Authors: Esther Merono
The Ching Holiday Haven
This is the story of Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary and its 12th annual Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner. In 1998, Faith and Mike Ching bought five acres in Herriman, Utah to provide a safe haven for animals headed to the slaughterhouse and, eventually, your dinner plate. Executive Director Faith Ching explains, “We try to educate people on how farm animals have exactly the same emotional needs as cats and dogs.” … read more
The Walking Battleground of Rape: Voices of Survivors
Shocking, emotional, heartbreaking, but most of all, empowering, Jane tells her story of being sexually abused from the age of two in the recent community art project, Voices: Stories From Survivors of Sexual Violence. This unique audio/visual installation created by sisters Liz and Sarah Coleman in partnership with The Rape Recovery Center features recorded stories of ten survivors of sexual violence compiled in a beautiful work of art. … read more
Blue Plate Diner
Since 2000, Blue Plate Diner has been a favorite of local scenesters of every age. Owners John Bouzek and Tamrika Khvtisiashvili attribute the unique diner’s style to falling in love with an old 1940s soda fountain in Salina, Utah while they were passing through on a road trip. Inspired, the two combined their fondness of mom-and-pop cafés and appetite for authentic American cuisine with Bouzek’s cooking skills, and Blue Plate was realized. … read more
Fresh
Adding a little plaid and pizzazz to the yuppy Ninth and Ninth district, Helen Wade-Joice and her brother, Ian Wade, are the proud owners of Salt Lake City lifestyle-inspired clothing boutique, Fresh. Having opened up shop in July 2009, Fresh offers a perfect blend of your favorite modern apparel brands with a sprinkling of local flavor. Fresh defines Salt Lake City style—bet you didn’t even know there was such a thing. … read more
Salt Lake Bicycle Collective
Part of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective’s mission is to create good memories for every child. Jonathan Morrison, the Collective’s Executive Director, is dedicated to this cause and sees his role as a dot connector in the process. Though the Collective’s pedal pushing programs and volunteer-based bike shop have become integral to the local community, Morrison attributes the community’s influence as the driving force behind its creation and development. … read more
This Will Destroy You
Perhaps it’s blasphemy, but Texas-based This Will Destroy You are what I imagine god would sound like if he were real and in an instrumental rock quartet. Their name may be just as pretentious as that statement, but once you hear any of the powerful tracks off their upcoming album Tunnel Blanket, to be released May 10 on Suicide Squeeze, it’s clear This Will Destroy You are not feigning ambition. … read more
The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of SaltCycle
Neglected in dark closets, rusting alongside chain link fences and perhaps even torn apart and piled into boxes, the bicycles in this city have suffered a long, lonely winter as their owners set them aside. As cuffs slowly rise with the temperature, so do thoughts of smooth saddles, glistening cranks and spinning spokes. Like lovers reunited, the fair-weather cyclists mount their steeds and hit the salty streets in droves. Here to organize the enamored masses and spread the love is SaltCycle. … read more
Bikes & Booze
Whatever your preference, it can’t be denied that bicycles and booze make quite the pairing, and it just so happens that this salty city of ours knows how to keep the beer brewing and the pedals pumping in harmony. Whether you’re a hard-core pedal pusher or just a fun-lover looking to add a little endorphin rush to your weekend boozing, read on. … read more
Put on Your Birthday Suit: Fresh Turns Two
Operated by the lovely sibling duo of Helen Wade-Joice and Ian Wade, Fresh calls the bustling 9th & 9th district home and offers Salt Lake’s young men and women an affordable, local alternative to the corporate cookie-cutter clothes you find at the *gag* mall. Fresh has survived in this cutthroat economic state to see two years worth of clothing walk in and off their racks due to the owners’ dedication and insight. … read more
Fuckin’ Fixies: Sam Allgood FGFS Profile
Get off the road. Get some gears. Get a brake. Sam Allgood hears it all as he rides his fixed gear bike, and what does he have to say about it? “Brakes will just slow you down.” So without further ado, here’s SLUG Mag’s first interview with a fixed gear freestyle rider. … read more