City Cast Salt Lake

Latest Episodes:

What It Really Means To ‘Disagree Better’ Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Gov. Spencer Cox is asking Utahns to “Disagree Better” in an effort to cool down our politics. But what if conflict is actually the good stuff? Host Ali Vallarta asks Utah Valley University professor and conflict specialist Dr. Maria Blevins what the Governor’s campaign gets right and what it’s missing. Plus, tips for when Salt Lakers are feeling feisty — whether with a state legislator or a friend.

Resources and references:

Gov. Cox’s Disagree Better Initiative

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Epic Brewing

Marathon Closures, 2 Downtown Visions, and Summer Symphonies Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

The Salt Lake City Council explored some big ideas this week, from reimagining a historic train station to dissecting a new sports hub downtown. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means weigh how the proposals could shape the city’s future. Plus, beware of the marathon traffic this weekend, and add these good-weather events to your calendar.

Resources and references:

Video of Arizona Coyotes fans chanting [X, formerly Twitter]
SLC Marathon closures map
Could This Plan Revive SLC’s Rio Grande Station? [City Cast Salt Lake]
SLC Council’s Rio Grande District slide deck
SLC’s Biggest Opportunity, According to the Mayor [City Cast Salt Lake]
Downtown sports and entertainment district, Part I: City to prepare master plan with virtually no public input [Building Salt Lake]
Could the Jazz Leave Downtown SLC? [City Cast Salt Lake]
How We Got That Twilight Lineup [City Cast Salt Lake]
HEAL Utah’s Earth Day Jordan River pedal and pick
Barbie the Movie in Concert with a live symphony
20th Anniversary Deer Valley Concert Series

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Embodied Patience posture and movement
The Governor’s startup.utah.gov toolkit

Salt Lake’s Unknown Power Players Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

Behind every sweeping decision affecting our day-to-day lives is a table full of unfamiliar yet influential faces. In part one of a two-part series, host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means introduce four powerful Salt Lakers you’ve probably never heard of and explore their impact in our communities.

Resources and references:

Did You Blink and Miss This Change to How We Choose Judges? [City Cast Salt Lake]
How Would Salt Lake Fare in a Recession? [City Cast Salt Lake]
Wunderkind takes over LHM Sports & Entertainment, years after Miller hired him in an elevator [Deseret News]
Vision for the Future with Ryan Starks [Silicon Slopes]
Directing SLC with a careful touch: Cindy Gust-Jenson takes nonpartisan approach to guiding City Hall [Salt Lake Tribune]

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Embodied Patience posture and movement
The Governor’s startup.utah.gov toolkit

De-Clined! Hockey Starts October? And 6,759 Potholes Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

Controversial Utah State Board of Education member Natalie Cline got the boot at the Salt Lake County GOP convention last weekend. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means analyze what the outcome says about Salt Lake Republican delegates. Plus, the Arizona Coyotes NHL team is Utah-bound, U of U basketball star Alissa Pili heads to the WNBA, and SLC is busy patching potholes.

Resources and references:

Natalie Cline to lose Utah school board seat after Salt Lake GOP nominates Amanda Bollinger [Salt Lake Tribune]
Everything we know about the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah [ESPN]
Billboard Wars, Did SLC Catch a Coyote? And Consignment Strategies [City Cast Salt Lake]
What Utah star Alissa Pili represents to the basketball fans who flock to see her [The Athletic]
Report a pothole to Salt Lake City.

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Embodied Patience posture and movement
The Governor’s startup.utah.gov toolkit

How We Got That Twilight Lineup Apr 16, 2024

Show notes

The just-announced lineup for the Twilight Concert Series heralds the return of outdoor music season in Salt Lake. Will the same sad boys take the stage this year? Will Sartain, co-founder of S&S Presents, joins host Ali Vallarta to explain how his team selects artists, clarify the profit situation, and entertain the future of the Kilby Block Party.

Resources and references:

Get tickets to the Twilight Concert Series in Ogden and Downtown SLC after 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16
Get tickets to the Kilby Block Party
Listen to the 2024 Twilight Concert Series Playlist and get to know the acts [Spotify]
Sad Boy Concerts, Banning the Bible, and a Transit Conundrum [City Cast Salt Lake]
How To Be a Good Concert Goer [City Cast Salt Lake]
Why Salt Lake's Hottest Dance Party is Taking a Break [City Cast Salt Lake]

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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Embodied Patience posture and movement
The Governor’s startup.utah.gov toolkit

So You Wanna Open a Restaurant in SLC? Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

It seems like every day in Salt Lake, one restaurant opens and another closes — or transforms from a dive bar into a cocktail lounge overnight (looking at you, Junior’s). So, what does it take to survive in Salt Lake’s food scene? Maxwell Christen, owner of Big Mouth Marketing, joins host Ali Vallarta to explore how important identity and adaptability are in a restaurant’s longevity.

Resources and references:

Go Eat At These Restaurants Now [City Cast Salt Lake]
Why Utah Restaurants Aren’t Getting Michelin Stars [City Cast Salt Lake]

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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Embodied Patience posture and movement
The Governor’s startup.utah.gov toolkit

Billboard Wars, Did SLC Catch a Coyote? And Consignment Strategies Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

The Billboard Industry reigns supreme in Utah, with signs for Minky Couture and colorful scriptures blocking our scenic mountain views. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means break down how cities accommodate billboards and question if they’re really so bad. Plus, is Salt Lake suddenly getting its NHL team? And, tips to clean out your closet for earnings.

Resources and references:

‘Monstrosity’ on SLC’s 300 West emerges as a symbol of ongoing billboard battles [Salt Lake Tribune]
You can’t unsee Salt Lake’s billboards [City Weekly]
Why Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith is hellbent on bringing an NHL team to Salt Lake City [The Athletic]
Video: Grizzlies fans throw trout on the ice
Can a Hockey Team Help Save the Great Salt Lake? [City Cast Salt Lake]
Arizona Coyotes pledge fealty to Phoenix [X, formerly Twitter]
Jackson County, Mo. voters reject stadium tax for Royals and Chiefs [KWCH]
Send us your “Dear Abby”-esque questions for our commencement episode! Email saltlake@citycast.fm or call/text (801) 203-0137
Consign your clothes at Name Droppers or IconoCLAD

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Go Eat At These Restaurants Now Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Tired of eating at the same Cafe Rio every week? Salt Lake has a ton of delicious places to try besides your usual haunts. Kendall Rodriguez, TikTok’s Queen of SLC, joins host Ali Vallarta to share five restaurants worth trying this spring, as well as what to order and a little trend forecasting.

Resources and references:

Ogden may have the best “Main Street” in the Country [KSL]
Two Salt Lake Lake City chefs progress to James Beard finals [Gastronomic SLC]
Why Utah Restaurants Aren’t Getting Michelin Stars [City Cast Salt Lake]

Restaurants mentioned:

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How Safe Is SLC’s Tap Water? Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

The federal government recently awarded Salt Lake City a $39 million loan to replace our lead service lines, which has us wondering: Is there lead in our drinking water? Laura Briefer, Salt Lake City Public Utilities director, joins executive producer Emily Means to alleviate our fears and separate fact from fiction when it comes to what’s coming out of the tap.

Resources and references:

Salt Lake City Public Utilities Lead and Copper Program.
Take the Salt Lake City Public Utilities lead pipe survey.
What the Eyes Don’t See [Penguin Random House]
Do you have lead pipes in your home? [NPR]
2023 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report.
Identify what year your home was built using the SLC Parcel Assessor.

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Can Salt Lake Really Pull Off Another Olympics? Apr 09, 2024

Show notes

Members of the International Olympic Committee are visiting Salt Lake this week before almost certainly awarding us the 2034 Winter Games. City and state leaders — and most Utahns! — are super hyped on the prospect of bringing another Olympics to our state. But not all SLC residents are convinced we need a do-over of the ‘02 games — including host Ali Vallarta. Catherine Raney-Norman, a four-time Olympian and chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, makes her case for bringing the Olympic dream back to our city.

This episode originally aired April 25, 2023.

Resources and references: