A gang of artists, armed with heart and gall and tools from Harbor Freight, threatens to diversify Provo, Utah, with fine art, coffee, haircuts, tattoos, and community events. They’ve taken over the tired midcentury building located at 156 West 500 South and have turned it into a parlor of sorts, a source of golden light and galas and monthly drawing sessions with nude models. T … [Read more...]
Uncovering the Mystery of Utah’s Oldest Person
July, 1963: America is uneasy. As American schoolchildren are enjoying the hot summer, the country as a whole is reeling from the effects of the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis is a recent memory. In four months, the President will be dead. In this time of uncertainty, the oldest person in the world was largely dissociated with what was happening. This supercentenarian … [Read more...]
Inside Heroin Addiction and Homelessness in Salt Lake City
If a lighthouse were planted on Lookout Peak above Salt Lake City, you could trace the lambency of its beacon in a southwestern direction down the mountainside, across the polished spires of the Mormon temple, through the glass façade of Vivint Arena, and finally into the Block, where the light would disperse and settle like falling snow. The Block is the gathering place for … [Read more...]
Young Living Farms Wacky Somalian Adventures
Sultan Yusuf Ahmed Salah of Somalia recently posted a YouTube video in which he claims that Young Essential Oils Founder Gary Young visited Somalia to test resins from their rare Frankincense trees and write about his journey. According to Salah, Young promised to provide charitable donations to establish health clinics and money to train teachers. Young Living Farms’ legal d … [Read more...]
Quitting Her Day Job: One Utah Artist’s Journey
Eighteen months ago Heather Ackley was working for Franklin Covey doing design work. In May of this year she had her first solo art exhibit at Mod a-go-go. From one point to the next how are dreams fulfilled? For Heather, it happened when a friend commissioned a portrait of her dogs. Heather’s first inclination was to do a drawing of the dogs, but the friend suggested she t … [Read more...]
Meet Moab’s 92-Year-Old Trail Runner
The Mill Creek Trail on the south side of Moab is a popular hike for tourists and locals alike. Longtime Moab local, 92-year-old Jean McDowell, has regularly hiked this trail for the past 30 years. Just above the trail, McDowell lives in a house with a façade of river rocks the size of cinder blocks. There are no river rocks this size anywhere near Moab. When Jean built her h … [Read more...]
Utah’s Didgeridoo Maker
"First Woman took the didgeridoo, pointed it towards the night sky and blew through it. She filled the universe full of stars." --Australian folk legend. With the didgeridoo, cosmic time and cultural time are pretty darn similar. It’s sonorous deep drone has been called the “voice of the Earth.” Anthropologists believe Australian aborigines have been using this wind instr … [Read more...]
Ogden’s Gift House Pawn Still Thriving
Every editor knows a magazine is only as good as its sources. Thus far I have found there is no better source than men with long, white beards. The length of the beard is usually proportional to the breadth of their wisdom. This is why Moses (of the Old Testament) is always portrayed with a beard down to his knees. Scott Vanleeuwen’s beard reaches the top of his c … [Read more...]
Castle Creek Winery and Wine Making in Utah
"Move Over Napa Valley!" recalls lifelong Moab resident Arlis Roberts. “You couldn’t believe the excitement.” It was the early 1980s and the first four years of the Four-Corners Agricultural Development Agency of Moab. Vineyards sprouted up all over Grand County. The agency hoped to soften the blow of the uranium mill closure on the 1,500-resident town. Ken and Arlis Roberts we … [Read more...]
West High Students Check Out Chess
Playing chess improves your mental capacity and leads to higher academic performance. Maybe. It could be true. Some folks believe it. But who cares? Playing chess is just plain fun! Welcome to West High, the chess powerhouse of Utah. The sixty members of the chess club play during their lunch periods, after school and at state tournaments. The West High team has won … [Read more...]