—levels typically drop by about 2% during that timeframe.
“Unfortunately, our storage is declining at a concerning rate,” said Candice Hasenyager, director at the Utah Division of Water Resources, during a news conference at the Jordanelle Reservoir on Monday. “This dramatic decrease in storage is a clear signal that we need to watch how we use our water more closely than ever before.”
Abnormally dry weather, coupled with an underwhelming spring runoff season, have resulted in all of the state now experiencing some kind of drought. The desert regions in eastern and western Utah are now in severe drought, which means the air quality is worsened by dust, cattle have inadequate water, and pasture and streams and ponds are drying out, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Higher elevation areas in central Utah are in moderate drought, which limits feed for cattle, negatively impacts soil moisture and begins to dry out natural springs.
That’s resulted in a statewide decline in reservoir levels. Earlier this month, almost all of northern Utah’s reservoirs were above 90% capacity — now, Porcupine, Jordanelle, Strawberry and Currant Creek reservoirs are the only bodies of water in Utah above 90% capacity.
And some reservoirs in the south are now at meager levels. Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the country, is at 32% capacity; Yuba Reservoir is at 20%; Piute Reservoir is at 22%: and Panguitch Lake is at 50%.
Statewide, the average reservoir level is 75%.
Meanwhile, the Great Salt Lake is currently at about 4,192 feet in elevation, several feet below 4,198, the minimum for what’s considered a healthy range. Lake levels peaked in April at about 4,193 feet, and according to the Division of Water Resources, will continue to decline until temperatures drop and the irrigation season ends this fall.
Some water providers have now imposed restrictions on water usage and irrigation — to see if your provider is enforcing restrictions, visit the Utah Department of Natural Resources’ website.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle Dunphey covers politics, public safety and the environment for Utah News Dispatch. He was named Best Newspaper Reporter by the Utah Society of Professional Journalists in 2023 for his work on crime and immigration at the Deseret News.
I am a proud cool auntie with mostly nephews. My niece and I are close and have always enjoyed doing sophisticated “lady” things together. Every year since she was five years old, we’ve gone to The Grand America high tea for her birthday. We get dressed up, she borrows my fancy (costume) jewelry, and we have tea, or in her case, hot chocolate, and we have Afternoon Tea in the lobby lounge. Just the two of us.
We are approaching six years of our ladies who take tea tradition, and I will continue it as long as she is interested. It’s a chance for us to talk about everything from table manners to food preferences, and more recently, she’s been discussing her schoolwork, aerialist classes, and her friends.
I’ll never forget the first time we went. She was both excited and nervous. It was easily the fanciest place she’d been to. She was feeling shy, and as we sat down, the server came by to say hello, speaking to her as if she were a grown-up. We were seated on an overstuffed couch with the table low in front of us. In Grand America High Tea tradition, they pour hot water into a wine glass with a hand-sewn tea flower that blooms slowly over the course of your meal, providing a beautiful centerpiece.
When you attend High Tea at The Grand, your table is pre-set based on your reservation. Laid out when you sit down is a strawberry parfait with chantilly cream and scones with clotted cream, preserves, and lemon curd. I showed her how to put her napkin in her lap, and she reached out to take her first anticipated bite of scone. Then disaster. The scone tumbled from her little hands and landed clotted cream side down on the carpet under the table. She turned to me with sad eyes, looking like the world had ended. I could see all the emotions: disappointment at missing out on the promised bite, embarrassment for making a mistake, shame that she had ‘ruined’ things before we even got started, and fear that I would be angry or that she would be in trouble. It all happened in five seconds. My heart broke. I was determined to show her that everything was OK before the tears could start. I knew that the beautifully trained staff at The Grand America would back me up.
Afternoon Tea at The Grand America consists of strawberries & crème chantilly, finger sandwiches English scones and an assortment of afternoon tea pastries.
I told her, “It isn’t a big deal. I promise you. Let me show you,” and proceeded to beckon our server. She looked horrified. Why would I draw attention to us? I told our server what had happened, and, like an absolute professional, he whisked away the mess; someone else brought another scone immediately, without batting an eye (or, for that matter, a side eye). Both assured her that it wasn’t a problem. It was a showcase of stellar service, marked by kindness. The afternoon proceeded with tragedy averted. I know she remembers that moment. We’ve talked about it since. It was the type of service that sets a five-star hotel apart from all the rest. And one of the reasons I always go back.
Afternoon Tea at The Grand America consists of “Beverage (tea or hot chocolate), accompanied by strawberries & crème chantilly, finger sandwiches (vegetarian option available), English scone with cream, berry jam & lemon cream, and an assortment of afternoon tea pastries.” Which hardly does the experience justice.
For tea, they offer white and green teas, oolong and black teas, a dandelion chai (caffeine-free) specially crafted for the Lobby Lounge, herbal infusions, and flavored hot chocolates (regular, mint, raspberry, and coconut-almond). The pots are endlessly refilled upon request. And if you want a little extra indulgence, you can sip on a glass of bubbly as well.
The food is served on tiered plates and consists of tea sandwiches (think cucumber and smoked salmon), seasonal pastries, typically including a sweet tart, a French macaron, and other small bites. You can order a children-only portion, which has some kid-friendly options for particular eaters. My niece has graduated this year to the ‘adult’ menu due to her love of cucumber sandwiches. You can also order a cheese plate to accompany all the pastries.
If it’s a special occasion, please let the team at The Grand America know. They will bring out a special birthday or celebration dessert, and the harpist will serenade you. Always a thoughtful touch.
Insider Tips:
You must book ahead. Everything is made from scratch, and they only make enough for the day’s booking.
They often have special or seasonal teas. One year, we went when they had a ballet / princess tea with the casts from Ballet West. They also offer Holiday Teas in December with Santa, and a Witches Tea in October. It is worth checking their calendar for special events.
Who says roasting sticks are just for marshmallows? Try spearing a round of Brie, mozzarella or cheddar instead. Once it’s gooey inside, wrap it in a slice of Creminelli salami or prosciutto, then place it on a cracker for a smoky, savory bite. Craving something sweet? Add a square of local artisanal chocolate from Ritual or Amano for an indulgent twist.
A Healthy Treat
The fire’s heat will start to caramelize the natural sugars in sliced peaches, pears, carrots, zucchini, apples, watermelon, pineapple and strawberries. You can roast your fruits and veggies on a skewer, or wrap them in tinfoil and set them in the coals. When they’re ready, drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt.
Custom Kabobs
Once your fire reduces to glowing embers, set a grate over the coals and get ready for smoky meats and veggies. Any meat works—just avoid cuts that drip too much to prevent flare-ups. Add limes, salsa, garlic butter or other toppings, and voilà: a build-your-own feast that’s as fun to cook as it is to eat.
Don’t Forget the Bread
Roll your favorite dough into snakes, wrap them around skewers and roast away. Parbake beforehand for that perfect crispy-chewy bite. When they’re done, brush with garlic butter and parsley—or honey or your favorite dessert topping. Or skip the fuss and just bring a giant can of Nutella.
And for Dessert…
Besides the traditional s’mores, try roasting Starburst candies, Reese’s cups or cookie dough egg rolls (raw cookie dough wrapped in a wonton). For even more decadence, it’s hard to beat the traditional Dutch oven peach cobbler. Layer in your fixings, find an evenly-heated area in the coals, and let it work its magic for 45 minutes to an hour.
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Now that we’re in the middle of the summer, consider planning your family getaway to one of our local water parks soon. Four options are listed below, with closing dates, weather permitting. Visit park websites for the most up-to-date information, and make sure to look into your local recreation and fitness centers, pools and natural swimming holes as well.
Water park with plenty of waterslides, a lazy river, a kids’ zone, and even its own version of a beach, along with food options including BLTs, pizzas and more. Admission includes free tubes and life jackets.
A waterpark within a themepark, Lagoon-A-Beach offers exciting waterslides, a lazy river, waterfalls, a younger kids area and more. Admission is included with general admission to Lagoon, where you can ride new roller coaster Primordial.
Cherry Hill offers slides, a lazy river, and plenty for kids, including a pirate ship with water cannons. Cherry Hill also has mini golf, an interactive maze, a rock wall and more. The Pie Pantry on site is known for its desserts, including a chapple (cherry and apple) pie.
Splash Summit has plenty of slides, a relaxing river, waterfalls, a shallow pool for littles and more. Foods include Dole Whip, nachos, pizza and more.
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In the 1980s, I spent many of my childhood summers up in the small farm towns of the Wasatch Back: Heber, Midway and Kamas. I recently returned to Utah. The growth up on the other side of the mountain has been one of the most startling changes I’ve seen. Amid all this growth, Dendric Estate is a startup cider-making operation set amidst acres of their own apple orchards—no juice boxes here, but high-quality European-style fermented cider.
I have a hard time imagining a place like Dendric Estate in my misty memories of the Kamas valley, but it fits right into the community as it is today. Owners Brendan and Carly Coyle certainly understand what the future holds in Summit County. Brendan spent years at Park City’s groundbreaking High West Distillery, helping to grow Utah’s burgeoning culture of spirit makers. Brendan and Carly wanted the challenge of building something new from the ground up, or in this case, from the dirt. In 2019, they bought a 20-acre dirt plot just north of town on the long alluvial slope dropping down from the flank of the Uintahs to the Weber River far below. At 6,440 feet, they decided to make wine from apples.
Dendric Estate will harvest their own fruit for ciders made in 2026.
Apple trees have grown in Utah since the pioneer era. Many of those historical varieties were crabapples—small, tart, and hardy survivors that thrived in the short growing season at altitude. Unlike the big, watery, sweet varieties common to American grocery stores, crabapples make a great base for baking, cooking and distilling into cider. It’s easy enough to add sugar, but starting with a tart, firm, complex flavor profile is a must to make the kind of crisp, dry, in-your-nose cider that you usually find in the spiritual home of cider-making, Normandy.
That’s exactly what Dendric Estate has created with their first product, which they have appropriately named Dry Cut. This bubbly, punchy drink has more in common with a good champagne than with the sweet alcoholic apple juice that InBev will sell you in a can.
It took five years of hard work to get to this stage. The first thing the Coyles did during the pandemic was plant trees—36 different apple varieties, to test how they grew in the Kamas soil and climate. Then they built a production facility, one piece of machinery at a time. They use the Charmat method, the same secondary fermentation process that’s used for sparkling wine, and their spotless building is filled with a giant, bright and shiny fermentation tank for the secondary fermentation that they use to give their cider that champagne life.
Dry Cut is Dendric Estate’s first cider.
Of course, apple trees take years to grow, so Dry Cut is sourced from apples further up the Great Basin, mostly in Idaho. The Coyles will be harvesting their own fruit for their 2026 product, as well as sourcing from other Utah farms, to bring their cider even closer to home. More importantly, they have narrowed in on successful varieties that they want to grow in bulk, and 3,200 new trees have been ordered for planting, including Redfield, a variety whose flesh is red as well as its skin. It will make a cider with the color of rosé.
As far as making cider in the conservative Kamas Valley goes, the Coyle’s have had a positive response from their neighbors.
“There are some multi-generational Mormon families that aren’t fans of alcohol,” Brendan admits. “But here’s what we come to connect—the Kamas Valley historically has been a land of ranching and agriculture. But we’re only 20 minutes from Park City—We’re so close that we’re experiencing land prices that are equivalent to certain areas in Park City. What we all agree on, and where we get a pat on the back from the locals that grew up here, is that we’re doing agriculture differently. It might not be the way that they would do it historically, but we’re promoting and protecting and growing agriculture, and we’re doing it in a way that can compete with Park City land prices. It’s tough for traditional agriculture to compete with that. What we wanted to do was bring a new type of agriculture to the valley that can compete, but can also preserve the heritage. We’ve committed to 75% of our 20-acre estate to be pure agriculture.”
Dendric Estate Owners Brendan and Carly CoyleDendric Estate use the Charmat method, the same secondary fermentation process that’s used for sparkling wine.
The Coyles are also committed to building a sustainable business—they’ve applied for the permitting that will allow them to recycle their wastewater for reuse. Using organic farming methods, they’re avoiding the pesticide-heavy practices of much fruit farming.
You may not be able to taste all this toil and labor in the glass, but what you do taste—a clean, fresh, bubbly, delicious cider wine—is proof of their concept. The Wasatch Back could be America’s next great cider country, and if it is, a generation from now, the Coyle’s will be remembered as pioneers, breaking the tough soil and making a new way of life in the high mountains.
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Sherlock Holmes was created in 1887 by Arthur Conan Doyle, whose creation would eclipse his creator in world renown. Known for his fastidiousness, scientific methods and use of sharp deductive logic, Holmes, and his long-suffering assistant, Dr. John H. Watson, are among the most beloved characters in the English canon. Doyle’s creation spawned the entire mystery (or crime, as it’s known across the pond) genre. But did you know that his first novel, A Study in Scarlet, features a murder mystery that includes a villainous depiction of early LDS leader Brigham Young and a gang of his enforcers, known as the Danites?
A Study in Scarlet, originally published in 1887 introduced Sherlock Holmes to the world. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
A Study in Scarlet was originally published in 1887 without fanfare in Beeton’s Christmas Annual. Doyle’s detective, however, lived on in future stories published in The Strand, a penny magazine that dealt in salacious and gossipy tales. In the first story, Holmes and Watson solve a mystery that has its improbable roots in Salt Lake City after two murders are committed by a London cabbie. The cabbie turns out to be the betrothed of a woman who was forcibly married off to a Mormon man on the order of Brigham Young back in Utah and has died of a broken heart. The erstwhile groom has tracked this Mormon man and his partner in crime to London and kills them in revenge, writing the German word for revenge, “RACHE,” in scarlet blood at one of the crime scenes (which gives the novel its colorful name). Holmes and Watson solve the crime, naturally, but the book paints the early Mormon faith in a rapacious and derogatory light. This perspective was common in entertainment and fiction of the period, which often treated the allure of the far-off frontier with a combination of fear and romanticism.
Meanwhile, in actual Utah, the Danites were a real deal. They were members of a fraternal order of Mormon men who played a part as vigilantes in the 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, before the faith’s Exodus-like emigration to Utah. Here in the West in 1857, the territorial militia, The Nauvoo Legion, (with the aid of mercenary Southern Paiutes), perpetrated the Mountain Meadows Massacre—the mass murder of at least 120 members of the Baker-Fancher wagon train traveling the Old Spanish Trail bound for California. (The event figures prominently in the Netflix series American Primeval.)
Photo thought to be Bill Hickman, who was also known as a “Danite chief.” The photo has sometimes been incorrectly identified as Porter Rockwell. Photo courtesy of Marriot Digital Library Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, who was made famous in the novel A Study in Scarlet, which features a plot that originated in frontier Utah. Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
Old Port
While it is folklore that the Danites were a precursor to the Nauvoo Legion, it is not known if the group formally existed in the Utah Territory. However, one of the Danites’ most well-known members, Porter Rockwell, was a notorious and feared Luca Brasi to Brigham’s Michael Corleone. Rockwell, known as “The Destroying Angel of Mormondom,” was indicted but never formally charged with the attempted assassination of the Governor of Missouri. He was also Brigham Young’s bodyguard out west. Meanwhile, the Danites and “Old Port” remain an important part of early Mormon folklore and legend.
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The musical circus, Elephant Revival, is coming to town! On Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the lovely Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre will serve as their proverbial big top. The Nederland, Colorado sextuplet thrills their audiences with a genre-fluid, multi-instrumental newgrass sound, a musical style that blends transcendental folk and Kentucky bluegrass with the devil’s lettuce. It’s folk music–if the folks were Celts, gypsies, and hippies. Their ethereal and earthy, soul-soothing sound will fill our mountains with positive vibes. They’re the perfect elixir for these fractious times.
Band leader Bonnie Paine blends her siren vocals with multiple instruments like the washboard, cello, and musical saw. The six-piece ensemble creates a celestial symphonic sound with guitars, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, pedal steel, banjo, and a variety of drums. In the past, they’ve included a drumline and aerial acrobats to add to the carnivalesque atmosphere (though I doubt the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre stage is built for aerial acrobatics.)
The band formed in 2006 and toured extensively with frequent stops in Utah, including a couple of New Year’s Eve shows at The State Room, which are forever etched in my mind. In 2008, they released their debut self-titled album that featured trippy favorites “Ring Around The Moon” and “Sing to the Mountain.” The band has six full-length LPs to their credit, including my personal favorite, These Changing Skies (2013).
In 2018, the band announced an indefinite hiatus (a gentle way of saying “breakup”), but fortunately for their legions of fans, they resumed their music-making in 2022 and started touring in 2023 (minus Daniel Rodriguez, who had set off on a solo career). The reconstituted ensemble is back and better than ever!
Here’s a preshow teaser– enjoy their mind-blowing cover of Tool’s “Schism. Click Here for the Video.
Opening is Two Runner, a folk duo from Northern California. Their beautiful harmonies will send you to the right headspace for Elephant Revival’s magical musical experience. Songwriter Paige Anderson and fiddler Emilie Rose blend a twangy clawhammer banjo and fiddle with sweet vocal harmonies. In 2023, they released their debut album Modern Cowboy. The record features a fresh mix of eclectic mountain music that finds a home in the High Sierra, Rockies, or along the Appalachian Trail. The album stretches the boundaries of bluegrass, folk, and country, capturing a majestic sound with minimal instrumentation.
Summer is fading fast, so don’t miss an opportunity to groove on the otherworldly sounds of Elephant Revival in a bucolic setting. It’s also an economical night out, considering you can bring in your tasty treats and soothing libations without paying the inflated concession prices of similar venues.
Who: Elephant Revival w/ Two Runner What: Red Butte Outdoor Concert Series 2025 Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre When: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Info and tickets: https://redbuttegarden.org/concerts/
Maybe it was Wonder Woman who lit a fire under a young Jacki Zehner. Kicking butt and taking names, it was she—(not a he)—wielding her truth-extracting magic lasso, those bullet-deflecting bracelets and rocking the tall red boots on the airwaves in Jacki’s hometown of Kelowna, B.C. Canada.
Or maybe it happened years later, when Jacki met trailblazing social activist Gloria Steinem. “Use your corporate role to create more opportunities for women,” Steinem told the finance whiz, who had just become the youngest female partner at Goldman Sachs.
Whatever set her course toward serving and championing women on the financial frontier, Jacki has spent nearly three decades leveraging her wealth, shrewdness and social capital, investing in female-owned businesses and funds, empowering women around money and inspiring financial power.
“Women simply haven’t been socialized to embrace money as a ‘power to’ tool—to our detriment. A ‘power to’ serve our families, have a positive social impact, help fund wealth creation for others,” she says. “Normalizing conversations and stories around money is a pathway to getting better with money.”
A Park City resident, Jacki says Utah’s high rankings for doing business, livability and quality of life can’t offset a glaring problem. “When it comes to women’s social and economic well-being and equality, we rank at the very bottom,” she says. “We can’t proudly tout favorable rankings while ignoring the unfavorable ones.”
Wonder Woman
Jacki studied finance at the University of British Columbia before joining Goldman Sachs as a trader in the late ’80s. Driven and fearless, she made partner in 1996 at just 32 years old. When Goldman Sachs went public three years later, Jacki experienced a significant windfall, and suddenly, she wasn’t just managing wealth for others—she was navigating her own.
Jacki (an avid collector) shares actress Linda Carter’s costume pieces from the original DC Comics Wonder Woman TV series. Photo by Adam Finkle
“After 14 years at Goldman, I was itching to leave and, believe it or not, write a Wonder Woman screenplay,” she says, reflecting on her lifelong love of the iconic character, and her newfound love of film.
Beloved by women the world over, Wonder Woman championed love, equality and sisterhood. Yet somehow, even by the early 2000s, the red-booted Amazonian princess didn’t have her own movie, her time on the airwaves had passed, and the newest generation of girls didn’t know her. Jacki was determined to change that.
At a dinner party, she found herself once again face to face with Gloria Steinem. Also a mega-fan, Gloria regularly peppered her speeches with allusions to the superhero and was known to have DC Comics on speed dial in the ’70s whenever the character edged more toward car-hop than superhero. Wonder Woman even graced the very first issue of Gloria’s Ms. magazine.
So, was it a coincidence that Jacki was seated next to one of the foremost experts on Wonder Woman?
“It was a sign,” she says, adding, “The next day I turned in my resignation at Goldman Sachs to chase the screenplay.” Jacki and Gloria have been friends ever since.
It was Warner Brothers that finally produced its own Wonder Woman movie in 2017 (try as she might, she could never secure the rights). But for Jacki, it was just the beginning. Still inspired and free from the hamster wheel, Jacki redirected her energy into helping women—and the world—in a different way: wielding her financial wizardry as her very own superpower.
Women Moving Millions and She Money/ShePlace
“Because women get less than 2% of venture capital,” Jacki explains when asked what motivated her next move.
She became the first president and CEO of Women Moving Millions (WMM), the only women-funding-women community of its caliber, having given over $1 billion towards the betterment of women and women-founded businesses. Additionally, her Foundation has invested in 25 women-owned companies and more than a dozen funds focused on female advancement.
Ever interested in film, she’s promoted and funded female documentary-makers and filmmakers interested in telling women’s stories as a Sundance Institute board member.
Now she’s taking to task Utah women’s upward mobility limitations, working with global thought leader Dr. Susan Madsen (Utah State University) on her state and privately-funded initiative, A Bolder Way Forward.
Once the youngest female partner at Goldman Sachs, Jacki’s SheMoney and ShePlace empower women around money. Photo by Adam Finkle
“Looking at the metrics with Susan and other state leaders,” says Jacki, “what I heard was: we need to get women talking about money.”
Jacki’s wildly popular monthly newsletter on LinkedIn (currently at just under 170k subscribers) became the impetus for a more robust platform. She founded ShePlace, an online and in-person network for women to grow their social capital, and, soon after, SheMoney, a consultancy and content platform to champion financial engagement for women.
So while Jacki could be spending her 60s sailing around the world attending Wonder Woman Comic-cons, she’s leading affordable summits, hosting workshops, creating podcasts and educating women’s organizations about the power of their money and how to use it better.
Jacki seems to have her own magic lasso for truth-telling. She’s encouraging women to share their ‘money stories’ and teaching them how to access capital. While the topic is weighty, somehow she manages to lighten the mood by infusing her other loves into the discussion: Beyoncé, cowboy culture and line dancing (or a combination of all three).
“I want to live in literally the best place in the country for everyone, including women,” Jacki says. “It’s not a zero-sum game. When we help women, we help children…we help everybody.”
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Even before Wallace Stevens penned the poem “The Emperor of Ice-Cream” in 1992, ice cream had long been a beloved sweet treat—a favorite of America’s founding fathers—served at many occasions (thankfully, not just at funerals, as is the case in the poem). But ice cream was not the first frozen dessert! Its progenitors and variations are many. Here’s your guide to telling a gelato from a custard and every frozen treat in between. Oh, and of course, where to find them in Utah.
Ice Cream
History: In 1790, the first-known U.S. ice cream (or “iced cream,” as it was sometimes called) parlor opened in New York, and, prior to that, it was a favorite treat of America’s founding fathers. Dolley Madison was particularly keen on oyster ice cream. Thomas Jefferson’s ice cream recipe, alternatively, calls for vanilla. We’ll leave it to you to guess which of those flavors caught on.
What you need to know: A simple combination of cream, sugar (or another sweetener), flavoring and (sometimes) eggs. Who Does It Best?
Brooker’s Founding Flavors, 11953 S. Herriman Main St., Herriman, brookersicecream.com
BYU Creamery on Ninth, 1209 N. 900 East, Provo, dining.byu.edu
Sorbet
History: The first known recipe for sorbet, or “sorbetto” as it was called, dates back to Italy in the 17th century, which some culinary historians consider the first “official” ice cream.
What you need to know: Typically a blend of fruit and ice with sweeteners like honey or sugar; usually dairy-free.
Who Does It Best?
Sweetaly Gelato, 2245 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay; 1527 S. 1500 East, SLC, sweetaly.com
Color Ridge Farm & Creamery, 135 E. Main St., Torrey, colorridge.com
History: In 1686, the café Il Procope opened in Paris, introducing gelato. The owner, a Sicilian named Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, became known as the Father of Italian Gelato.
What you need to know: Compared to traditional ice cream, which is made with cream, gelato is made with whole milk and is less airy with a smoother texture.
Who Does It Best?
Sweetaly Gelato, 2245 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay; 1527 S. 1500 East, SLC, sweetaly.com
History: Frozen custard likely traces its roots to Coney Island, in 1919.
What you need to know: Traditionally, ice cream is made with sugar, cream and eggs, but, in modern times, binders like Xanthum Gum have replaced the eggs. Not so with frozen custard, which contains egg yolks, and has a denser, creamier consistency.
History: From push-pops to sandwiches to waffle tacos, ice cream can come in just about any shape and complement just about any culinary companion. Ice cream has a proverbial menagerie of varied and colorful children.
What you need to know: Eat ice cream with your cereal, in between two gooey cookies, frozen by liquid nitrogen, bathed in an espresso shot, or any other way you can possibly imagine. Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of novelty ice cream shops in Utah.
Who Does It Best?
Cereal Killerz Kitchen at The Local Market & Bar, 310 E. 400 South, SLC, thecerealkillerz.com
History: While yogurt has been around for thousands of years, frozen yogurt was probably born in the 1970s.
What you need to know: Basically ice cream with at least some of the milk in the mix replaced with yogurt and the addition of yogurt cultures, making “frogurt” a bit more tart.
Who Does It Best?
North Ogden Yogurt Company, 1964 N. Washington Blvd., North Ogden, (Instagram)@northogdenyogurtcompany
History: There are several competing claims about who first invented soft-serve ice cream, but Americans have enjoyed it since the 1940s.
What you need to know: It’s basically just semi-melted ice cream, but it can contain more air than traditional ice cream, making soft-serve a bit foamier.
Who Does It Best?
Normal Ice Cream, 169 E. 900 South, SLC, normal.club
See more stories like this and all of our Food and Drinkcoverage. And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best life in Utah?
Spencer Cox declared July 2 Wildland Firefighter Day in an effort to recognize the work firefighters do to protect homes and forests in the state. “Our wildland firefighters are heroes. They face incredible risks to keep us safe and protect the places we love,” Cox said in a statement. “We owe them our gratitude, and that starts with doing our part. This summer, use fireworks wisely, follow local rules, and help prevent the next fire in Utah.
When are fireworks allowed in Utah?
Pioneer Day is one of four holidays where setting off fireworks is allowed in Utah for a period of time. The other three are Independence Day, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Typically there’s a two-day buffer around the holiday itself. For instance, this month fireworks are permitted between July 2-5, and July 22-25, according to the State Fire Marshal.
Where can you set off fireworks?
Even with that window, fireworks are still prohibited in much of the state. Utah is currently under State 1 fire restrictions, which bans fireworks on all state and federally managed land, and all unincorporated land (land that is not within a city’s jurisdiction).
That means no fireworks are allowed in state parks, national parks, Bureau of Land Management land, national forest or other public land.
Most of the state’s main population centers also have some kind of restriction in place. But that doesn’t mean you can’t set off fireworks, and Utah code actually prevents cities from enacting a citywide ban of state-approved explosives in most cases.
Instead, cites can only restrict fireworks “in certain areas with hazardous environmental conditions,” which includes mountainous areas covered in brush, forest or dry grass, areas near a river, ravine or wash, undeveloped wildland or agricultural land and more.
That’s still a pretty broad definition, so most municipalities are able to ban fireworks in the majority of land within their borders.
Salt Lake City, for instance, bans fireworks everywhere except for two stretches between Glendale Park and Interstate 80, and between 900 West and 900 East, south of South Temple.
Draper bans fireworks everywhere except for a small section between State Street and 1300 East. And St. George bans fireworks in most of the city, except for the more densely populated neighborhoods away from open space and major roadways.
State law requires municipalities make their firework restrictions easily accessible, and provide residents with an interactive map.
Curious where fireworks are permitted in your city? See the State Fire Marshal’s list of restrictions.
For Salt Lake County-specific information, see Unified Fire Authority’sinteractive map.
Fire danger in Utah
This year’s holiday comes as most of the state is either in severe or moderate drought, which means fire danger is high. That’s the reasoning behind the fire restrictions, and officials from cities, counties and the state are urging Utahns to celebrate responsibly.
Despite some recent monsoonal moisture giving relief to parts of the state, northern Utah is still abnormally dry. Plus, monsoons can sometimes bring dry lightning and high winds, a near-perfect storm for fire danger.
Most fires this year — 336 of 448 — have been human caused, resulting in more than 1,000 acres burned.
This story was originally published by Utah News Dispatch. Read the full article here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle Dunphey covers politics, public safety and the environment for Utah News Dispatch. He was named Best Newspaper Reporter by the Utah Society of Professional Journalists in 2023 for his work on crime and immigration at the Deseret News.
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