In 2018, Jennifer Drummond had a life-changing accident. While driving from Heber City to her home in Park City, she was hit by a semi. Her car rolled three times and landed upside down in the median. She remembers seeing a man running toward her and asking if she was okay. Her first thought was to ask about anyone else involved in the accident. The man told her that she was … [Read more...]
Do We Need to Ruin Local Economy to Support “Indigenous Renewal”?
We don’t need to ruin the area’s local economy under the guise of a sanctimonious indigenous renewal, which will only result in providing the federal government greater powers in landlordship. There is a better alternative than locking up land under greater federal control for improving the land’s viability both economically and environmentally. A major part of this idea … [Read more...]
What are those Take-a-Book Leave-a-Book Boxes You’ve been seeing in Sugar House all about?
In our wonderful, whimsical, walkable Sugar House, among my favorite things to discover are the take-a-book leave-a-book boxes known as Little Free Libraries. These are small, sidewalk adjacent book houses eagerly waiting to share their contents with a passerby. They may be simple or elaborate, small or roomy, no-nonsense or fanciful. They may reflect the personality of their … [Read more...]
Hidden Utah
It’s more fitting than ever that our annual “Hidden” issue is delivered when a sinister, hidden threat has gripped our country, leaving our leaders and the media scared and irrational. In our ensuing panic it is now estimated by the New York Times that as many as 40% of our nation’s small businesses could close this year. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the real threat … [Read more...]
Sewing for Lives: 11,000 volunteers are sewing mask covers
“I was just thinking to myself that it’s crazy that we’re in a position where we may not have the necessary ‘personal protective equipment,’ (PPE)” says Megan Jansen, Registered Nurse at Salt Lake Regional Hospital and founder of Sewing for Lives, “How are we going to protect our patients if we can’t even protect ourselves?” Wanting to help her healthcare family during this … [Read more...]
Embracing Life: From Teenage Drug Addiction to Happily Ever After
Among a bustling and energetic crowd, Br’ette V. and her husband Trevor recently occupied two auditorium seats at Dixie High School in Hurricane. They waited to see their young son Chantz and his class perform at a Christmas dance recital. As the children performed, the two watched with complete adoration. First grader Chantz stood on a milk crate and swayed to a Disney song. … [Read more...]
Keira Shae: Writer Survives the Unimaginable
While other children were enjoying their summer breaks, Keira Shae recalls how she was being repeatedly raped by the 18-year-old son of her mother’s then-boyfriend at the age of eight in Utah County. It wasn’t the first time she and her siblings were sexually, emotionally, and physically abused, as she wrote in her memoir, How the Light Gets In, published in 2018 by BCC … [Read more...]
Starry Starry Night: Dark Sky Parks and Research Flourish in Utah
One of the great delights of a camping trip, or better yet, living in one of Utah’s remote places away from the lights of the larger cities, is looking up on a clear night to see the sky filled with stars. Staring into the dark sky, punctured with points of light and maybe the glowing brushstroke of the Milky Way, can be inspiring, humbling and exhilarating. It is … [Read more...]
The Other Side Academy: A Home for Recovering Addicts and Criminals in Salt Lake City
“We’re a family here. We’re all about connection. If addiction is disconnection, recovery is reconnection.” —Dave Derocher. I recently had the chance to meet with Dave Derocher, executive director of The Other Side Academy, a home for recovering addicts and criminals in Salt Lake City. I greeted him in their home-base building, a historic mansion located in east downtown. … [Read more...]
How To Beat The Virus Without Feeling Like a Prisoner
On Sunday, I was sitting at home with Nemo, my cat, minding my own business and practicing social isolation. (How’s that for an oxymoron?) As a single man, I’m accustomed to being alone, but I am not good at being forced to participate in the sort of unprecedented paradigm shift into social disintegration we are experiencing now. I had two options: Stay at home and fret … [Read more...]