September 3rd, 2008
Salt Lake’s “Afternoon Buzz” Publication: Suspended
Publishers of the free news tabloid known as the “Afternoon Buzz” are suspending publication due to tight economic conditions. The Buzz lasted less than a year. It was published Monday through Friday and was distributed in downtown Salt Lake City and near busy transportation spots. The Buzz was funded by the Salt Lake Tribune and Media One.
From the publication’s website: “It’s been a short but sweet run. If the Buzz comes back, we hope you’ll be along for the return ride.”
Related Link:
The Afternoon Buzz (official site)
Media outlets across the United States and some in various parts of the globe have reported on the collapse of Utah’s iconic rock formation known as “Wall Arch.” The arch was one of the most popular and most photographed arches of Arches National Park, which is located near Moab. Park officials believe the arch collapsed during the evening Monday, August 4th. No one reported seeing the arch fall. Wall Arch is not to be confused with the more widely recognized “Delicate Arch,” which has been used as an icon for Utah license plates and other signage and memorabilia. Arches National Park preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, as well as many other unusual rock formations.
Utah residents enjoyed two morning balloon launches at Sandy City’s Storm Mountain Park this weekend. Most of the balloon owners chose not to launch during Friday morning’s event as the wind was a bit too rough. Despite the lack of launches, spectators still enjoyed watching crews inflate the balloons. Organizers invited everyone to walk on the field near the balloons in order to take photographs and to ask questions of crew members. The weather was more accomodating on Saturday morning, when several balloons flew over Sandy neighborhoods.
Athletes at Alta High, Bingham High and Jordan High will have artificial turf on their home football fields this fall. Work crews have taken away the sod at the schools, and have replaced it with a synthetic grass. I spoke with a turf-laying team at Alta High School. They said savings from a decrease in watering will benefit the schools, but the primary reason for the switch was to turn the football fields into multi-use facilities. They say the fields will now be suitable for lacrosse, soccer, marching bands and other activities. It is true that portions of the sod fields got quite rough and uneven after football games that were played in the rain.
Utah’s four-day work week initiative for state employees is getting quite a bit of national coverage. CNN Money.com, TIME Magazine and USA Today are just some of the publications that feature articles about Utah’s new plan. Beginning August 4th, Utah will become the first state to mandate a shortened work week for many state employees. The schedule will run from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday through Thursday. Governor Jon Huntsman Jr’s “Working 4 Utah” program is designed to save taxpayers $3 million annually in utility costs. There’s no doubt that many leaders in other states will be monitoring news from Utah in the coming months.
USANA Amphitheatre offered a great triple-bill concert last night: Cheap Trick, Heart and Journey.
Many of Utah’s cities host annual celebrations. It’s fun to watch the many home-grown parade entries, ranging from cloggers to retirement home buses. Spray bottles have been a common sight at the parades for years, as group leaders walk next to marching bands and dancers, occasionally creating a cool mist for the participants as they walk in the hot sun. From time to time you might see the bottle carriers gently spraying spectators who’d asked for some relief. Nowadays you’ll not only see mist-creating bottles, but also a great many of those mega-soaker-type water cannons. If you’re not paying attention to vehicles as they both approach and depart, you might get doused by several little leaguers with menacing expressions, who hunker down on flatbed trailers next to large canisters of water. It seems that watching a community parade now requires defensive maneuvers, at least if you want to protect your camera and your corneas.
The group, “Utah for Obama” had a very impressive entry in Murray’s annual 4th of July parade. Enthusiastic supporters of the presidential candidate marched alongside a large Barack Obama likeness that could be seen from quite a distance. As the group approached my vantage point, spectators seemed confused about a person in a scary clown costume [photo inset; top-right]. The clown had a sinister grin and pointy teeth–probably too intense for little kids who were watching the parade. The character seemed to accompany a demolition derby car, and it was probably a couple of spots ahead of the Obama entry. As a result, people were mentioning both entries at the same time. The situation must have been confusing for children. I heard one child talking about “the scary Obama clown.”
Utah has new welcome signs for highway entrances to the state in 29 different locations. The Utah Office of Tourism and the Utah Department of Transportation are replacing older messaging that highlighted the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The new signs involve seven unique illustrations “…that evoke a nostalgic era of motor travel while promoting Utah’s stunning regional iconic imagery. [Utah Office of Tourism description]”