Thistle, Utah— Having driven for nearly 20 minutes in this town, the appearance could best be described as charmingly post-apocalyptic. There are many abandoned homes and former farm facilities. A few totally flooded roadside residential properties now serve as a rest stop for ducks and habitat for fish. The rains have made the pastures rich and lush, the hills are dotted with A … [Read more...]
Foreign Figures: A Utah Band Reaching the World with Its Music
Foreign Figures isn’t your everyday band. They came together with a mutual desire to share their message of hope to the whole world. Lead singer Eric Michels explains, "We talk about bringing positivity, and that is important to us, but it's not like all of our songs are 100 percent upbeat and positive. A lot of the lyrics I write and some of the feelings you get from our songs … [Read more...]
Glass Images & Creations
How do you know when a piece of art is complete? The answer may come easier when a painting hangs on a wall, or when a sculpture sits on a table. But when a piece of glass constantly changes throughout the day according to the light, the process may be more involved. “Stained glass is the only art form that plays with the sun,” says glass artist Jerry Lynn. “With stained glass i … [Read more...]
King Pong: The Utah Native That Started Atari and 20 Other Companies
Many heroes go unsung, but rarely does a legend go unsung. Nevertheless, such is the case with Nolan Bushnell. A Utah native, Bushnell has been credited by Newsweek Magazine as one of the “50 Men Who Changed America” for his role in launching the video game industry with the founding of Atari in 1972. One would think his name would be more known to the average Utahn. Born in … [Read more...]
Megaplex Theatres: Utah’s Choice Cinema
Utah is not only a popular destination for many Hollywood filmmakers, it’s also one of Hollywood’s biggest financial cash cows. Along the Wasatch Front, many theaters rank in the top of the nation for highest earnings on blockbuster movies such as Harry Potter, Twilight, and Pirates of the Caribbean. These theaters are part of a local enterprise: Megaplex. Larry H. Miller’s M … [Read more...]
Downtown Provo: Rejuvenated
People born within the last fifty years may have little memory of when a city’s downtown boasted a unique mix of culture and identity. Thanks to shopping malls and big box retailers, many of the downtowns across Utah serve as ghostly reminders of once-thriving districts of commerce. Empty sidewalks, “For Rent” signs and crumbling facades are instead commonly seen. But one cit … [Read more...]
Taking Over: Utah Millenials in the Workplace
The Millennial generation operates on a different wavelength. Though an official birth year is debateable, anyone born in the 1980s and ‘90s is a “Millennial.” The Internet, smartphones and social media have changed the way Millennials communicate as well as the way businesses operate. Millennials embrace a new approach to starting and running a business. Aaron Zundell of Nor … [Read more...]
Peaches or Patios: Suburbs Pressure American Fork Land
Population growth and housing development are strong, brotherly winds that Utah farmers have leaned into for years. They’re as relentless as the passage of time. “You can fight it, but you can only fight it for so long,” said Randall Ercanbrack, a fifth-generation farmer in Orem. “When you get surrounded, the pressure is too great. There are too many obstacl … [Read more...]
Lavender Fields of Deceit?
Driving into Mona, Utah on I-15 the fragrance of fresh lavender through an open car window is enchanting. Just fifteen minutes from all of the construction madness in and around Utah County, remnants of road-rage and stress fade away as the vast expanse of farms begins to unfold. From early spring through September breathtaking rows of majestic purple lavender extend like a … [Read more...]
Suburban Sprawl in Utah– its effect on Utah Farmers
Freeway projects and growth along I-15 are gobbling up Utah's family farms For the past 15 years a mass migration has been underway from the Eastern to the Western United States. Detroit, Pittsburgh and Chicago have all had population declines while Tucson, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City and Provo have seen significant population increases. A major reason for the western … [Read more...]