Tell your love story with one-of-a-kind floral design by Artisan Bloom
Your wedding ceremony is the moment everything becomes real. It’s where you and your partner look into one another’s eyes, exchange lifelong promises, and step into a new chapter together. It’s a moment filled with emotion, love, and beauty—and it deserves a setting that reflects just that. Investing in breathtaking florals for your ceremony isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about elevating the experience for you and your guests while creating timeless memories that will last a lifetime.
The Photos You’ll Cherish Forever
Your wedding album will be filled with the magic of your ceremony—your walk down the aisle, the moment you say “I do,” and the pure joy on your guests’ faces. Every floral element, from grandiose arches to lush aisle pieces, frames these moments in an unforgettable way. When you look back on your wedding photos, you’ll see more than just flowers—you’ll see a setting that captures the essence of your love story. You’ll see a memory.
Photo credit Stetten Wilson PhotographyPhoto credit Heather Nan
Smart Design with Repurposing in Mind
At Artisan Bloom, we believe that breathtaking florals should continue to shine throughout your wedding day. That’s why we prioritize repurposing ceremony florals to enhance areas of your reception, allowing you to maximize your investment. Imagine your ceremony arch transformed into a lush sweetheart table backdrop, aisle florals doubling as elegant reception accents, or statement arrangements greeting guests at the entrance to your celebration. By repurposing these designs, we help you create a cohesive floral experience while addressing key areas of your reception—places where you would need to allocate your budget anyway. This not only adds depth and luxury to your event but also ensures that no petal goes to waste.
Setting the Tone for Your Entire Wedding Day
Your ceremony is the introduction to your wedding aesthetic. Whether you dream of a romantic garden-inspired setting, a modern and minimalist altar, or an opulent floral wonderland, the ceremony florals set the stage for the rest of the celebration. Investing in lush, high-impact designs creates a seamless transition into your reception and gives guests a taste of what’s to come.
Photo credit Stetten Wilson PhotographyPhoto credit Megan Robinson Photography
A Reflection of Your Love Story
No two love stories are the same, and your wedding florals should be a reflection of yours. Whether inspired by a favorite flower, a sentimental color palette, or a meaningful design, investing in your ceremony florals ensures that your wedding is uniquely yours. Artisan Bloom specializes in bringing floral dreams to life, and curating designs that feel personal, luxurious, and unforgettable.
Investing in Ceremony Florals: A Decision You’ll Never Regret
When planning your wedding, it’s easy to focus on the reception, but the ceremony is where your journey as a married couple truly begins. By investing in spectacular florals, you’re not only elevating your wedding day—you’re creating a beautiful, meaningful experience that will be captured in your photos, cherished by your guests, and remembered for a lifetime. With thoughtful design, expert repurposing, and a commitment to making your vision come to life, Artisan Bloom is here to ensure that every petal is placed with purpose, making your wedding day as magical as you’ve always imagined.
Artisan Bloom 7573 S. Main St., Midvale (801) 913-7444 artisanbloom.com
When we’re talking about spring breakdestinations, Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Beach might immediately come to mind. But consider…Ogden, Utah. Skiers and riders hoping to ski spring break are wise to save what many Utahns call the best, Ogden Valley’s resorts, for last. It’s spring break—Ogden style.
It starts with Nordic Valley’s killer ticket deal and continues with end-of-season shenanigans like pond skimming at Nordic, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain. It’s spring break, baby!
Powder Mountain’s No Joke Tele Race (coming April 5, 2025) has free-heelers racing on the Turn ’n’ Burn banked slalom course. Photo courtesy of Powder Mountain.
Nordic Valley
Only a few miles outside of Ogden in stunning Eden, Nordic Valley has a budget- and family-friendly reputation.
They’ve earned it with ages 12 and under riding free all ski season and having the “World’s Best Spring Break.” Running March 1 until the resort closes, every lift ticket comes with a $10 credit and the option to add a $30 rental and a $50 beginner lesson.
Crocket Lift at Nordic Valley. Photo courtesy of Nordic Valley.
Tickets start at $19 and rise as the mountain becomes more crowded. “At the window, you can anticipate seeing prices between $69 and $99, but you can save a bunch by going online and reserving ahead of time,” said Katie Gubler, resort operations manager.
The credit is good only on the ticket date but can be used for food, shopping or even a ticket for a later date. Like many other resorts in spring, look for the dates they host pond skimming, where skiers wear costumes and attempt to skim across a makeshift pond. Nordic Valley will also hold the Denim Dual Slalom, a competition to find the fastest competitor dressed in denim, and the Duct Tape Derby, a cardboard-and-duct-tape sled race.
“With our lower elevation, you’ll see warmer temperatures in the spring, so you’ll see a lot of people skiing in T-shirts,” Gubler said. “It’s a really good time.”
As long as you’re in the neighborhood, visit Snowbasin and Powder Mountain for more fun on the mountain.
Snowbasin will host pond skimming and the Handle Tow Showdown rail jam, where amateurs and professionals compete with their best tricks on a rail.
Costumes are encouraged at the Annual Pond Skim at Snowbasin Resort (coming April 20, 2025). Photo courtesy of Snowbasin.
If you’re not the competitive type, you can still enjoy live music. “It’s free, and it’s just to create a real fun vibe at the mountain toward the end of the season,” said Davy Ratchford, Snowbasin general manager.
Also at Snowbasin, if you buy a 2025–26 season pass, the last month of skiing this season will be included.
On March 29, Powder Mountain hosts Turn ’n’ Burn, a series of snowboard-only races. Skiers can join the resort’s No Joke Tele Race on April 5, where all races will be telemark-only. Skiing after 4 p.m. will only be $19.
“What you’ll find is a really uncrowded, just super-fun experience,” said Tim LeRoy, Powder Mountain Resort spokesperson. “It’s just kind of more of a party atmosphere in the spring.”
When Mark Twain—then still just plain Samuel Clemens—came through Salt Lake City in 1861, he was accompanying his brother Orion on his way to take up the position of Secretary of Nevada Territory. It was usual for traveling dignitaries to stop in and say “hello” to the Lion of Zion, LDS Church President Brigham Young, and the Clemens brothers did just that. It is supposed that Mark Twain felt snubbed by the great man because later, in his 1872 book, Roughing It, he exaggerates the encounter and his impressions of Mormons in general in full Twain style.
Of The Book of Mormon, he wrote, “It is so slow, so sleepy, such an insipid mess of inspiration. It is chloroform in print. If Joseph Smith composed this book, the act was a miracle—keeping awake while he did it was, at any rate.” Of the practice of polygamy and Mormon wives, he said his heart “warmed toward these poor, ungainly and pathetically ‘homely’ creatures…the man who marries one of them has done an act of Christian charity which entitles him to the kindly applause of mankind, not their censure,” and then marvels at the man who could wed 60 of them, as he exaggerated Brigham Young’s matrimonial count. (Young actually had 55 wives, so Twain wasn’t far off the mark.)
Mark Twain passed through Salt Lake City in the journey west he recounts in his book, Roughing It.(Photos and Documents courtesy of The Library of Congress)
But Twain didn’t stop there, long after the official visit, the humourist imagines Young at the Beehive House overwhelmed by his many, many children.
“Once a gentleman gave one of my children a tin whistle—a veritable invention of Satan, sir, and one which I have an unspeakable horror of, and so would you if you had 80 or 90 children in your house,” Twain writes as his imaginary Brigham. “But the deed was done—the man escaped. I knew what the result was going to be, and I thirsted for vengeance. I ordered out a flock of Destroying Angels, and they hunted the man far into the fastnesses of the Nevada mountains. But they never caught him. I am not cruel, sir—I am not vindictive except when sorely outraged—but if I had caught him, sir, so help me Joseph Smith, I would have locked him into the nursery till the brats whistled him to death.”
Mark Twain Gets The Last Laugh
Twain wrote, “When the audience was ended and we were retiring from the presence, he [Young] put his hand on my head, beamed down on me in an admiring way and said to my brother: ‘Ah—your child, I presume? Boy, or girl?’”
The University of Utah is among 45 universities the Trump administration is investigating over “racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs and activities.”
The universities partnered with The PhD Project, a program that provides support to historically underrepresented students in their path to earning business-related doctoral degrees. But the program, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Education, “limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
That collaboration motivated the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to start investigations at the 45 participating schools over what it considers discriminatory acts on the basis of race, color and national origin.
“Today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the release. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin.”
President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, promising to crackdown on the programs directed toward underrepresented communities, especially in academia, which he described as “immense public waste and shameful discrimination.”
According to McMahon, those efforts include investigations into institutions “where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination.”
“The University of Utah is aware of the investigation into U.S. colleges and universities who have worked with The PhD Project to make advanced business education accessible to students from underrepresented groups,” the university said in a statement. “We will respond to federal investigators in the course of the investigation.”
However, the U. had already been working to overhaul DEI programs since last year, before Trump took office.
After Utah approved a bill restricting DEI initiatives in the public sector, higher education institutions in the state took steps to comply with the law. While identity-based cultural centers are still allowed under the policy, as long as they aren’t exclusive, many have erred on the side of caution. The University of Utah, for example, eliminated its women’s and LGBT resource centers.
The investigations also follow a letter the Education Department sent to the colleges in February urging them to adhere to Title VI policies and requiring that they stop factoring in race “in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”
Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the department, advised schools to ensure compliance with the Civil Rights Act, and to end reliance on third-party contractors “that are being used by institutions in an effort to circumvent prohibited uses of race.”
Those who fail to comply, Trainor wrote, may lose federal funding.
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About the Author
Alixel Cabrera covers the status of diverse Utah communities, growth, infrastructure and education for Utah News Dispatch. Read the original article on Utah News Dispatch’s website, here.
Your love story is something that is entirely ‘you,’ and your happily-ever-after should be just as unique. No two weddings should be exactly alike. Each wedding Hoopes Events creates follows that motto to bring your personality into the very heart of your wedding.
“The Hoopes Events style is to take the lifestyle of our couple and turn that into their perfect wedding,” says Tonya Hoopes, owner. “We believe in creating those unique special touches that have significance and meaning for each couple.” For more than a decade, her diverse team of planners has been creating events that showcase what makes your romance so special.
Photography by Nicole Aston Photo.
Investing in a talented and qualified wedding team is the key to a stress-free wedding, as well as a sure way to make your event one that you and your loved ones will never forget. But that doesn’t mean breaking the wedding budget.
“Just as each and every wedding is unique, so is every budget,” says Hoopes. “We don’t try to fit our clients into a look or location. At the end of the day, we want our clients to be happy, comfortable and feel good about working with our team.” Having a planner that knows which vendors fit your personality and budget, can handle the small details of your big day and are prepared to take your vision from the drawing board to reality really is priceless.
Hoopes Events loves making every wedding unique. Hoopes’ repertoire includes a Harry Potter theme, a gaming theme, skiing and snowboarding theme and many others. Although they are based in Utah, Hoopes has also done weddings in California, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado.
Photography by Nicole Aston Photo.
Hoopes Events also applies their expertise and knowledge to help couples live out their exotic, destination wedding dreams. They’re looking forward to their weddings in Tulum, Mexico and Guanacaste, Costa Rica the first part of this year. Here’s what Tonya has to say about destination weddings, “What most couples don’t realize is that a destination wedding, in many cases, costs less than a traditional wedding. What’s more romantic than a wedding at your dream destination surrounded by family and friends?”
“I am so inspired by each of my clients as I hear stories of how they met, where they work, details of their personal lives and so much more. I love following them through the rest of their life milestones; it brings joy into our days and reminds me of why my team works hard to ensure our clients special day is all about them!”
– Tonya Hoopes, Owner
Ask the Expert:
What’s Ahead:
The year 2023 is bringing new opportunities for couples: We’re so excited! The world is open and couples can look forward to endless opportunities for their wedding celebration.
Excited about:
We’re looking forward to mismatched dress colors and styles. This trend brings color pops to every wedding while allowing each bridal party member to create a look that complements them without distracting from the bride!
Fresh Ideas:
A wedding to remember is all about personal touches. What moves you? A breathtaking mountain view, a rustic cabin, an elaborate hall or a fairy-tale castle? Be willing to create that vision. A lot can be done to transform any venue into the wedding venue of your dreams.
Contact Hoopes Weddings and Events
Tonya Hoopes, Owner 435-414-0090 104 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale hoopesevents.com
The shift to remote work over the last five years has dramatically changed the way we think about the office. While working from home offers a sense of flexibility, it also brings challenges that many professionals originally didn’t anticipate. At first, working from your kitchen table might have felt like a dream—no commute, comfortable clothes, and the ability to take calls from your couch between folding loads of laundry. But over time, the novelty wears off, and the reality sets in: uncontrollable distractions, lack of proper office equipment, isolation, and the inability to effectively separate work from personal life.
A study from Buffer’s State of Remote Work report found that while 98% of remote workers want to continue working remotely in some capacity, nearly 27% cite struggling with loneliness as one of the biggest challenges. Remote works also noted a general struggle with motivation, frustrating communication barriers, and the inability to access a designated workspace that fosters productivity.
If you’re working remotely in Salt Lake City, it’s important to find a setup that supports your workflow. Whether it’s a dedicated home office, a flexible workspace, or a professional meeting spot, having the ability to switch up your work environment day to day can make all the difference.
Why Flexibility is Key to Productivity
For many remote workers, no two days will ever look the same. Some days require deep and quiet focus, while others call for collaboration or in-person meetings. The ability to customize where and how you work is what makes remote work truly possible long term. That’s why The Shop Workspace in Salt Lake City offers a hyper-flexible approach to coworking, allowing remote workers to adapt their work environment as needed.
The Shop Workspace: A Workspace That Works for You
The Shop Workspace isn’t just another office—it’s a dynamic, hospitality-driven space designed for remote professionals, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small teams who need a flexible alternative to working from home. With an emphasis on world-class design, comfort, and ease, The Shop SLC creates an environment where professionals can be productive, network, and balance work with lifestyle without breaking the bank or committing for years at a time.
The Shop SLC. Photo by Austen Diamond.
The Three Most Flexible Ways to Work at The Shop:
Drop in for the Day – If you need a break from home distractions, The Shop’s Day Pass option gives you access to high-speed WiFi, comfortable workstations, and complimentary coffee for a single day.
Commons Membership – Not ready to commit to a full-time office? The Commons Membership provides flexible monthly access, so you can switch up your work environment as needed—whether it’s a few days per week or just when you need a change of scenery. The best part? The Shop also offers a part-time commons option for those only looking to get out of the house 1-2x a week.
Conference Rooms – Experience The Shop in increments as small as thirty minutes with on-demand Conference Room bookings. Perfect for those who need professional, functional and design forward collaboration spaces.
More Than Just a Desk: Amenities That Support Your Work
Coworking is about more than just having a desk, it’s about having the tools and environment that make remote work effective. The Shop Workspace offers a robust suite of amenities that help professionals stay productive, engaged, and connected:
Professional Meeting Spaces – Impress clients with well-designed, fully equipped conference rooms that can be booked on demand. Seven total rooms ensure availability when you need it most.
Multiple Work Zones – Each floor of The Shop SLC has a unique vibe that helps our members optimize their workspace. From the quiet zone on our fourth floor to the lively energy in the third-floor kitchen, members have the power of choice when they pick their office for the day.
On-Site Perks – High-speed internet with a redundancy line, printing, twelve private phone booths, and unlimited coffee, soda, cold brew, tea and espresso ensure you have everything you need to be productive.
Engaging Community – The Shop hosts events, networking opportunities, and professional development sessions to help you connect with like-minded professionals on a weekly basis.
Rooftop & Lounge Areas – Break up your day by stepping outside into the sunshine or relaxing in thoughtfully designed common areas.
Wellness-Focused Design – Natural light, ample plants, ergonomic seating, and an inspiring aesthetic help create a space that supports well-being and focus.
The Shop SLC. Photo by Austen Diamond.
The Freedom to Work How You Want, When You Want
One of the biggest advantages of The Shop Workspace is the ability to create a flexible routine that suits your lifestyle. Need a quiet place to grind through a deadline in the morning? There’s a dedicated focus area for that. Have a last-minute client meeting in the afternoon? Book a conference room on demand. Want to break up the monotony of working from home? Drop in for a day pass whenever you need.
Working in the same space every day leads to feelings of stagnation. The ability to shift between different environments within The Shop—whether it’s the rooftop lounge, a private meeting space, or a communal coworking area—ensures that your work environment stays fresh, engaging, and conducive to productivity.
How The Shop Helps You Work Smarter
✔ Ultimate Flexibility – No rigid leases or long-term commitments—just a space that works for you on your terms.
✔ Designed for Productivity – Purpose-built workspaces that enhance focus, creativity, and function without sacrificing form.
✔ Prime Location in Salt Lake City – Convenient downtown location, right off the UTA Trax Red Line, restaurants, and cultural hotspots.
✔ A Work-Life Balance Booster – Separate your work life from home life and avoid burnout by having a dedicated workspace when you need it.
✔ A Space That Grows with You – Start with a day pass, upgrade to a Commons Membership, and eventually secure a private office if your needs ever evolve.
✔ A Team Dedicated to Having Your Back – Our onsite Community Team embody hospitality at every turn. Functioning as an extension of both you and your team, our staff is ready at the drop of the hat to roll the red carpet out for your guest or grab a tide pen for you from our Oops Bin.
Staying Successful with Remote Work
Beyond where you work, how you work makes a big impact on your success as a remote professional. Here are a few best practices to maximize your productivity:
Set Clear Work Hours – Maintaining a consistent schedule helps separate work from personal life and ensures you stay on track.
Take Breaks & Move – Step away from the screen every couple of hours, take a walk outside, or grab a coffee to reset your focus.
Engage with Others – Networking events, casual conversations, or even just working near others helps combat the isolation of remote work.
Optimize Your Workspace – Choose an environment that supports your productivity, whether that’s a quiet desk for deep work or a social space for collaboration.
Use the Right Tools – Invest in good noise-canceling headphones, reliable WiFi, and productivity apps that help streamline your workflow.
Experience The Shop Workspace for Yourself
Your kitchen table will still be there—but your best work might happen somewhere else. Whether you’re looking for a productive space for the day, part-time access to a professional work environment, or a full-time office with 24/7 access, The Shop has an option for you. ? Ready to give it a spin? Book a tour and free trial here.
They’ve put their stamp on Utah over decades, weaving threads of economic impact, cultural influence, social change and compassion into our community tapestry. When we ski next to a double amputee, cheer at a Jazz game, enjoy cuisine prepared by a culinary-trained refugee, take in community theater, serve food at a homeless resource center, or see a 12-year-old sporting his very first pair of new shoes, there’s a good chance that Gail Miller, Lavanya Mahate, Celeste Edmunds or Meeche White were involved. Get to know these long-standing women of influence.
When asked how she went from an immigrant with no work visa to Utah’s 2024 Businessperson of the Year, Lavanya Mahate replies with her credo: “Everything we want is on the other side of fear.”
Lavanya Mahate Founder, Saffron Valley and RISE Culinary Institute. Photo by Adam Finkle.
It’s a message she clung to when she opened her first Saffron Valley restaurant and one she shares with women who come to this country in search of a better life. Partnering with the Utah Refugee Center to found RISE Culinary Institute, the successful restauranteur’s organization provides culinary training and paid internships to refugees and low-income immigrant women who are passionate about food—like she is.
“I like igniting that spark,” she says. “They finish the program with new possibilities of supporting themselves and their families—it reminds me of my younger self.”
At 23, Lavanya arrived in the United States from Chennai, India in an arranged marriage and with a master’s degree, but on a dependent visa—her (former) husband could enter the workforce, she could not. So, she got a second master’s degree from the University of Utah and volunteered with the Salt Lake Chamber—who, anxious to hire her, sponsored her visa. It didn’t take long before she’d worked her way from intern to program director of the Chamber’s Women’s Business Center, helping women realize their entrepreneurial dreams.
At 33, however, she decided it was time to trade her business suit for an apron, of all things.
“I’ve always loved to cook,” says Lavanya brightly. “My happiest childhood memories centered around food.” For someone so enterprising, one might view the decision to leave her successful career to create nostalgic meals from her childhood as…counterintuitive. But she had plans far beyond her own kitchen.
“In my culture, cooking is how you show people you love them,” she says, describing how she enjoyed preparing dishes like biryani and saag paneer for enthusiastic family and friends. But it was her love for Indian street food that gave her the idea to marry foods from various regions of India into one menu. “It took me years of soul searching to accept this was what I wanted to do with my life.”
“My goal is to help women end suppression in their lives and tap into their potential. I want to empower and support them as much as i can. they think I’m transforming their lives, but truthfully they are transforming mine.”
Facing her fears after almost a decade of helping transform the lives of hundreds of women into successful business owners, it was time to take her own advice. Without experience in the restaurant industry or formal culinary training, Lavanya took out a loan and opened the first Saffron Valley restaurant in South Jordan in 2011, acting as head chef and creating a menu of diverse Indian dishes. Within a decade, she’s grown one award-winning restaurant into five throughout the Wasatch Front and also established Bix Bakery and Biscott’s Bakery.
“As much as I loved what I was doing, I missed being able to help women like I did at the Chamber,” she says, adding that RISE is a natural extension of her experience in the food industry, but also her passion for helping lift women.
“My goal is to help women end suppression in their lives and tap into their potential,” she says. “I want to empower and support them as much as I can. They think I’m transforming their lives, but truthfully they are transforming mine.”
Annual Impact
How it works… RISE programming provides culinary training for refugees
4 Cohorts per year
12 Trainees per cohort
48 Members of the refugee community trained each year
Provides 12-Week hands-on culinary programs
Donates stipends for 6-Month paid internships at partner restaurants
Convinced the Utah State Legislature to grant a $394,000 one-time appropriation to RISE from the 2024 General Fund
RISE Culinary Institute Community Events
RISE hosts culinary tasting events, allowing refugees to celebrate and share their heritage and culture and helping to educate the wider community about what the various refugee cultures have to offer. riseculinaryinstitute.org
Discover more leaders who influence and shape Utah, here
Spring is coming quickly, and soon you’ll want to be out of the house to take advantage of the warmer weather with family. Here are four spring activities in Utah to add to your calendar now.
Walk under the Utah State Capitol cherry blossoms
Tourists descend on Japan’s blooming parks, gardens and walkways during sakura (cherry blossom) season — a tradition shared by Utah State Capitol visitors every spring. After WWII, Japan gifted the Capitol with Kwanzan cherry trees. As the trees reached the end of their lives, they were replaced during restoration with hundreds of Yoshino cherry trees along the Capitol’s 0.7-mile Memorial Walkway. Today, the walkway is a popular destination for graduation and engagement photos, picnics and leisurely strolls with your kids, Grandma and the labradoodle under stunning flowering trees.
Spring is known as the season of renewal and rebirth, and that includes farm animals. Many local farms and venues host “baby animal days” for guests to meet newly arrived chicks, calves, piglets and more.
A few recommendations:
American West Heritage Center, April 2–5 and 10–12 4025 S. Hwy 89-91, Wellsville More information
This is the Place Heritage Park, April 19 2601 E. Sunnyside Ave., SLC More information
Hee Haw Farms (Spring Fling events, including baby animals, starts April 12) 150 S. 2000 West, N. Country Blvd., Pleasant Grove More information
Be one of the first in line at Lagoon
Kids growing up in and around Davis County anxiously await Lagoon’s opening day each year. See what the hype is about with the family this year on thrill rides like Primordial, Cannibal and Wicked. For kids under 54 inches in height, the park offers plenty of smaller, slower rides. If rides are not your thing, there are still the park’s live performances, relics from Utah’s early days in Pioneer village and beer/Bavarian pretzels at the Biergarten restaurants.
Lagoon opens on March 29 375 N. Lagoon Drive, Farmington lagoonpark.com
Stop to smell the flowers
More than 900,000 flowers, including tulips, daffodils, poppies and more, will brighten up your family’s day at Thanksgiving Point’s Ashton Gardens during the Tulip Festival. Along with the stunning blooms, the festival promises live entertainment, classes, garden tours and more.
Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival, April 9–May 17 3900 N. Garden Drive, Lehi More information
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The Philadelphia band still sounded as delightfully joyous as it did when those gathered still listened to “Cold Beverage” on compact disc; everyone responded in kind by tapping into 20 years younger versions of ourselves. As far as easy truths go, the band is so consistent in all they do for their fans that there really ought to be a way to bottle their hip-hop blues vibe as a topical salve. Feeling a little blue? Not enough pep in your step? News headlines got you down? Slather some Special Sauce on it, and watch your day magically improve. Repeat often.
It’s hard to go wrong with three musicians who aren’t only onstage but just on as bound-and-determined performers, too. With nary a playlist in sight, singer/rapper/guitarist/harmonicist Garrett Dutton did the classy thing, mostly performing songs old and new (“My Baby Got Sauce,” “This Ain’t Living,” “I-76”) and hung back on the the far right, allowing the Special Sauce (longtime standup bassist Jim Prescott and newish drummer Chuck Treece) take all the long moments in the spotlight they wanted. They call that being generous in the land of music, and it happily translates to a good time for all. While they worked hard, we responded by playing hard. Give and take. Take and give.
Until next time, fella (and may it not be a very long time).
Enjoy our photo gallery!
G. Love and The Special Sauce at The State Room in Salt Lake City on March 12, 2025. Photos by Natalie Simpson, Beehive Photography. Instagram @beehivephotovideo
Plastic is everywhere, and recycling it is not as clear-cut as we have been led to believe. But, recycling, diverting food waste and buying less plastic are still the first steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle.
This past year, two lawsuits took ExxonMobil to task over the corporation’s long-held claims about recycling plastics. The lawsuits claim that ExxonMobil purposefully misled the public for decades by falsely promoting that all plastic is recyclable by typical means, thus exacerbating a global pollution crisis. ExxonMobil makes more single-use plastic than anyone. Plastic is everywhere: our landfills, water, soil, tumble dryers and even our bodies.
Chelsea Hafer, Community Outreach Manager, Recycle Utah, Summit County. Photo courtesy of Recycle Utah.
“Plastics come from oil,” says Chelsea Hafer, the Community Outreach Manager at Recycle Utah. “So, the creation of virgin plastics is terrible for the environment.” Plastics don’t break down or biodegrade, but they do photo-degrade, meaning when light hits them, they break down into smaller and smaller plastics…the kind of microplastics that permeate everything, causing unknowable health and environmental impacts.
“The issue with using plastic is, number one, that most of it isn’t actually being recycled in the conventional way, which would be turning it into a new product,” says Hafer.
Recycle Utah is a Summit County non-profit that works to educate organizations, children, adults and communities about sustainability. At their recycling center, they recycle 45 different kinds of items, resulting in 4 million pounds of material diverted from the landfill every year.
While recycling plastics is not always as straightforward as tossing them in the blue curbside bin, recycling centers like Recycle Utah’s center do what they can to divert plastics from landfills. But, it all comes down to the type of plastic, designated by numbers 1–7: PET (1) and HDPE (2) are high enough quality to be recycled into something else. “Sometimes that’s another bottle, and sometimes that’s a Patagonia fleece or a kid’s toy, something like that,” explains Hafer. Meanwhile, plastic bags and styrofoam can only be diverted when dropped off at centers like Recycle Utah, but processing them is just not economical.
Recycling plastic is not as sustainable as we have been led to believe. Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.
Recycle glass at designated drop-off centers in Utah. When recycling bottles, remove lids, caps and corks. Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.
Recycled aluminum cans can be turned into road signs. Help out by crushing your cans before recycling them. Photo courtesy of Recycle Utah.
After reducing plastic use, such as avoiding plastic shopping bags, water bottles or packaging, the next step to a more sustainable lifestyle is diverting more of our food waste. “We push a lot for diverting food waste because, in our landfill in Summit County, it’s a big, big problem. Like 30 to 50% of our landfill is food waste,” explains Hafer. “And that releases a lot of methane.” Compared to carbon dioxide, methane is 82 times more potent in contributing to climate change over 20 years. Food waste can be diverted through composting or anaerobic digestion. An anaerobic digester, like the one Park City Community Foundation enlists as part of its zero food waste initiative, breaks down food waste with bacteria but captures the resulting methane and converts it into natural gas.
As far as what else can go in the blue curbside bin, there are a few ways to ensure it doesn’t end up in landfill. “I think one of the big issues with curbside recycling is people will put it in a trash bag,” says Hafer. “You cannot put your recycling in a plastic bag…If anything is in a plastic bag, they’re going to assume it’s trash.” Contaminates are the other concern—contaminates such as food. “What I do is I just put all of my peanut butter jars, yogurt containers or whatever, in the dishwasher,” says Hafer. “That actually saves water and it’s way less effort. And then you can just recycle it after that.” The same often applies if, lacking curbside pickup—especially for things like glass—you’re personally dropping off materials at a recycling center, but check the specific guidelines for your municipality.
“The three R’s—reduce, reuse, recycle— are in that order for a reason,” says Hafer. “Recycling is great, but hard plastics and paper and cardboard, they can only be recycled so many times, before they lose their quality. Glass and metal can be recycled forever because they’re just really strong, high-quality materials.” In short, “Recycling is the last step. People really need to think about reducing their waste first.”
Cardboard is baled or compacted on-site at Recycle Utah. When recycling cardboard, remove any paper, plastic or styrofoam. Photo courtesy of Recycle Utah.
Plastic Recycling Tips
Recycle in the blue curb side bin PET (1): drink bottles that can be recycled into fiber fill, carpet fibers or rope. HDPE (2): milk and juice jugs that can be recycled into other containers. Drop-off at certain recycling centers LDPE (4): plastic bags that can be ‘recycled’ into energy. Shopping bags may also be returned to some grocery stores for reuse. PVC (3) PP (5): food packaging PS (6): styrofoam—expanded styrofoam (EPS) can be densifed and recycled. Other plastics (7) Call ahead to see which materials your local recycling center accepts.
