To be Papa Noel at Navidad it is necessary to live Papa Noel for the other 11 months of the year...... Christmas Present For the third year I have had the joy of appearing as Papa Noel for school kids and residents of Cajamarca. This year I started the day at an upscale private school where kids pulled out their cell phones to snap a selfie with the fellow in the red … [Read more...]
A Backyard Becomes One of the Top Acoustic Music Venues in Salt Lake
Title : “Kris' backyard has become one of the top acoustic music venues in Salt Lake City.” - musician Marv Hamilton On Sunday afternoons at her Millcreek home, Kris Thorne hosts top music acts from Utah and beyond. Chairs are set up in her yard, a band arrives, people socialize, potluck dishes are shared, and a crowd settles under spreading shade trees for great time … [Read more...]
The True Problems of Life: an Escaped Billy Goat
We spend so much of our time worrying about events that may or may not happen. I assure you, most of our problems do not compare with that of an escaped billy goat. The street on which I live is a major route for farmers to bring their livestock to the slaughterhouse. In Peru, there is no antiseptic isolation of farm animals and people. You often see sheep in the parks p … [Read more...]
Arley Curtz: Pipe Making and Memory Collecting
For Arley Curtz, a pipe is more than just a way to smoke tobacco. It summons up a time when pipe smoking was both acceptable and part of a gentler civility in our culture. Curtz is a pipe maker and collector of smoking pipes. He has over 300, ranging from simple corn cobs to handmade antiques. Each one has a story. As the smoke from a pipe curls upwards, it allows Curtz a … [Read more...]
Sherlock Holmes in Salt Lake City
A young writer is facing a blank page. What to write about? He's got it! A detective solving a case involving murder revenge, sexual predation … and Brigham Young! Throw in as a sidekick, Dr. John Watson, late of the Afghan Wars, and you have the makings of A Study in Scarlet. And the detective? None other than the esteemed Sherlock Holmes with the mailing address 221B Baker S … [Read more...]
Tuition Free Classes for Seniors
If 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 … [Read more...]
Dale Myerberg – Yo-Yo Man
For Dale Myerberg, the graffiti greeting “Yo, man, Yo” gets tweaked to “Yo-yo man.” Dale is a yo-yo master. The simple spool and string invention has enabled this SLC native to perform shows around the world. But most importantly, Dale says the yoyo has provided the means to achieve his life’s ambition. “I always wanted to be a kid when I grew up,” he says. A recent perfo … [Read more...]
The Art of Tombstone Engraving
Pictures fade. Memories vanish. Stone stays. A person's tombstone will far outlast their brief time on earth. Names, dates, thoughts - "They will last hundreds of years, easy," says Justin Daniels of Salt Lake Monument. Located across from Salt Lake City Cemetery, the shop has been carving tombstones since 1890. Justin has been a stone artisan for 20 years. … [Read more...]
University of Utah Body Donor Program
The dead help teach the living through the University of Utah Body Donor Program. Last year, over 200 individuals chose to donate their bodies to science. Kerry Peterson, who directs the program, said the reason for doing so is unique for each individual, but the common thread is altruism. “We have had a person as young as 13 and as old as 108 donate their bodies. People s … [Read more...]
Sew Right in Millcreek
Welcome to Sew Right, the base camp for women (and a few men) who like to sew. The venerable Millcreek store has seen several generations of children and adults learn the art of needle and thread. Stacie Henry purchased Sew Right this month, and she says, “I’m excited to invest in our community and continue having such a great creative outlet.” One aspect that will remain … [Read more...]