November 2016

One piece of legislation easily stood out in the long list of bills from the 2016 Utah state legislative session. At first glance it seemed rather progressive. Though only a resolution, SB 14 called for state action in “eliminating the achievement gap …

Utah’s hospice for homeless people, only the second in the nation, assures that no one needs to die “alone, on the street” in Salt Lake City. Of all the ways a human can die, “alone, on the street” has got to be one of the worst. Yet, on average 50 peo …

This spring would have been my 10-year anniversary of abstaining from meat. At about 12 years old, I gave up meat for Lent after seeing a classic PETA video. My fast from meat lasted longer than 40 days because I was learning more about the harm done t …

I am always on time for my life. Say this to yourself any time you feel stressed or anxious. Then say it any other time you can. Say it repeatedly in sets of 100. Reinforce that this is your life happening, and that plans and life are always different. …

A good acquaintance of mine—his name’s not Matt, but he’s asked that his real name be withheld, so let’s call him Matt— was having a generally hard time with the pressures of modern American life. Matt has a good job, strong health, decent finances, an …

It’s hard to know where to begin. I’m overseas, currently in France, writing this on the Sunday before the US Presidential election, and by the time it’s published on Wednesday morning, November 9, the results of the election will be in, and the next p …

In 2005, pianist Jana Hanatova  went through a personal life changing experience that inspired her to want to give back to the community. “Music heals, motivates, breaks down language barriers, and allows us to express our emotions about the joys and s …

After long negotiations and compromise agreements hammered out between stakeholders, the Wasatch Accord plan for the Wasatch Mountains is under attack by the Republican challenger of incumbent Salt Lake County mayor Ben McAdams. GOP candidate Dave Robi …

A federal judge rejected a “Finding of No Significant Impact” for oil drilling in wilderness-quality land located in upper Desolation Canyon on the Green River. The judge found that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) failed to consider cumulative impa …

Based on an analysis by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Governor Gary Herbert has identified areas of Utah that fail to meet ozone pollution standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ozone causes health risks to the heart …

Friends of Cedar Mesa failed to block a controversial sale by the Utah State & Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) of a section of Comb Ridge near Bluff, Utah that lies within boundaries of a proposed Bears Ears National Monument. The …

The National Park Service is seeking public scoping comments in order to develop a new Visitor Use Management Plan for Zion National Park. “Visitation to Zion National Park has been increasing for decades, but especially significant increases have been …

There are too many cows on Western public lands, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In 2013, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mysteriously stopped reporting grazing impact data and PEER sued BLM to release the mis …

Provo Mayor Jon Curtis threatened a veto after the Provo City Council voted to add a capacity charge to rooftop solar systems that would have made the cost of energy from rooftop solar impractical. Environmental advocacy group HEAL Utah says the City C …

There is no one particular, specific astrological explanation for Hillary’s loss or Donald’s win. Of course, some astrologers will point to one or another stellar alignment as the reason for the outcome, and some of those sky watchers are likely to be …

There’s nothing easy about the personal or collective tension this week, which is why patience, perseverance and persistence are key for handling the flux, whether those oscillations are physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. But those three P’s of …

Previously on Tiny House: The electrical, plumbing and composting toilet are in place, but with a sudden move to Washington state on the horizon for Michelle, finding a place to park it becomes a hassle. A week after I break up with my boyfriend, my br …

When students at Honeybee Nature School get dropped off in the morning, they come dressed for the weather—rain, shine or snow. For the first hour, sometimes two, these little kids won’t have a roof over their heads. Instead they’ll be jumping into free …

Libbi Malmborg and Markell McCubbin are well aware of the current buzz words in education: social emotional learning (a focus on classroom cooperation and empathy), inclusive environment (mixing children with various “abilities” and ages), project-base …

A monthly compendium of random wisdom for the home, garden and natural world. NOV 1 For the next couple weeks, we lose an additional three minutes of daylight every day. The rate then gradually slows; by the end of the month, it’s down to only one per …

Intuitive patterns for November 2016. Osho Zen Tarot: Fighting, Existence Medicine Cards: Blank Shield, Fox Mayan Oracle: Organic Balance, Ben, New Myth Ancient Egyptian Tarot: Princess of Disks, Princess of Wands, The Empress Aleister Crowley Deck: Ac …

In trying to meet the standards for No Child Left Behind, Utah lawmakers started looking for holes in the state’s education system. Where and at what point were students beginning to fall behind in core subjects like math and reading? The question took …

Growing up in Montreal, Canada Valerie Gates learned to speak both English and French and later in life, while traveling through South America in her late teens and early 20s, she picked up her third language, Spanish. Knowing what it’s like to express …

Fall is the dusk of the seasons, and, oh boy, is our sky alight with beautiful sunsets! Now is a time for drawing in, resting, storing the energy of those sunlit summer days in your roots, and preparing for the wonders of winter. Taoists mimic nature a …

What’s new around town. Utah’s first art therapy studio opens in Millcreek While adult coloring books and “wine and paint nights” are trending, one of three Utah board-certified art therapists say they are “poor substitutions for the power of art thera …

With a persistent national achievement gap between black and white students, questions about how to improve the quality of education for African Americans continue to pester educators like Karen A. Johnson, Associate Professor of African American Studi …

New practice to Utah: Neurofeedback recalibrates your brain where it’s getting stuck. I am not a therapist,” Maya Myozen Hill reminds me. She is actually an ordained zen monk and former fashion model who grew up in Switzerland. Although I am not averse …

Vitalize Community and Healing Arts Studio. Over the past six years, the Vitalize space in Sugar House, across from Whole Foods, hosted an intriguing range of events: a Sunday morning “come as you are” meditation group. A feminist film series. Yoga, of …

A diagnosis of cancer and the experience of equanimity, then gratitude. Last July, I had the good fortune to sit an 18-day meditation retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County, California. After 28 years of attending Vipassana retreats I …

Education and the act of educating, it’s all so complicated. Is the most important moment in a child’s successful development when they sound out their first words? After all, research from the Foundation for Child Development suggests that “the founda …

Things that nourish the soul. I’ve been reading Michael Pollan’s essential Cooked (2013: Penguin), while I take mass transit to and from work. Mass transit, as in I transit my mass/ass by walking, while I read. It’s just over a mile, but enough for me …

Environmental news from around the state and the West. How can you expect the birds to sing when their groves are cut down? – Henry David Thoreau The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has refused to issue energy leases purchased by author Terry Tempest W …

I’ve stayed mainly silent on the bloviating of the two presidential candidates. Not until Mr. Trump blamed locker room talk for his vapid sexist dialogue did my temper snap like a wet towel. I have been a frequent user of locker rooms since age 15, whi …

While adult coloring books and “wine and paint nights” are trending, one of three Utah board-certified art therapists say they are “poor substitutions for the power of art therapy as led by a certified art therapist.” Early on in her career, Morrell re …

Like what Bike Utah is doing? Consider supporting the non-profit’s noble goal of increasing bicycle ridership in Utah by becoming a member. Besides that warm fuzzy feeling, member benefits include discounts from participating bike shops. Join before ye …

As recent as 1966, nearly 45% of students walked or rode a bicycle to school and only about 15% caught a ride in a family vehicle, said Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah. Today, those numbers are almost the exact opposite. Sarnoff is on a m …

Last month the United States Post Office issued a new Forever stamp in honor of the Hindu holiday Diwali, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil that spans five days each autumn. This year Diwali began on the eve of October 30. Some consider Di …

By the time you read this, our community may have a few more good ideas on how to improve air quality along the Wasatch Front. The $45K Utah Clean Air Innovation Contest, ending November 2, called on innovators, inventors, engineers and any creative pe …

Utah Community Action is a multi-faceted agency that helps low-income individuals and families overcome obstacles towards self-efficiency. Their annual Thanksgiving program titled “Stuff A Tummy” provides Utah families with resources for experiencing a …

Clever Octopus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creativity and environmental awareness, is opening a “creative reuse center” in downtown Sugar House. The specific location, to be announced soon,  will include a resale warehouse for reclaimed mate …