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The Suazo Business Center Offers Guidance, Education, Inspiration, & Hope

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Marcela Lopez in front of the Suazo Business Center sign
Marcela Lopez used business skills gained at Suazo Business Center to open her own business. Photo by Braden Latimer.

The Story of Marcela Lopez

As Marcela Lopez skillfully handcrafts with paint and brush the look of marble above the fireplace of a customer’s home, she feels grateful for the business wisdom and expertise she acquired through the Suazo Business Center. The center, located in Salt Lake City, satisfied the tugging at her soul to be more than she was at that moment, two years ago. After being invited to the graduation of a close friend, Maria del Rosario Diaz, Lopez watched as Diaz walked across the graduation stage and received a Certificate of Completion from The Suazo Business Center.When Diaz, dressed in her cap and gown, reached for her certificate while receiving the official “well done” handshake, Lopez absolutely knew she wanted that same feeling—that same accomplishment. In November of 2018, Lopez followed in Diaz’s footsteps and began her journey. This past March, she also became a graduate of The Suazo Business Center. Lopez, along with the other graduates who gathered that day on the Jordan Campus of Salt Lake Community College, all knew one thing: they were in a much better position to be successful in life.

“It was one of the greatest things I ever did,” said Lopez, who along with her husband Juan Basilio, own JB Creations in Salt Lake City. “It felt awesome. [The Suazo Business Center] was able to teach me the proper order of what I was already doing. They were able to expand my horizons and expand my business and help me be so much more than I was.”

JB Creations, specializing in creating the look of marble or stone through both interior and exterior painting, is one of only a handful of companies in northern Utah providing this service. Without the commitment, guidance and business savvy offered at the Suazo Business Center, Lopez feels she and her husband may not be as successful with JB Creations as they are today.

The Suazo Business Center

Committed to the development and empowerment of the Latino, Hispanic and other under-served communities, The Suazo Business Center, a non-profit organization, provides assistance to help existing potential minority entrepreneurs succeed and build wealth. Just as important, the center provides affordable classes as well as mentoring and guidance to help them every step of the way. This process begins with interested entrepreneurs scheduling a session with one of the center’s advisers, typically followed by the creation of a plan specific to each individual and their goals. This plan could include assistance with obtaining a loan, a federal tax ID number, starting a website, even help with developing a name for a business should those needs arise.

Coinciding with where individuals are at with the creation or existing operation of their business, they register for either the “Business Startup” program, the “Business Growth” program, or both. Each program is six months long and requires each participant to spend Tuesday and/or Wednesday evenings attending classes which include subjects ranging from QuickBooks, personal finance, marketing, networking, social media and much more.

The cost to attend these classes is substantially lower than those offered at more traditional academic institutions or colleges. “Last year, we had close to 1,000 people complete our program,” said Operations Manager Edward Bennett. “We structure our program the way we do because we want to make sure you are 100% ready and capable of running your own business and truly succeeding.”

Beginnings & Mission

Success came for Gladys Gonzalez in 1997 when, shortly after immigrating to the United States, she desired a better and more successful life for her and her family. In that same year, Senator Pete Suazo helped Gonzalez write a business plan and obtain her first loan for the propagation of her brainchild, Mundo Hispano, a Spanish newspaper. When Suazo passed away in 2001, Gonzalez, full of gratitude for his help and guidance, found support from Senator Bob Bennett to create a center in Suazo’s name where others could receive the same type of help she did. In 2003, The Suazo Business Center officially opened its doors.

Sixteen years later, the Suazo team has helped close to 10,000 businesses get off the ground. Today, they are still ever proud and standing ready to welcome any interested qualified individual while encouraging full participation in both programs. Graduates of their programs attend a spring graduation ceremony on the Jordan Campus of Salt Lake Community College. They also receive a small business grant as well as a Utah Valley University endorsed certificate for The Suazo Business Center program.

“We are committed to thoroughly helping everyone we serve and ending cycles of poverty,” Bennett emphasized. “Our office team, adjunct instructors, business advisers, and Board of Directors want nothing more than to see our graduates grow and flourish in the communities in which they live and serve.”

Lopez couldn’t agree more. “Even after you graduate, they remember you and are still very supportive,” she said.

Suazo Business Center: 960 W 1700 S, Salt Lake City
Contact Person:
Operations Manager Edward Bennett
801-521-1709 X 102

Bluff, Utah benefits from U of U Architectural Design Program

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Cedar Hall – community gathering place

Few professions in the construction industry practice as many different skills as architects. In addition to exercising creativity they must also understand engineering, building codes, properties of different building materials, and perhaps most importantly, listen closely to their clients to parse out exactly what is being asked for.

For the past 12 years, the Design Build Bluff program in the college of Architecture and Planning at the University of Utah has been immersing graduate students in an environment intended to develop the multiple skills they will need as professionals and contribute to a community in need.

Working from the town of Bluff, on the Navajo reservation in Southeastern Utah, the students have designed and built 16 homes, mostly from donated and recycled materials, for families in the region.

“We want to develop two sets of skills,” said DBB Director Professor Jose Galarza. “There are a set of ‘hard skills’ and that is the hands-on construction and giving the students the chance to lift their ideas off the paper and put them into practice. The other is developing a sensitivity for the real world. We want to be facilitators and help build capacity and resiliency in this community. I want students to be very cautious about thinking they know better than the community they are serving. We have methods we develop to talk with clients and engage with them to make sure we are both getting the most out of the process,” said Galarza.  

Over the course of the program, students take the information from client interviews and begin to develop a design. In mid-January they return to the reservation for months of hands-on construction work and more community engagement.  

“In the past I had done some construction and carpentry. I had educational experience but the DBB program really tied it all together for me,” said former student and program graduate Nancy Kole, who is now working for a design-build firm in Boulder, Colo. “I learned new skills and the program challenged me to use them. I got to draw sections and then build those walls with my own hands.”

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University of Utah students on site at the project. Photos courtesy of Design Build Bluff

Galarza said that in recent years he’s tried to emphasize the facilitator role architects can play in responding to the needs in a community.

“The Navajo community has already suffered from years of colonization and outsiders coming in saying they knew what was best,” said Galarza. “Sometimes architects disassociate themselves from the community or are ‘helicoptered’ in to solve a problem.”

DBB’s most recently completed project, Cedar Hall, was built with the intention of integrating the “campus” where students live, work and store materials to the wider Bluff community.

Rather than serving as a single family home, Cedar Hall is a community gathering place and more formal workshop for the students.

“We wanted to create face for the campus. The building faces the street and has a place for people to gather. It connects us to the town and people in the community.” Galarza said. 

All the DBB projects can be viewed on the program website at www.designbuildbluff.org.dbb-stairs

Tuition Free Classes for Seniors

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Overview_of_class_of_Senior_Citizens_write_Wikipedia_in_MLP,_2014-11-04If you are over 62, read this story.

If you know someone over 62, read this story.

In fact, everyone should read this story, because it is about HB 60, one of the best laws ever passed by the Utah legislature. HB 60 allows seniors over 62 (yeah, it is confusing) to attend classes at state-sponsored universities and community colleges for only a $25 registration fee.  That is $25 per semester, not per class. No prior degree or educational background is needed.

The law, passed in 1977, recognizes that learning never ends. It allows seniors to audit classes and learn in an environment free from the pressure of grades. “Art appreciation, foreign languages… when you check out the class schedule, it is unbelievable what you can discover,” said registration representative Brad Blake.

I crossed the magic threshold myself last year and was intrigued to take a class about Greek mythology at the U of U. I spent three months experiencing the joy of pure learning. An added benefit was realizing the high intelligence of the undergrads. I felt my social security benefits were in good hands.

The Greek myth class took place in a large lecture hall, so registration was easy. For a senior to attend, a class must have extra space available. Specialized programs such as pottery may require additional material fees. Graduate-level classes are also possible, but would need professor approval.

Seniors may register for fall, spring and summer sessions, and can choose their classes from the university catalog. The 2016 fall semester signup begins August 16th and continues to September 2nd. One must show up in person to room 1185 in building annex “A.” Building A is in the gray-sided complex immediately east of the Jon M. Huntsman Center, where basketball is played.

An average of 150 seniors apply per semester. This is such a good deal that an exponent should be applied to that number. What’s an exponent? Take a math class and find out.

Info on available classes can be found at University of Utah Fall 2016 class schedule. 

Mommy bloggers prevail: education, not taxes, is the key to local growth

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utah state capital

The Utah State Legislature decided to kill a proposed law which would have imposed taxes on purchases made in other states using websites like Amazon.com. Mommy bloggers came out in force to prevent the bill’s passage, which would have ended their affiliate sales commission relationship with Amazon.

Advocates for the bill said that it would have “leveled the playing field.” And it would have supported brick-and-mortar businesses and the re-circulation of dollars in the local economy, over e-commerce. But ultimately this law would have had little to no impact in bolstering local business.

Placing additional state taxes on internet purchases would be just another way to ultimately hurt consumers who are seeking the very best price for items they want to buy. Those who are most in need of the very best prices, are the poor. And the mommy bloggers benefiting from these purchases rely on this additional income for their families.

Any law that puts an additional tax on the poor should be defeated. Of course the wealthy don’t care if they need to pay this tax, but those who really need to save money (to support their families) should not be burdened, with additional taxes.

What is the Answer to Bolstering Local?

Additional taxes, laws or government intervention is not the solution to bolstering the local marketplace and small businesses. Educating consumers about the impact of their purchase decisions and assisting consumers in shifting their spending is a much better answer to “leveling the marketplace”.

When we can afford to buy local over national or multinational chains, our dollars gain a multiplier effect in strengthening our local economies. When we buy from a locally-owned business and choose to buy locally-made products our dollars recirculate in the local economy six-times more effectively than if we buy at chains stores.

Chain retail and chain fast-food always use the cheapest raw materials and the cheapest labor to make their products, often in foreign countries. Further, under the chain-store paradigm, profits are siphoned out of the local economy to enrich executives and shareholders of these companies. When we buy from Walmart, we should all imagine a big sucking sound when we put our credit cards in the machines to pay. All of those dollars are being sucked out of our economies and traveling far and wide to make Walmart shareholders wealthy and exacerbating the problems the lowest-income factory workers in places like China and Indonesia. Further, we are supporting the minimum-wage jobs that Walmart provides.

When we choose to buy local (and favor locally-made products) we are essentially voting to keep our dollars circulating in the local economy and stimulate job creation at a local level. This ultimately assists residents in retaining more ownership over their community and more local sovereignty. Very few residents take ownership and are involved in the political process in communities which are overrun by chain stores.

e-commerce and Amazon’s Impact on Local Booksellers

Betsy Burton is the owner of the King’s English Bookshop. She wrote an op-ed piece in the Salt Lake Tribune about how greatly disappointed she is that the bill to place sales tax on internet transactions was defeated. Her shop is located in the 15th and 15th district of Salt Lake City, where there are many local shops and many conscious consumers who want to support local over chains.

The King’s English hosts local and national authors book readings which is a truly unique experience. The King’s English is a fixture in the community that residents patronize because they appreciate their unique offerings and the attention they receive from the King’s English staff.

nov Ken 2014If the prices on Amazon’s books were a few pennies higher, this would have little to no impact on Burton’s business. People don’t shop the King’s English, nor Weller Book Works, nor Ken Sanders Rare Books seeking the best bargain basement prices– we patronize these stores for a special experience of getting assistance from a fellow book lover in finding the perfect book.

Amazon will never be able to compete with this, and there aren’t any laws, taxes or government regulations which will cause Amazon to go away and make customers come racing to local. If the tax were to pass, and customers were required to pay the extra few pennies on Amazon purchases, chances are they would still seek the lowest price at Walmart or Costco not the King’s English.

Consumers Should Be Kings

Consumers have a huge variety of choices are becoming more conscious of how their choices impact both the greater world and their local marketplace.

More powerful than our vote at the ballot box is our voting rights everyday in making purchasing decisions. Supporting the businesses which support and sustain our local economies will make a much greater impact than attempting to get our Utah State Legislature to act. We consumers need to find more ways to shift our spending locally.

In every issue of Utah Stories through both content and advertising we want to assist readers in finding more ways to buy local. In our most recent batch of surveys, our readers have told us that they want more of our content to be focused on finding new ways to shift their spending locally. Because more than voting for Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump, we can regain control of our communities and country simply by choosing to buy local. The heavy hand of government and laws is far less effective that the basic rules of economics.

Utah Education by the Numbers

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by Richard Markosian & Tami Hansen

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The Story Behind the Numbers

Most graduating Seniors aren’t prepared for university level education. As a result community colleges and two year colleges are seeing record increases in enrollment while the universities have only seen modest gains. During most economic downturns enrollment in at colleges and universities increases substantially. But with more graduates less prepared the universities are seeing fewer students than past recessions and many graduates are using colleges as a two-year track to become adequately prepared to study at a university.

Utah BCS FootballBCS Football Revenue

The amount the University of Utah should receive from the estimated $3 billion, 12-year television package now being a part of the PAC-12’s big TV deal with ESPN and Fox Sports is $21 million.

“It’s all blue sky right now,” Utah athletic director Chris Hill said following the announcement.

So what to do with the money? A new athletic building is underway that will offer state-of-the-art sports medicine; a better indoor practice field and much better student-athlete amenities.

This is all great for student athletes but what about the non-athletes? How about lowering tuition for the thousands of students who are struggling to pay (per credit hour tuition) the tuition that has increased by over 12% in the past 10 years?

Isn’t the point of paying Head Coach Kyle Wittingham: $1.2 Million per year salary and upgrading the stadium and putting so much effort into getting the U into a better league to ultimately benefit the students who weigh less than 240 lbs and run the 40 in over 10 seconds?

The real question is:

Do the University’s athletic programs offer a net gain for average students, in lowering their tuition, when all the added student fees to pay for the athletic departments are factored into the costs?

The University of Utah boasts $14.7 million dollars of revenue from their football program. However, they include student fees as revenue. Chris Hill told Utah Stories that all revenue currently goes back into the athletics programs and it will until the University of Utah does a lot of work upgrading for the next five to ten years. University of Utah Public Relations Director Remy Barron says while students don’t see a lower tuition, “The biggest benefit is a degree from a PAC 12 school we believe down the road is going to be worth a lot more. Due to inclusion in this league we can attract better students better professors. And being a part of the conference will bring up the academic set to Utah.” So do better sports equal a better school?

October 2022 Events and Activities in Salt Lake and Beyond

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October

Visit any of the nearby canyons for a hike or a drive and enjoy the changing leaves and color. Logan Canyon and the Alpine Loop always put on a spectacular show. 

October

Gardner Village Witches. Scavenger hunts throughout the village are free and lots of witches will be on display. Other activities include Witchapalooza, Witches Night Out, and a Witch 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon run. Visit gardnervillage.com for a complete list of activities. 

October 15

Strut Your Mutt at Liberty Park! Sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society, this is a walk and fundraiser to save homeless pets. It will be held from 9am to 12pm. Pre-registration can be found at support.bestfriends.org. The fund raising portion is ongoing through October. 

October 15 

6th Annual Ogden Hispianic Festival. Held at Ogden Union Station, 2501 Wall Avenue from 2pm to 7pm. This is a celebration and promotion of Ogden’s Hispanic heritage along with an art and literature show. This year’s theme is “Civic Engagement & Culture, the Path to Education and Success.” The event is free and open to the public. 

October 15

Castle Valley Gourd Festival. This annual festival, started in 2001, is to celebrate the beauty and versatility of hard shelled gourds and gourd art in Castle Valley at the Castle Valley Community Lot. All kinds of gourds will be on display with gourd artists showing their work. Activities will be available for kids and adults. Admission is free. 

October 22

Pumpkin Festival at The Gateway. From 6pm to 9pm this pumpkin festival will have all kinds of hand-carved and painted pumpkins decorated by local artists on display. There will also be pumpkin painting stations, scary photo-ops, games, zombies and more. The Gateway is located at 400 W 200 S. 

Photo from Antelope Island by Golda Markosian.

October 29

Antelope Island Bison Roundup. This event is hosted each year at Antelope Island State Park and helps ensure the continued health of the island’s bison herds. Join the watch party and exposition at White Rock Bay and watch horseback riders move around 700 bison in the corrals. Crafts, games, food, and activities will also be available. The event begins at 10am

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Utah Beer Best in Nation Thanks to LDS Church?

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Photos courtesy of Bewilder Brewing Company.

What began as a fun hobby for two twenty-somethings blossomed into a thriving brewpub that as of this summer serves up its own award-winning craft beer.

“We just started home brewing with little extract kits like most people do,” Ross Metzger said of the pastime he and business partner Cody McKendrick enjoyed more than a decade ago.

But this June kicked their notability up a notch when Bewilder Brewing Company came away from the North American Brewing Association Festival in Idaho Falls with two bronze medals and a pair of golds.

Their Kolsch and ESB brews came in third place, while their Double Hazy IPA and Wee Heavy beers both took first.

“As far as I know, we’re the first national gold medal winner in Utah to get a gold for that style of beer. That’s a pretty big deal for us,” Metzger said of their super-hoppy IPA. 

Getting the gold for their Wee Heavy beer also felt significant, Metzger said, because it resulted from a collaborative effort with Strap Tank Brewery in Lehi.

Cody McKendrick, Ross Metzger, and Justin Field of Bewilder Brewing.

“It’s a Scottish ale with high-alcohol content. We did an extended boil that kind of caramelizes the sugar and darkens the color of the beer,” Metzger said, noting that the process “makes for a really long brew day.”

“So we did part, Strap Tank did part, then we mixed the beers together, fermented it and ended up winning a gold,” Metzger said.

But Metzger noted that he’s equally proud of the bronze honors their Kolsch and ESB beers received.

“Those are traditional-style beers that are fairly nuanced,” Metzger said. “And they’re our core beers ― what we have on tap all the time.” Not to mention they’re gluten-reduced, he added.

The nonprofit North American Brewers Association formed in 1996 to “secure beer’s role in our culture and society through the advancement of brewing quality and consumer education.”

The organization’s list of this year’s winners included 138 breweries from 22 states who nabbed a total of 288 awards, with Utah boasting 17 brewmakers and 51 medals.

Utah’s thriving craft brew industry seems stunning coming from a state where the predominant religion frowns on consuming alcohol. 

But Metzger said he’s not surprised by Utah’s quality of production.

“(Alcohol) laws are influenced by the LDS population, obviously, but it’s actually driven Utah to make a little bit better beer,” Metzger said, recalling the state’s former 3.2 percent alcohol law that lawmakers lifted in November 2019. 

“You couldn’t brew a beer on tap over 4 percent in volume,” Metzger said. “When you’re limited to that, you have to have really good production and technique to make good tasting beer with really low alcohol.” 

445 S 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT

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Botany and Booze and More Salt Lake Foodie News

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Botany + Booze @ Red Butte Garden

The good folks at Red Butte Garden invite you (21 and over) to “spend a fun evening in the Garden learning about the plants behind your favorite spirits, distillation processes, and cocktail tasting.”

The “class” is called “The Spiritual Side of Botany” and attendees will spend the evening at Red Butte’s Garden Rose House with Red Butte’s Lead Horticulturist, Lynsey Nielson learning of the different plants behind your favorite spirits, then take a deep dive into the distillation process with Alan Scott, Co-Owner and Distiller of Waterpocket Distillery. The evening will finish up with a cocktail tasting with Crystal Daniels, Beverage Director of Post Office Place & Takashi.

The cost for the evening is $86 for Garden Members or $90 for the General Public. Click here for additional information and to register. 

Bambara Appoints New Chef

The Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City has appointed Patrick J. LeBeau as its new Executive Chef for Bambara. Here is what the folks at Bambara have to say about their new chef:

“Originally from Rochester, NY, Chef LeBeau’s love of cooking started at a young age, spending countless summers watching his grandfather cook. Ironically, the grandfather he never met was a butcher at his local grocery store his entire career; and to this LeBeau says food is in his blood. After working in kitchens for most of his young adult life, he attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts in 2012.”

“Prior to joining Bambara, LeBeau served as chef de cuisine at the 800-room Loews Hotel Kansas City, MO from March 2020, where he oversaw the restaurant operations and menu development for four F&B outlets. Before his move to Kansas City, LeBeau lived in Chicago for over six years where he served as sous chef, and later, chef de cuisine, at NoMI Kitchen, Park Hyatt, under Executive Chef Ed Sura. Here, he honed in on his charcuterie skills; mastering the process of curing meats and pickling. In 2018, LeBeau worked as a research and development chef for Home Chef in Chicago, where he worked on developing 18 recipes per week, tracking nutritional values, menu analysis and staying on top of food trends.”  

“LeBeau’s philosophy when it comes to creating menus and recipes is to let the ingredients speak for themselves and to not overcomplicate the food. He strives to provide the best products using what’s in season and local to the region, served in an approachable yet interesting way using a variety of flavor profiles. When he’s not at work, LeBeau can be found exploring new hiking trails with his girlfriend and Corgi, scoping out breweries in town, golfing, and spending time in nature.”

Stay tuned to Utah Bites for updated Bambara menu information. 

Fenice Closes

I was really bummed to hear from its owners of the closing of Fenice Mediterranean Bistro in downtown SLC. The final dinner service at Fenice was held on Saturday, August 20th and then this notice was posted on the restaurant’s door:

“8/21/2022 Dear Fenice Patrons and Supporters. Due to the many challenges facing small businesses in the current economy, we have made the difficult decision to cease operations.

There are many factors involved in our decision, and while our business levels were not consistent, we didn’t adequately anticipate how difficult it is to staff the restaurant in the current economy. We simply don’t have enough help to operate successfully.

We will take some time to re-assess the business to determine if it is feasible to continue operations at a later date. We thank you for the support you have given us and wish you all the best. Please come visit us at our Park City restaurant, the Silver Star Café. Thank you, The owners and staff”

Owners Lisa and Jeff Ward were dealing – as are many restaurateurs – with staffing shortages, skyrocketing food and labor costs, road construction, being handcuffed by the DABC with a 21 and over liquor license, plus a myriad of other challenges. She told me that she and the Fenice staff “are heartbroken.” She added, “No one did anything wrong; it’s just the times we are in and a weird economic climate at the moment.”

Jeff and Lisa offered all of their staff jobs at their sister restaurant, Silver Star Cafe in Park City and are working to help them find positions at other SLC restaurants. According to the National Restaurant Association, 90,000 restaurants across the U.S. have closed permanently or long-term as a result of the pandemic. Fenice was an excellent restaurant with top-notch service, a stellar ambiance, and outstanding cuisine – a short-lived, bright star that flamed out far too soon. I’m sad to see it go. 

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Food writer Ted SchefflerOriginally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine & travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers.

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Five Things in Utah That Need To Go

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5 things in Utah that need to go. Illustration by Dung Hoang.
5 things in Utah that need to go. Illustration by Dung Hoang.

#1 Lack of affordable housing

A friend of mine recently vacated an apartment in hopes of finding another where she didn’t have to pay a shared $1,400 rent for a two-bed, two-bath unit. Unfortunately, she hadn’t done her homework, or she would have known that Salt Lake County’s apartment vacancy rate is at an all-time low of 2 % and that the average rent for that size in Utah’s capitol city was $2,157 in February 2021, according to Rent.com. Now, she’s couch surfing with friends and is afraid she might be homeless.

Her fear is not unfounded. Since the 2020 Covid lockdowns, rents have increased sharply as demand has outpaced supply. That’s despite record numbers of apartment unit building permits ― 6,672 units in Salt Lake County last year ― a recent report by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute found.

The short supply and end of Covid-eviction bans last year preceded landlords imposing hefty hikes.

“People cannot find places to rent,” said Paul Smith, executive director of the Utah Apartment Association. “In some cases, renters are giving notice to leave and then asking their rental operators if they can extend their stay because they can’t find a new place to live.”

Utah’s tight apartment market isn’t expected to see relief until 2024, when more units come available. But what will happen to those squeezed out before then? Experts say this is leading to a new wave of homeless, who largely were surviving before the Pandemic, but now find themselves struggling and paying up to half of their income for shelter.

“People are getting priced out of living in Salt Lake County,” said Glenn Bailey, executive director of Crossroads Urban Center, a food pantry and low-income advocacy group. “There are no affordable places to live, and it’s getting worse. We are already seeing a new rise in homelessness.”

#2 Poor Air Quality

Anyone who has taken a trip down the Cottonwood canyons to the Salt Lake Valley, either in winter or summer, has seen it ― the thick, pea-soup blanket of pollution we all breathe.

And, as more people make the Beehive State their home, Utah’s air quality is getting worse with more vehicles on our now clogged highways. Our poor air has long been a favorite complaint of locals and tourists alike, and is a point of contention when it comes to finding solutions.

In the past two years, the Salt Lake City metro area recorded several times the worst one-day air quality in the world, according to IQAir, a Swiss-based air quality technology company. The main causes were smoke from raging Western wildfires, the population boom and the shrinking of The Great Salt Lake.

How can the tide be stemmed? Some recommend looking toward the Utah Transit Authority (UTA). The agency scored a hit with February’s ride fare-free month. Taxpayers might want to insist the goal is not to make money for the state coffers but to reduce deadly smog and make public transit available for all in convenient ways.

We also need more bike paths and walkable communities. But I wouldn’t hold your breath if you expect Utahns to give up their beloved Subarus, minivans and SVUs, even as more electric or hybrid vehicles are available. As long as we don’t have the gridlock of Los Angeles (yet), we will continue to attract those seeking a less-hectic pace, although we are catching up fast, leading to more, you guessed it, dirty, harmful air.

#3 State-Run Liquor Stores

If ever Utah had an untapped cash cow to generate money for necessities like education and wish-list favorites, they are our state-run liquor stores. 

Say all you want about the predominant Mormon religion trying to retain control over and prove disdain for alcohol consumption, but those days are ending, or need to. It’s not 1993 anymore. That’s when I ventured here sight unseen after college and found out the wrong way that wine and spirits aren’t available at the few-and-far between outlets on Sundays and major holidays. What a shame, and a loss for such a potential money maker. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still has clout when it comes to the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) running the nearly 50 stores throughout the state. But why hold on to this monopoly when the sale of booze could be privatized and that money could be partially used for priorities? We are not a land of mostly teetotalers anymore, and we might as well make spiked hard lemonade out of lemons rather than squander this opportunity to use increased booze sales to finance something the state and our children desperately need. Dare I propose cutting our infamous classroom sizes?

#4 Crowded Classrooms

Ranked in 2020 as having the most cramped classrooms in the nation, Utah’s elementary schools have 24.2 students per classroom, as opposed to the ideal size of about 15-20 pupils, according to the National Education Alliance. 

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau found that in 2021, baby loving Utah retained its title as the youngest state, with roughly 28% of the population being between 0 and 18. That certainly puts a crimp in the quality of learning, lawmakers continually say, and, although the Legislature has proposed classroom-size caps, no statewide standard exists.

Jennifer Boehme, a former teacher who is now executive director of the Utah Education Association, said it is too expensive to simply hire more teachers and build more schools.

She suggests parents get more involved by volunteering in their kids’ schools.

Expect lawmakers to take on this issue again next year.

#5 Dangerous Drivers

Long-known to have some of the worst drivers in the US, Utah now has a startling and troubling trend ― the escalation of wrong-way drivers and ensuing accidents, fatalities and injuries. Many of us are alarmed by this and want to find out why this is occurring?

In 2021, QuoteWizard analyzed millions of insurance quotes in determining which states have the worst drivers, and Utah came up as No. 6. The factors evaluated were:

  • Accidents
  • Speeding tickets
  • DUIs
  • Citations

Utah law enforcement agencies say antisocial behaviors sparked in part from the reopenings after the Covid lockdowns are leading to more aggressive driving, increased road-rage incidents, excessive speeding over 100 miles per hour, and more people running from police officers when stopped.

Sgt. Cameron Roden, public information officer for the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP), says the majority of wrong-way wrecks involve impaired drivers, even though the state lowered its legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to .05 percent in 2017.

“We’re still having way too many people out there drinking and driving,” Roden said. “If you drink, don’t drive, and make your plan well in advance so that you will have a sober ride home.”

Distracted and reckless driving also are on the rise, with the penalties recently increased by the Legislature for drivers who speed over 100 miles an hour.

Other mentions: As more people flock here and we grapple with growth, we face new challenges and problems that should be at the forefront, not placed on the back burner like some of the issues described above. 

    1. The Inland Port: Is this the wave of our economic future, or will it cause more havoc to our air with all of the semi-trailer trucks?
    2. No abortions in Utah: As one of the trigger states that all but banned abortion following the reversal of Roe V. Wade, how far will the state go to fight Planned Parenthood and other abortion-rights groups?
    3. Canyon Controversy: Should we reduce traffic to the Cottonwood canyons with gondolas? This debate is heating up and pitting neighbors against each other.
    4. Shrinking of the Great Salt Lake: Is it possible to turn back time, and how is this affecting the ecosystem?

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How More Bicycle Infrastructure Could Help Solve Our Affordable Housing Crisis

Salt Lake City’s Inland Port: From Bad to Worse

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POP-UP POWER: Enchanting Epicurean Arthur SLC

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A couple of weeks ago my wife and I had the good fortune of meeting Alexa (Lex) Finch at a hospitality industry wine tasting event. Lex and her chef husband Kevin are the brains and talent behind a pop-up dining series being held in SLC this summer, called Arthur. The series is hosted at one of my favorite restaurants – Nohm – on selected Saturday and Sunday evenings, including upcoming dinners this weekend, August 13 & 14, and on August 27 & 28. On those evenings the Finches and their talented team will take over Nohm and turn it into the stage for an enchanting epicurean event that has foodies around town salivating. There’s been no shortage of buzz about Arthur and, thanks to Lex and Kevin’s generous hospitality, my wife and I were able to experience the power of this pop-up ourselves last weekend. 

Kevin Finch hails originally from right here in Utah – Sugar House, to be precise – but has an impressive resume that began when he was fifteen working at The Grand America and includes cooking in Michelin-starred houses of the holy such as Maaemo in Oslo, NYC’s Betony, Ensue restaurant in Shenzhen, and – most impressive to me because Dominique Crenn is a hero of mine – as Chef de Cuisine at San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn. We are lucky to have Kevin and Lex – who handles marketing for Arthur – back in town. I hope they plan to stick around, although I know that Kevin has a cooking residency coming up at a restaurant in Paris in the fall. 

Arthur is ingredient-driven cuisine of the type you might find at a modern Parisian bistro once they’ve moved beyond steak frites and coq au vin. The ingredients are sourced locally when possible, and dishes are paired mostly with wines from domestic independent boutique winemakers. There are two tasting options: a 7-course dinner priced at $120 per person or a 4-course dinner for $65. There are also add-ons such as caviar service and optional wine pairings priced at $55. Note that a 20% service charge is automatically included in the ticket pricing. According to the folks at Arthur, this is “to ensure we can pay everyone an EQUAL and ABOVE fair wage ($25 an hour). Including ourselves, everyone in the restaurant makes the same hourly wage, and we are proud to pay people what they deserve. Our goal is to offer this among full benefits and healthcare for everyone whenever we open a brick & mortar (if that is in the cards).”

Chef Kevin Finch & Log Haven’s Peter McAllister

It’s a testament to Chef Finch’s expertise, experience, educational skills, and affability that cooks from restaurants such as Log Haven and others are lining up to assist and learn from him in the Arthur/Nohm kitchen during the pop-ups.  

BBQ Oyster

Our Arthur experience began with a pair for each of us of fresh barbecued Kumiai oysters from Baja, Mexico, which were lightly kissed with herbaceous nasturtium, fermented red currants, and oyster liquid emulsion – a light and delightful way to kick off our meal.

Rye with Trout Roe

The oysters were followed by a heart-shaped sourdough rye waffle with dollops of homemade crème fraîche and topped with trout roe, fresh tarragon, dill, and chives. A seven-course dinner can be a daunting affair and we appreciated that Arthur started out with scrumptious, but diminutive-size portions which allowed us to enjoy each course without having to hoist the white flag halfway through. We’ve attended all too many lengthy, multi-course dinners in which we felt – as my old pal Tony Bourdain use to put it – “food f**ked.” The pacing and portions during Arthur were spot-on. 

Tomato & Melon

Next up was a lovely summertime “soup” of compressed fresh melon and heirloom tomato with a splash of fish sauce, lime juice, olive oil, and topped with chopped barbecued dragon tongue beans. I really loved the unexpected touch of oil. With regard to produce, meats and such at Arthur, I was told that “No vegetables or proteins are bought from any large corp or unknown warehouses. We buy all of our produce at the markets or farm directly. We have been building relationships with farmers that we hope to hold and are happy paying the higher price for a better product that is their livelihood. Our chicken or beef is also from regional farms supporting our local economy. Our fish is purely from the Pacific; we believe that to serve sustainable food going beyond that ocean is out of the question. This ensures the fish is fresh and only flown once rather than flying 3-5 times before coming to Utah. We trust our purveyors at Fourstar to only deliver the best quality fish that is consistent, delicious, sustainably caught, or farmed.” In addition, they said “The distinction between regional vs ‘local’ is important. We do work with local Salt Lake farms but we expand that across the state and across the Western US/Baja which is why we use seafood from the Pacific. The goal is to minimize our footprint while sourcing and serving the best ingredients we can, as responsible as we can.”

Summer Tart

Chef Finch’s French kitchen skills really came to the fore with his Summer Tart course. It is a homemade pâte brisée base topped with finely minced summer squash, Comté cheese, and pickled onions glazed in a roasted corn stock, with a corn and saffron sauce. The rich, luscious saffron flavor was a revelation – a tart like no other. Note the whimsical plate it’s served on; Lex Finch collects dinnerware from places like local D.I. stores and garage sales to help put a unique spin on each Arthur dish.

King Salmon

A small fillet of King salmon was so lightly kissed by heat that the near-sashimi fish had an almost pudding-like texture, served with grilled and pureed eggplant and bathed in a silky brown butter sauce that was poured onto the plate tableside by our superb server. “Melt-in-the-mouth” may be a cliche overused by food writers but it is totally apt to describe that sensational salmon.

At one point during our Arthur evening, I was discussing with Chef Finch how sometimes the simplest food preparation can magnify a cook’s ability or lack thereof. Specifically, I was thinking of roasted chicken. A roast chicken is one of my favorite things on the planet, and pretty easy to do, yet I’m continually amazed at how many restaurants screw it up. I almost always order roasted chicken when I spot it on a menu since if the kitchen can’t get that right, I’m not too interested in anything else they might have to offer. Well, Chef Finch’s roasted chicken was stupendous. It was easily the most tender and juicy chicken I have ever gotten my lips around – wok-roasted breast cut from the bone, served with a simple but superb chicken jus made with wine, shallots and mustard greens, and served with mustard greens from Frog Bench Farms and sorrel from Keep It Real Vegetables urban farm. This dish was the very definition of simple yet sensational. 

Blackberry Almond Chocolate Crumble

Coming into the home stretch, we enjoyed a light cucumber granita with panna cotta and strewn with fresh marigolds. That was followed by a killer dessert: blackberry-almond-chocolate crumble made with Amano Dos Rios 70% cocoa dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic and sprinkled with more shaved chocolate. Hints of orange and cinnamon in the Amano chocolate blended beautifully with the blackberry and almond flavors of this remarkable final course. 

If you dine out only once the rest of this summer, I strongly encourage you to do it at Arthur. You still have a couple of weekend opportunities left in August before Nohm is scheduled to close temporarily for a remodel and Arthur packs up for the fall. A reservation and payment in advance is required and you can book online through Tock.

Photos by Ted Scheffler

Culinary quote of the week: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf

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Food writer Ted SchefflerOriginally trained as an anthropologist, Ted Scheffler is a seasoned food, wine & travel writer based in Utah. He loves cooking, skiing, and spends an inordinate amount of time tending to his ever-growing herd of guitars and amplifiers.

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