The Killers 

BEST NARROW ESCAPE FROM ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE
ntttDelta Air Lines SLC hub
nttIt was looking pretty dicey for Salt Lake City’s largest air carrier this past December and January, as US Airways launched a hostile takeover bid that would have left the future of the local hub in question. But creditors rejected the takeover attempt, and in February, a bankruptcy judge approved Delta’s own reorganization plan for exiting bankruptcy. For the moment the hub appears not only safe but is actually increasing direct flights.nn

BEST CIVIL SERVANT PROTEST
ntttOgden Police Officer Matthew Jones
nttFreedom of speech: Don’t think it applies to you if you draw a government paycheck. When Ogden police officer Matthew Jones questioned whether the number of traffic citations written should be part of an officer’s pay-raise evaluations, he didn’t do so quietly. “Welcome to Ogden City, home of [Ogden Mayor Matthew] Godfrey’s Ticket Quota,” read a sign on a moving van driven around town by Jones’ wife. The fact that Jones was placed on administrative leave that same day for an “unrelated matter”? Purely coincidental, of course.nn

BEST REPUBLICAN Readers’ Choice
ntttJon Huntsman Jr.
nttHandsome in that toothy, all-American way that goes so well with slogans and pin buttons, and a master of spin and tactics when it comes to getting his way with the Legislature, the Guv seems to land on his feet in most endeavors. Although his passion for multiple overseas adoptions might strike some as odd, somehow it works into the packaging of a progressive, caring Republican that seems to be the way forward for the GOP, if last year’s election results were any indication.
nt2. Orrin Hatch
nt3. Keith Christensennn

BEST LOW-INCOME ADVOCATE
ntttAnti-Hunger Action Committee Director Bill Tibbitts
nttAdvocacy is all about the voice. Listen to Bill Tibbitts talk about the impact of bus fare hikes on the poor or discuss the Republican agenda when it comes to the future of Medicaid, and there seems no room for argument or debate. The quiet, constant passion of his tones leaves you convinced this is the only problem and this, the only solution. His penchant for slightly geeky dress'a bulky yellow jacket stood out in the Capitol during the legislative session like a beacon'seems only to add to his beguiling humility. His is a determination that seems unstoppable in its quest to give voice to the voiceless.nn

BEST REASON TO VOTE DEMOCRAT
ntttState Sen. Scott McCoy
nttIn the run-up to the November 2006 election, The Salt Lake Tribune’s endorsement of health insurance guru Dr. Joe Jarvis over Democrat incumbent Sen. Scott McCoy for Utah Senate District 2 suggested to some he was in danger of not holding on to his seat. Underpinning Jarvis’ universal health-care platform was the long-held argument that a vote for Democrats in a Republican-dominated Legislature was a wasted one. Voters, however, didn’t agree and returned McCoy. In the last legislative session, McCoy fought the straight-gay club ban, sponsored a constitutional amendment for basic, affordable health care, and got five pieces of legislation passed. His political confidence and the respect he earned in the Legislature underscore that a vote for Democrats like McCoy is far from wasted.nn

BEST USE OF THE WORD “SYCOPHANT”
ntttRocky Anderson’s War Protest Speech
nttWhatever your qualms are about Salt Lake City’s roving Mayor Ross “Rocky” Anderson, the controversial politician deserves mad props for sticking to his guns during an anti-war protest last August. Disgusted with the administration and its misguided policies, Anderson more or less called President Bush a fawning parasite. That’s not to say his speech relied on schoolyard taunts'far from it. Anderson shouted, in meticulous fashion, what many believe but are too afraid to articulate.nn

BEST POSITIVE USE OF UTAH LIQUOR LAWS
ntttRiverton Gets a Utah State Liquor Store
nttSince there are only three Salt Lake County liquor stores south of 2100 South and west of Interstate 15 (!), the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was actually mandated by the state in December to build a new store to service the citizens with a perfectly legal substance, even though the Riverton City Council is vehemently opposed to having a hooch hut in its fair city. “They are a commercial venture for the state of Utah, but they do not have to follow any of the rules other commercial ventures follow,” Riverton Mayor Bill Applegarth told the Deseret Morning News. “That’s of great concern to me.” Yeah, tell us about it.nn

BEST CAMPAIGN SIGN RECYCLING
ntttPete Ashdown
nttXMission founder Pete Ashdown, Democratic challenger to Utah’s incumbent-senator-for-life Orrin Hatch, fought the good fight and came closer to victory last November than many expected, and you may have noticed that his campaign materials did not list a specific year: Hold on to those lawn signs'Ashdown may take another run at it.PAshdown.orgnn

BEST CAMPAIGN FOILER
ntttSatan, Re: John Jacobs
nttRepublican 3rd Congressional District candidate John Jacobs’ assertion that none other than Satan was thwarting his primary campaign against five-term Rep. Chris Cannon may have ultimately sunk him last election season, but when it hit Drudge.com, it at least generated some funny blog chatter: “The devil is impeding his efforts? How self-important can you get?” was answered with “Bush sent Laura out to campaign for [Jacob’s] opponent'Chris ‘Open Borders’ Cannon'so maybe it’s the ‘devil in a blue dress’ he’s talking about.”nn

BEST POWER BROKER Readers’ Choice
ntttJon Huntsman Jr.
nttHe shot down nukes in the west desert not once but twice, sweet talked the Legislature into putting money in schools and resurrected a soccer stadium deal everyone thought was dead. Junior’s best power play may yet prove to be going against the Utah grain to endorse John McCain for president over golden boy Mitt Romney. Not that we subscribe to the conspiracy theory that McCain was brainwashed in Vietnam to run for president as a “Manchurian candidate” and Huntsman is his Chicom handler. Then again, Huntsman does speak Mandarin …
nt2. Larry H. Miller
nt3. Dave Checkettsnn

BEST USE OF POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT FAUX STUPIDITY
ntttSalt Lake County Republican Party Chairman James Evans
nttIn his speech at an Aug. 30, 2006, anti-Bush rally, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson accused pro-war Republicans of “slavish, blind obedience” to President George W. Bush. James Evans wasted no time in purposefully misinterpreting the mayor, saying, “I can’t believe he just called me a slave,” and demanding Rocky’s censure by the City Council. When a Washington, D.C., mayor fires a staff member over his use of a racist-sounding but innocent word, it might just possibly be attributed to ignorance'but Evans is too smart to think he can get away with acting stupid just to make political points.nn

BEST LONE DEMONSTRATOR
ntttLarry Bergan
nttIt’s one thing to march en masse against George W. Bush during an anti-war rally in downtown Salt Lake City. It’s another, several months before the war rally, to get out on the streets carrying a sign demanding Bush’s impeachment'by yourself. Bergan has walked 400 miles up and down Salt Lake City streets over the past four years making his lone protest against the U.S. war in Iraq. Now he stands on street corners collecting, he says, as many thumbs up as he does birds. The 54-year-old out-of-work optician has lost three signs to irate citizens but that hasn’t stopped his urgent sense of civic duty one iota. He’s Utah’s last angry man, it seems, and we’re all better off for him.nn

BEST CHILD SUPPORT
ntttGuardian Ad Litem
nttGuardians, state-appointed attorneys who represent children in court cases, often find little favor with the right or left. But spend time watching then-GAL (now Commissioner) Anthony Ferdon, one of boss Kristen Brewer’s 31-strong legal crew, and you’d see passion in action. It became clear quickly that a GAL at the top of his game has only one thing on his agenda: looking after children betrayed by the one love that should have protected them. While a GAL can’t undo that betrayal, he or she can at least help ensure it doesn’t happen again.

BEST TAX DOLLARS IN ACTION Readers’ Choice
ntttEducation
nttWe’re not sure what readers had in mind here. It might be the 2007 Utah Legislature’s belated investment in public schools'including money for all-day kindergarten, significant teacher salary hikes and smaller class sizes. Then again, readers might have preferred the Legislature turning around and creating the nation’s largest taxpayer-funded school voucher program for private schools, a move seen by some public-school backers as a slap in the face. Either way, there’s no doubt education tax dollars are in action. It’s just likely to be of the smackdown variety.
nt2. TRAX
nt3. Real Soccer Stadium

BEST REASON TO DRINK
ntttDistilled Water Cleanup of Radioactive Sludge Near Colorado River Is Delayed Till 2028
nttWe’ve known for years about the radioactive sludge piled on about 130 acres outside Arches National Park near Moab. The area’s reserves of uranium were mined in the ‘50s for use in nuclear bombs. The sludge comes from a uranium mill bought by Atlas Minerals Corp. in 1962 which later closed in 1984. In 1998, the company filed for bankruptcy and put a temporary cap on the pile. The sludge cleanup near the Colorado River'which provides drinking water for millions of people in the West'was supposed to be done in 2012. Now, due to Energy Department budget constraints, it may be pushed back to 2028. Gee, and we thought President Bush liked the good people of Utah who resoundingly voted for him.

BEST CALL TO HARPS
ntttBad Brad Wheeler’s
nttHarmonica ArmyMost people forget their dreams, some write them down. Few, however, actually act on visions that seem so odd in waking life. Bad Brad Wheeler nearly shrugged off his REM vision of harmonica players gathering en masse until Grandma wised him up. The dream, she said, is a call to action. Wheeler, perhaps Utah’s most proactive bluesman with a weekly KRCL radio show, gigs with his band The Legendary Porch Pounders, student music lessons and a homemade cigar-box guitar operation at home, rallied the troops to help break an unusual record: 2,500 harmonica artists playing in unison for five minutes. While Wheeler didn’t quite meet his goal, he managed to convince 1,200 people to fill Ogden’s Lindquist Field to fulfill one man’s “harp” dream. Watch for a second attempt this spring.nn

BEST RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY
ntttCarbon County
nttIf you’ve had it with the religious divide, move here. Settled by mostly European coal miners, this is one of the few rurals areas outside Salt Lake City to elect Democrats to the state Legislature. With no majority religious group, it’s not unusual to find members of the Mormon Bishopric at the ultra-modern Lutheran/Episcopal church enjoying spaghetti dinners. And they join the Catholics, Southern Baptists and Greek Orthodox to support community festivals.nn

BEST UTAHN Readers’ Choice
ntttMatthew Minkevitch
ntt“There’s this family in the shelter,” Road Home director Matthew Minkevitch says. “The father’s 7-year-old was having a rough time with switching schools three times in a year. She was throwing a tantrum, and he was taking a breather. He wasn’t talking about his tribulations but instead was being so understanding of hers. He’s such an inspiring parent. The rest of Salt Lake City will probably never get the privilege to know him.” That’s Minkevitch in a nutshell, consumed by the passion, the humanity of every life he touches, and that touches him.
nt2. Rocky Anderson
nt3. Jon Huntsman Jr.nn

BEST CELL PHONE SYMPHONY
ntttSalt Lake DMV
nttAs anyone renewing their auto registration or changing titles knows, you’re in for a long wait at the Salt Lake City DMV. To keep those in line from rioting, rows of seating have been provided, allowing 100 or so people a place to kick back and read Tolstoy’s War and Peace, knit sweaters for a family of eight and/or talk and text on their cell phones. In fact, so many ringtones and realtones sound as to create a symphony of sorts. Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go” competes for dominance with D4L “Laffy Taffy.” Henry Mancini’s The Pink Panther theme counterpoints Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Brothers theme and the strains of The Black Eyed Peas “My Humps” add compelling tension to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.” As the Mission Impossible theme rings in, you hear your number called, and on you go.nn

BEST LAWYER FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
ntttJanet Jenson
nttHere’s a former Merrill Cook staff member gone good. Jenson has taken on many of those good-government “lost” causes often for that warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. That’s pro bono to you outsiders. In 2000, she drafted Initiative B forbidding asset forfeiture against innocent owners. Now, she is taking on Questar for trying to force consumers to foot an upgrade bill. Next? Perhaps on to the voucher fight.nn

BEST MAYORAL CANDIDATE WHO’S NOT RUNNING
ntttSoren Simonsen
nttHave you been looking for another Salt Lake City mayor who can kick ass? Well, Soren Simonsen could be the one'although he’s not running with the pack. Simonsen, elected to the Salt Lake City Council to represent District 7 in 2005, is an architect who “brings many years of professional experience and advocacy for sustainable and livable communities,” according to his bio. He stood up and fought the rest of the council to preserve the Sugar House master plan after the council voted to allow buildings up to eight stories high. Now the merchants have been evicted, and Simonsen is helping form a task force to keep watch over the evil developers. Stay tuned.nn

BEST “TOO MUCH INFORMATION” CAMPAIGNING
ntttLaura Black
nttIn Utah, you almost can never go wrong by pushing how much you value them family values. But the Democratic challenger for a Sandy state senate seat ventured into awkward territory with campaign literature boasting her “pro-life” bona fides. She herself had once faced a high-risk pregnancy, a mailing to voters announced, and she opted not to terminate, even at the risk of her own life and leaving her other children motherless. Wrenching though a choice of that kind must have been, was the public airing of such a personal crisis really necessary?nn

BEST HISTORIC BULLDOZERS
ntttPark City Council
nttThe city runs the risk of losing historic status for “Historic Main Street” due to years of plunking down new, ugly tourist-pleasing malls on top of turn-of-the-century buildings left over from the one-time mining town. Historians warned Park City officials in December that the town’s Main Street Historic District could be dropped from the National Register of Historic Places unless the city took measures to preserve old buildings that are left. But officials'basking in the glow of development dollars and primping for Sundance celebrities'told the historians to take a hike. Nothing like success to ruin a good thing.nn

BEST DEMOCRATIC SCANDAL
ntttRob Weyher
nttThis year’s guilty plea to alcohol-related reckless driving and attempted assault on a police officer wasn’t a disqualifier for the chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party. This is Park City, after all. But his political high jinks had some Democrats red in the face. When Christine Johnson and Josh Ewing entered the primary for the safely Democratic House District 25, it provided Utah Democrats one of the few opportunities of the year to fight one another. And fight they did. Weyher, a Johnson supporter, took it upon himself to telephone Ewing’s boss at PR agency Love Communications offering to pay Ewing’s campaign expenses if he would drop out of the race. Weyher initially defended his actions, saying since phone records showed his call came from Denver, he was out of jurisdiction of Utah law enforcement. Eventually, however, he pleaded guilty to prohibited election activity, a misdemeanor. Weyher survived all the bad press to retain his chairmanship.nn

BEST DRESSED HAWK
ntttPaul T. Mero
nttWalk into the conservative think tank The Sutherland Institute with its bank of windows overlooking Temple Square, and you find out the devil doesn’t only have the best tunes but also the sleekest offices. Sleek is an adjective that might well be applied to Sutherland’s President Paul T. Mero. His pinstripe or black Italian suits and choice Italian loafers reflect a predictably conservative but nevertheless sharp, natty sartorial style. His wife, he admits, buys his clothes and cuts his hair. But it’s Mero who chooses his striking power ties that dazzle with their reds and golds. Mero’s dress sense seems just as smooth as the Sutherland’s official talking points, showing that even with his threads, Mero stays on message.nn

BEST FUND-RAISER
ntttHogle Zoo
nttPatrons across the street at This Is the Place Monument always suspected there were raucous parties going on at the nonprofit Hogle Zoo. And at least for one evening a year, they’re right. For its fund-raiser, the zoo scatters bars and food from valley restaurants around the zoo itself. Patrons sip wine while watching the animals or human entertainment, like fire-eaters, before dancing. Decadent? Perhaps. But the combination of a stiff drink and monkeys scratching themselves is a sure recipe for party. 2600 Sunnyside Ave., 582-1631, HogleZoo.orgnn

BEST CAMPAIGN GAFFE
ntttChurch-Romney Plotting
nttNo need to worry a Mormon U.S. president would take marching orders from South Temple. So the backers of Mitt Romney tell us over and over. So what were Romney political operatives doing meeting privately with a church apostle in a LDS Church building? The official explanation is that LDS officials were explaining why they couldn’t help the Romney campaign'a little something to do with the separation of church and state. But an intercepted e-mail told a different story about a plan to use church-owned BYU’s business school alumni chapters throughout the country as building blocks for a Romney run.nn

BEST BOXING PROMOTER
ntttRep. Greg Hughes
nttIn one corner is the state’s athletic commission, which regulates prize fighting. In the other is a state lawmaker, a Republican from Draper, who also is part owner of welterweight Chris “Kid Kayo” Fernandez. Claiming the athletic commission favors ultimate fighting over boxing and upset that regulators suspended the promoting license of Fernandez’s trainer, Rep. Hughes has proposed replacing the athletic commission with a new sporting authority whose members would be picked by lawmakers.nn

BEST BARNEY FIFE IMITATION
ntttMatthew Godfrey
nttOgden’s mayor became an amateur flatfoot after upset city cops took to the street in protest of their wages being tied to a ticket-writing quota. After spotting a van being used as a mobile protest billboard, Godfrey followed it until its driver was picked up by another car, then phoned in the license plates to the city’s police chief. The plates came back registered to an Ogden police officer, who was placed on leave within hours in an action city officials insisted had nothing to do with the mayor’s junior G-man stint.nn

BEST PROMISE KEEPER
ntttLohra Miller
nttSoon after taking office as newly elected district attorney of Salt Lake County, Miller shelved the case of a school cop charged with shooting an unarmed man. She dropped the case at the request of police whose support she heavily courted during her “Ask a Cop” election campaign. We must wait to see what happens when it comes time for the district attorney’s office to get new digs. One-third of Miller’s campaign cash came from employees of a single downtown developer. The employees all received mysterious $2,000 “bonuses” just in time to turn around and donate the money to Miller’s campaign.nn

BEST TAX SHELTER
ntttDixie Anne Leavitt Foundation
nttThe foundation run by the family of former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, now a member of President Bush’s cabinet, allowed Leavitt to take $1.2 million in tax write-offs thanks to the foundation’s charitable donations. Luckily for Leavitt, most of the foundation’s money was spent on Leavitt family businesses or real estate holdings. Leavitt himself got a loan from the family foundation, which donated less than 1 percent of its assets to charities, including a charity dedicated to the noble and tax deductible cause of investigating the genealogy of the Leavitt family. The IRS named the type of foundation used by the Leavitts to its list of “dirty dozen” tax scams.nn

BEST WALK
ntttMarshall Thompson
nttAs an Army journalist, reservist Sgt. Thompson was tasked with finding uplifting stories in Iraq to bolster the war effort. What he found was troops with serious doubts about their mission and Iraqis eager to end the American occupation, none of which he was allowed to write about. Returning to the States, the Logan native decided he needed to do something dramatic to get the truth out, deciding on a walk across “the reddest state in the country.” He completed the 500 miles from Idaho to Arizona in 21 days.nn

BEST JET-SETTER
ntttMike Leavitt
nttLet it never be said Utah’s former governor doesn’t know how to live. While President Bush’s other cabinet secretaries flew commercial, Leavitt, as the country’s Health and Human Services Secretary, crisscrossed the country on a $3 million-per-year, 14-passenger Gulfstream III equipped with leather couches. Unfortunately for a patient in Puerto Rico who needed an antidote for radiation poisoning and a New York anthrax victim, the plane was supposed to be on stand-by for emergency use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leavitt’s 19 trips on the jet cost taxpayers $72,000 over and above the $3 million lease cost.nn

BEST BAIL BONDSMAN
ntttSen. Orrin Hatch
nttWhen music industry types are in trouble they know who to call: fellow songster Hatch who can unstuck the stickiest legal problems with a single phone call. Usually, getting popped with cocaine in the conservative United Arab Emirates brings years behind bars. Not for R&B producer Dallas Austin. He was caught with coke when he entered Dubai heading for Naomi Campbell’s three-day birthday party but was sprung by a call from Utah’s senior senator. Grammy-winning songwriter Hatch and Austin share the same entertainment lawyer.nn

BEST USE OF ROSES TO SCORE”
ntttMary Kaye Huntsman Lobbying for Real Soccer
nttThe Bible advises that “it is better to live on the corner of the roof than to share a house with a nagging wife” (Proverbs 21:9). After the Missus complained about Sandy losing its major league soccer team because no one seemed willing to finance a stadium, the Guv placated his beloved by fast-tracking a deal. This after Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon already nixed the investment as being too risky for public dollars. For her “lobbying” efforts, Utah’s First Lady received 35 roses from Real CEO Dave Checketts, a rose for each million of public funding she helped secure. So while Checketts got a stadium and the Guv got to come down from the roof, Salt Lake County taxpayers also can claim they got screwed in exchange for 35 roses.nn

BEST LIBRARIAN
ntttNancy Tessman
nttShe rose through the ranks, eventually becoming director of the Salt Lake City libraries. It was her vision of a library as community gathering space, open to all, as much as spectacular architecture, that turned the Main Library downtown into the center of Salt Lake City. Tessman retires in June after 30 years at the library. We can only hope the next director'no doubt selected in a national search and coming with a resume chock full of fancy pants degrees'will do so well.nn

BEST WASTE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS
ntttThe Carpool Lane Freeway Entrance on 400 South
nttLet’s hear it for the Salt Lake Police Department for completely ignoring the drive-thru-style drug deals that take place on the corner of 200 South and 500 West near the homeless shelter. They would rather stake four to six motorcycle cops at the on-ramp to bust carpool violators. Meanwhile, the tenants of The Bridge project are scared to leave their building after dark for fear of getting tangled up in something they can’t stop. Apparently, the safety of others isn’t as important as we thought.400 South & 700 West, Weekends

BEST UTAH TWO STEPS FORWARD Readers’ Choice
ntttTeacher Pay
nttThe Legislature’s greatest love of all may be for a huge budget surplus'trying to get it to loosen Utah’s purse strings for a purpose other than a parking garage or some one-hand-washes-the-other corporate-welfare boondoggle is often a losing game. That’s why it came as such a pleasant surprise to find that, like Whitney Houston, the Legislature believes that children are the future'and the people we trust to teach them well deserve more than subsistence wages. Teacher pay is still incommensurate with teacher importance, but the long-overdue $2,500 per year raise is better than a rap on the knuckles with a yardstick.
nt2. Smoking Ban
nt3. Real Soccer Stadium

BEST UTAH ONE STEP BACK Readers’ Choice
ntttReal Soccer Stadium
nttThe taxpayers didn’t want it. Salt Lake County didn’t want it. Nobody wanted it, really, except David Checketts and that Sandy mayor who looks like the Monopoly guy'but, thanks to our friends in the Legislature, we’re all going to be forking out big-time for years to come. For those few who disagree, please at least get this straight: The problem isn’t that we don’t like soccer or that we don’t understand how exciting it is or that we’d rather watch some other sport. We just think it’s a bad idea to funnel public dollars into a private corporate behemoth owned by a guy who already has more money than God.
nt2. School Vouchers
nt3. EnergySolutions Arenann

News_&_Columns Best of Utah 2007 Media & Politics See Pt. 5 1CA7B7FC-2BF4-55D0-F1F7DA6F44BBC2E3 2007-06-11 15:19:20.0 1 1 1 2007-04-05 00:00:00.0 971 0
City Weekly Staff

BEST PUBLIC ART
Flying Objects
So much public art ends up looking like someone’s private gack abandoned on the sidewalk. However, Michael J. Bingham’s rocket-powered flying cow near the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center is really the highlight of Flying Objects, a public-art project funded by the Salt Lake Redevelopment Agency. It somehow manages to convey whimsy without burying the needle on the twee-o-meter. Long may she fly.

BEST BIKE TRAIL Readers’ Choice
Bonneville Shoreline
Not just one trail but, if you’re a true dirt-bike completist, a series of trails stretching along the whole slope of the Wasatch Mountains. If you insist on just one section, however, pick the northern Salt Lake City section, which begins on Bonneville Drive just slightly east of the City Creek Canyon road. This is a 10-mile loop that won’t disappoint, especially the heart-stopping descent around mile 5, not to mention heart-stopping views of the Salt Lake Valley if you ride the trail’s topmost portions. You’ve got plenty of points of entry to choose from, too, including feeder trails near Red Butte Gardens. Simply stunning.
2. Jordan River Parkway
3. Wasatch Crest Trail

BEST NEW WILDERNESS
Cedar Mountain
Utah enviros pushed for years to have the Beehive State’s remaining unspoiled areas protected as federal wilderness. They got nowhere until Utah’s wilderness-hating congressional delegation saw the proposal as a way to keep nuclear waste out of Utah. Rail lines needed to bring the nation’s waste to a nuclear dumping ground proposed by Private Fuel Storage aren’t allowed to cross official wilderness, you see. So just like that, Utah got 100,000 acres of wilderness called the Cedar Mountain Wilderness Area, and, maybe, a foot in the door toward a future, much larger, Utah wilderness bill.

BEST CHEERFUL URBAN DECAY
The All Star Travel Inn
Its empty pool transports the imagination to a happier time. In the 1950s or thereabouts, the sight of its magical “Kiddie’s Fairy Land,” complete with anthropomorphic bears, dwarfs and a swimsuit-lacerating concrete waterslide, must’ve done a bang-up business with road-tripping families capturing the rapt attention of every kid in the back of every Winnebago passing by. (“Can we go there?!”) The signage’s weirdly out-of-place bikini babe clinched the deal for Dad—while Mom, heaving a long-suffering sigh, searched the bottom of her purse for that last forgotten Valium. Nowadays, it mainly serves as an interesting diversion for wait-listed Red Iguana customers. 754 W. North Temple, 531-7300

BEST SNOWBOARDING Readers’ Choice
Brighton Resort
Referred to by many as the capital of snowboarding, Brighton is great for beginning and advanced boarders. Ticket prices are affordable, and you get more bang for your buck with night boarding till 9 p.m. six days a week. Brighton’s night boarding terrain is the biggest in the state with over 200 lighted acres. This boarder haven also boasts four terrain parks, a half pipe and easy backcountry access for anyone looking for a challenge. If you don’t like riding the rails, the terrain parks are a perfect place to watch other people fall and hurt themselves. But, if you need one more reason to choose Brighton, go for the nachos. Molly Green’s, a bar at the bottom of Crest and Majestic runs, offers a plate of nachos big enough to feed four and stays open late for the après-ski crowd. 12601 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon, 532-4731, SkiBrighton.com

BEST COMMUNITY SPIRIT
CLASS
What most impresses about CLASS, the nonprofit dedicated to education and the arts for all ages is the sacrifice its founders and supporters make to keep the dream alive. Part of its survival is due to the support of its landlord, local realtor Ken Chung. Co-founder Daynen McCarthy also kicks in what money he can from working nights on inbound telephone sales. His partner Lily Johnson pushes on with art classes for children and adults, as well as working with youth in custody. While grants trickle in, CLASS fight to bring arts free of charge to public schools, allowing hundreds of kids each year access to the magical world of creation. 71 W. 2100 South, 792-1925

BEST SPIN CITY
Gallivan Ice Rink
Nestled among so many tall buildings, you might be forgiven for thinking the Gallivan rink a (very) poor man’s Rockefeller Center. But, on the ice, the landscape’s corporate-soullessness slips away. In its place rises a romantic yearning for times past. As you glide around the rink, dodging the odd child determined to take your legs out from under you, it’s as if you’re starring in your own Christmas TV special, awaiting only Marlo Thomas or Melissa Gilbert to complete the effect. 239 S. Main, 535-6110

BEST SOUND OF SILENCE
Abbey of the Holy Trinity
God is not in the details but rather in the silence. At least that’s the impression you get at Ogden Valley’s Holy Trinity Abbey. Whether it’s reading in the hush of the well-stocked library or a walk in the grove on the south side, there’s a quality to the depth of the silence that’s as transcendent as the light draping itself over nearby hills. Sign up for a weekend retreat at the abbey and that silence—that connection into a deep spiritual reality—can be yours for no more than the drive out to the valley, some dish-washing and the intestinal fortitude required to survive the monks’ cooking. 1250 S. 9500 East, Huntsville, 801-745-3784

BEST MOVES
Uprok Records’ Monthly Break-Dance Competition
If you’ve been patiently biding your time, honing your Dance Dance Revolution moves in the seclusion of your mother’s basement, waiting for the chance to release the dance fanatic within, your time has come! Uprok Records holds a monthly competition for break dancers of all skill levels. With guest DJs spinning the beats, it’s time to dust those shoes off and see what you’re made of. On the floor or in the crowd, it’s an incredible sight to see these gravity-defying beat warriors practicing their skills—plus the event’s free to the public. 342 S. State, 363-1523

BEST HIP NEIGHBORHOOD INFUSION
East Broadway
It has always harbored its own unique charm of sorts, long providing a good home to such Salt Lake City staples as The Tavernacle, Salt Lake Film Society’s Broadway Cinema, Ken Sanders Rare Books and a number of Utah’s best antique shops. But, more recently, the atmospheric charm has been energized and the East Broadway neighborhood along 300 South between State Street and 500 East has concentrated its efforts to become a hip and trendy downtown locale that easily rivals the likes of 9th & 9th and central Sugar House. With Nobrow Coffee providing a virtual social hall, it’s the eccentric storefronts such as Slowtrain, Aerolab Salon and Retro Rose that offer up some rare diversity in a reputedly conventional town.

BEST URBAN FISHING HOLE Readers’ Choice
Jordan River
When the spring runoff starts running, so do the fish. Trout are planted every spring for Utah anglers and they usually go fast. Only a lucky few might snag a 3- or 4-pounder. Enterprising fisherfolk can also find bass, walleye and catfish making their way through the middle of the valley. Read up on your general statewide regulations, launch canoes or boats (no motors, please) at Oxbow Park, cast off and enjoy.
2. Provo River
3. Strawberry Reservoir

BEST SORE ARMS & LEGS
Momentum Indoor Climbing
If you enjoy muscles so sore that your arms might fall off, then Momentum in Sandy has a wall for you. When fully open in May, this will be the biggest climbing gym in the United States with 20,000 square feet of space. If you don’t mind falling or getting sore hands, there are 4,000 feet of walls and overhangs. The kiddie climbing area is designed smaller for the wee ones so they don’t get hurt on large walls. Yoga classes and cardio machines will be available to strengthen and tone. After, to gain back the calories you burned, try a sandwich or smoothie in the café. 230 W. 10600 South, Sandy, 830-4818, MomentumClimbing.com

BEST FALL HIKIN’
Grandeur Peak
At first, it looked like summer had made a premature beeline for winter, leaving hikers without fall’s brilliant foliage; crisp, smoke-tinged air; and the potential to enjoy outdoor activities sans heat exhaustion. When the cold front subsided, they made their way to Olympus Cove to conquer Grandeur Peak. Thanks to recent rainfall, the trail—which rose 2,600 feet toward the mountain’s 8,300-foot summit—was moist enough to provide solid traction as they passed through red, orange and yellow trees in shorts, T-shirts and tank tops. Perfect weather for a perfect September hike. Mill Creek Canyon, east of Salt Lake City off 3800 South

BEST PONY WORKOUT
Nayborhood Pony Farm
If you are looking for a way to tighten your inner thighs, try horseback-riding lessons here instead of a Thigh Master; you’ll feel the burn for days after! The first thing you learn here before ever getting on a horse is that everyone falls … thankfully with the small-group lessons here, you learn to do it right. Horse safety and care is emphasized. You also learn to speak the horse’s language as well as how to saddle, ride, trot, jump and do speed events. Most importantly, the instructors teach you how to be tough when dealing with an animal 10 times your size, instead of cowering in fear. Day and evening lessons are available throughout the week. 570 N. State, Lindon, 801-785-4971 & 801-623-1544

BEST PAR 3 HOLE Readers’ Choice
Nibley Park No. 9
You’ve just finished eight holes and have arrived back near the parking lot. All that’s standing between you and pro-shop beer is 167 yards, a lake and a well hit iron. If you hit the ninth green, you can feel good about the rest of the round. Unfortunately, you’ve lost all but one of your balls and know you are either going to hit into the lake, killing several of the Canada geese living there, or overshoot the green, knocking out the poor guy on the next-door first tee. Take the drop.2730 S. 700 East, 483-5418
2. Bonneville No. 9
3. Thanksgiving Pointe No. 17

BEST PAR 5 HOLE Readers’ Choice
Bonneville No. 10
Readers must be forgiven for choosing a par 4 as Utah’s “Best Par 5.” Bonneville was recently remodeled, resulting in several hole number changes. The awkward No. 10 requires a frightening bridge crossing and makes judging distance impossible due to alternating use of two greens at different yardages. We think readers were thinking of the challenging but well designed No. 5. The first shot—into a swale running down the middle of the fairway—requires accuracy. The second is blind over a hill, to the base of a two-tiered green. Hit the green too high and your ball rolls into a gully. 954 Connor St., 583-9513
2. Hidden Valley Country Club No. 9
3. Old Mill No. 18

BEST UNDERAPPRECIATED ART HUB
Salt Lake Art Center
Because it’s not a public museum or a typical art gallery, this cultural treasure sometimes gets overlooked when people think about art venues. Even City Weekly is guilty. This private nonprofit, 75-year old organization (the oldest contemporary arts organization in Utah) offers 10 to 12 art exhibitions annually from local to national and international artists free of charge. There are also 30 free Art Talks each year, a bookstore, a free resource library with Internet access and classes for at-risk kids as well as adults. So if you love visual art, we beseech thee, bring the love to Salt Lake Art Center and your eyes will be loved back in return.20 S. West Temple, 328-4201, slartcenter.org

BEST SPRING SKATING
Jordan River Parkway at 54th South
The asphalt is smooth and straight. The trees are budding. Mother ducks leading a line of yellow chicks scurry across your path, leaving wet footprints. The river is full, and makes a chortling sound. As you skate along this surprising wilderness, all your senses are entranced by spring. It’s hard to believe the suburbs surround you. Jordan River Parkway, 54th Street west all the way to Sandy, with a stop recommended at Gardner Village (bring shoes).

BEST BIG HEAD
Utah Cultural Celebration Center’s Olmec Head No. 8
Re-created by artist Ignacio Perez Solano, the replica of an Olmec head is a gift from the governor of Veracruz, Mexico, where the original head was found in 1862. Since then, a total of 17 heads, thought to represent ancient Olmec rulers, have been unearthed. The five-ton, 7-foot-tall head is only the third head given in the United States, the other two recipients being the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago Field Museum. Why such a big head, you ask? Experts believe the Olmec people were the first humans to drink chocolate. If you invented hot chocolate, wouldn’t you have a big head?1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City, 965-5100, WVC-Ut.Gov/CulturalCenter

BEST PLACE TO CHILL
Utah Olympic Oval
We make this award as a public service, reminding citizens of Salt Lake that we did once host the Olympic Winter Games, and to the host go the spoils (and the upkeep and the maintenance, but that’s a different award). The Utah Olympic Oval is an impressive edifice in Kearns that provides public skating and a venue for local hockey, indoor soccer and indoor football leagues. In addition, the oval offers the largest indoor running track in Utah, at a refreshing 65 degrees. For those who’ve trashed their bodies in performing the above-mentioned sports, the oval is also home to TOSH physical therapy. In the summer, the “fastest ice on earth” melts away for a few months, giving the local roller derby girls an oval to rumble on. All in all, it’s a pretty chill deal. We paid for it. Let’s use it.5662 S. Cougar Lane (4800 West), 968-6825, OlyParks.com

BEST DOG-WALKING Readers’ Choice
Tanner Park
The park itself is pleasant enough, tucked back against the east side I-215 belt route with a clearly marked path. But the real appeal is the proximity to Parley’s Historic Nature Park and its winding trails for off-leash strolling with your four-legged friend. You’ll always find a stash of plastic bags to pick up your pup’s business, and conveniently placed “poop pipes” for you to store said refuse (temporarily) while you hike along. You’ll enjoy the views; your furry companion will love the freedom.2760 S. 2700 East
2. Mill Creek Canyon
3. City Creek

BEST SKIING Readers’ Choice
Alta
If you love to ski, then you must love Alta. And by that we mean ski, not board. (Keep in mind, Snowbird, which does allow boarders, is just a few minutes down the hill, so boarders can always meet up with their skiin’ buddies later for drinks.) With no boarders allowed, skiers have all 2,200 acres to themselves. The variety of terrain allows skiers of all levels to find the perfect run. Also, Alta offers the Ski Free After 3 Program, which grants free access to the Sunnyside lift and tow ropes until close. This resort continues to be a local favorite with its powdery snow and low ticket prices without skimping on quality. Highway 210, Little Cottonwood Canyon, 359-1078, Alta.com
2. Snowbird
3. Brighton

BEST DAY SPA Readers’ Choice
The Kura Door
Make a note to your honey: You want—make that need—some pampering, Japanese style. You need to soak in an ofuro tub while wind flutes carry you away. Then you want a 60-minute Kura massage, perfect to prepare you for a green-tea-and-ginger-sea-enzyme body wrap. After your Arcona enzyme facial (of the famed L.A. Arcona Studio, known for its use of fruit and wine enzymes, vitamins and minerals, and active botanicals) and a warm buttermilk-and-brown-sugar pedicure, you should be ready for your botanical body waxing. By day’s end, you will be turning Japanese, we really think so.1136 E. Third Ave., 364-2400, TheKuraDoor.com
2. Breathe Day Spa
3. Sego Lily

BEST TRAILBLAZERS IN PRICE
Price Area Singletrack Society
Between 2002 and 2004, Fuzzy and Dondra Nance and the Price Area Singletrack Society (PASS) built more than 70 miles of trails on Wood Hill in the Price area (FYI, a single track is 24 inches wide or less). Since then, more than 200 mountain bikers have stopped in Price to ride. The International Mountain Biking Association Subaru trail crew will be in Price April 20-22 to design and build up to 20 additional miles of track in the same area. Committed to making Price a mountain-biking destination, PASS has posted maps of the Bookcliffs Trail System posted on Utah Mountain Biking and Trail Finder Websites.groups.msn.com/PriceAreaSingletrackSociety

BEST ADVENTURE IN EDUCATION
College of Eastern Utah
Already with the lowest tuition in the state, in 2007-08, the College of Eastern Utah will be the only Utah college not to increase its second-tier (institutional) tuition or fees. You can take your first two years of classes (transferable to any Utah university) and use the extra money for classes in biking, mountaineering and river guiding. If adventure is your game, CEU’s outdoor recreation program (CE.CEU.edu) will teach you how to shoot a gun, tie a fly, climb a mountain, ride a horse, float the Green River, bike into the San Rafael, kayak Labyrinth Canyon or explore the ancient civilization at Range Creek. … You know, the lessons we really want in life.451 E. 400 North, Price, 435-613-5000, CEU.edu

BEST LUNCHTIME HIKE
City Creek Park
A five-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City, the pleasures of City Creek are simply too numerous to do justice. The colors of the flowers, shrubbery and trees, the sounds of the creek, the joy of dogs scampering around the paths, the neighborly way strollers and hikers greet each other. What better way to pass a lunch than taking sandwiches up to the creek and letting nature caress you with the healing sight of woodlands and an eternal variety of greens, yellows and oranges? North Temple and State Street

BEST LONG-DURATION GEEKS
Intermountain Silent Flyers
Longest flight duration that is. The Intermountain Silent Flyers (IMSF) is the Utah branch of a 25-year-old national hobby club. The club attracts techno types with diverse backgrounds. Holding their transmitters high to block the sun’s glare and never removing their gaze from their motorless gliders, they dialog a unique language: “nice zoom,” “specked out,” “boomer,” “dorked landing,” “big sink,” “hat sucker,” “tight core,” “positive air” and “spot landing.” They host national events held at “The Point,” “Francis Peak” and designated flying fields. Spectators are always welcome, so check it out if you’re not Soar afraid. SilentFlyer.org

BEST PLACE TO WATCH 10,000 SNOW GEESE TAKE FLIGHT
Delta Snow Goose Festival
The end of winter is nigh when migratory birds start heading north again. And at the end of February and beginning of March, a whole mess of them gather in the waters between Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area and Delta, Utah, as a stopover on their 3,000 mile journey. Thousands of geese gather and take to the air en masse, the collective honk sounding like a Los Angeles freeway during rush hour.millardcounty.com/pr02.html

BEST ROPES COURSE CLASS
Ropes Course
“Team-building” can be nothing but a bunch of corporate jargon—but it can be presented in a gorgeous setting, with plenty of flair. This largest-in-Utah course along the Provo River offers dozens of activities, from simple ground-based games to zip lines and climbing towers. Your group can work together, play together and experience quite an eventful day together. 3606 W. Center, Provo, 801-373-8897, ClasRopes.com

BEST CORPSE COURSE
Mortuary Sciences 1010 at Salt Lake Community College
There are few jobs with as much security as mortician, yet for some reason, training for the trade has been notably absent in Utah higher education. That changed in fall 2006, when Salt Lake Community College began offering the state’s first mortuary sciences course at its Redwood Road campus. Instructor Shannon Warenski presented the Egyptian roots of funeral preparation, addressed embalming techniques and made sure students had a foundation in the ethics of the business. As Utah’s population increases and ages, it’s good to be prepared for a growth industry. 4600 S. Redwood Road, 957-4111, slcc.edu

BEST BIRDER’S EDUCATION
Bear River Bird Refuge Wildlife Education Center
Brigham City’s Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge has long been a favored destination for bird-watchers keen on spying everything from ducks and geese to avocets and tundra swans. But it became an even more exciting place last year with the completion of the new Wildlife Education Center. Its 28,000 square feet include research facilities, an auditorium and many vibrant, interactive exhibits to teach visitors about the feathered fauna who pass through. You’ll know more about the Great Salt Lake wetlands than you ever thought possible. 2155 W. Forrest St., Brigham City, 435-723-5887, fws.gov/BearRiver

BEST HOOPS-WATCHING BARGAIN
Rocky Mountain Revue
Leave your mega-contract superstar complacency at the door—this is where the guys who are still hungry hang out. Salt Lake Valley residents get a unique opportunity every July to watch draft picks, free agents and other young prospects compete in the Rocky Mountain Revue. An $8 adult ticket gives you a chance to watch NBA-caliber athletes for the cost of a Friday night movie. Throw in a 2006 promotion that allowed attendees to get two free tickets for a November home Jazz game, and it was the best basketball deal in town. UtahJazz.com

BEST MONUMENT VALLEY MOVIE HISTORY LESSON
Goulding’s Lodge
The vintage Westerns of the 1940s and ’50s made Utah’s Monument Valley the cinematic embodiment of the Old West. And who introduced legendary director John Ford to the region? Utahn Harry Goulding, whose descendents still operate his namesake lodgings. Visitors can check out John Wayne movie sets, examine movie memorabilia and take one of the area’s trademark films back to your in-room VCR. You’ll feel like you’ve walked in The Duke’s footsteps. Route 163, Monument Valley, 435-727-3231, Gouldings.com

BEST PLAY-STUDY OPPORTUNITY
Westminster College “Winter at Westminster”
Oxford? Paris? Barcelona? That’s “study abroad” for suckers. Collegiate ski bums nationwide are making their way to Westminster College to take advantage of a winter program that allows students to take regular college courses and enjoy lectures on the outdoor sporting industry, all while getting perks like special early-tram priority at Snowbird. And classes are only scheduled Monday through Thursday, making every weekend a three-day weekend on the slopes. 1840 S. 1300 East, 484-7651, WestminsterCollege.edu/snow

BEST FLEXIBLE BILINGUAL CLASSES
Ingles Para Latinos
Yes, English-first advocates, it’s always sooo easy for an immigrant working three jobs to sign up for a class to learn a second language. Well, it’s getting easier. As with this innovative program, Spanish-speakers looking to learn English can take as many as nine different sessions per week—at any of a variety of midday, evening and even weekend time slots—for only $5 per week. It’s a unique opportunity for those with irregular schedules to stay with a program—and that’s something to cheer about in any language. 615 S. 300 East, 556-1763

BEST PLACE TO SEE LOCAL EX-COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARS PLAY FOR PAY
Utah Blaze
For years, if you wanted to follow the professional careers of former gridiron Utes and Cougars, you needed to hope they were on the network NFL games of the week. With last year’s debut of the Arena Football League Utah Blaze, you can see them up close and personal even after their eligibility expires. At press time, the 2007 Blaze roster boasts several players with local ties, including linemen Manaia Brown and Hans Olsen from BYU and ex-Utes Kautai Olevao, Jesse Boone, Garrett Smith and Clarence Lawson. It’s like supporting the home team times two. UtahBlaze.com

BEST YOUTH MAGIC INSTRUCTION
Doug Roy’s Royal Academy of Magic
As anyone who ever tried as a fourth-grader to make a coin disappear will tell you, kids love magic. But darn those pros and their “magicians’ code,” because it makes it awfully hard for interested youngsters to pick up tips from anything besides a book. Doug Roy offers four-week magic classes for kids ages 8-14, providing materials, the fundamentals of rope, card and coin tricks, and guidelines on how to give a good performance. Class locations and dates vary across the valley, but one is likely to materialize soon near you. 918-9140

BEST STREET PARTIERS
Mountain Town Stages
This nonprofit group turns Park City’s Main Street into a Footloose, only with good music, for much of the summer, staging concerts that often end in fireworks on three stages on upper, middle and lower sections of Main Street, referred to by locals as the “strap-on extension.” In winter months, Mountain Town puts on shows at the Egyptian Theatre. It also hosts a singer/songwriter festival in May and acts as a support group for local musicians. 435-901-7664, MountainTownStages.com

BEST SUMMER CAMPFLY
Freestyle
This summer camp lets any Joe Q Public off the street use the 750,000 gallon Utah Olympic Park splash pool to perform back flips, spins or plain old belly flops with skis or snowboards strapped to their feet. It’s the same facility used to train Olympians, a pool at the bottom of synthetic ski jumps. The camp is open for beginners to experts, age 6 to 60. There is even an expert training program teaching freestyle aerials that might, someday, land your kid in the Winter Games. Those who just like to watch can take a picnic to the Olympic park on summer weekends and watch the real athletes practice. P.O. Box 682436, Park City, 435-658-2359, FlyFreestyle.com

BEST BOBSLED DRIVING LESSONS
Utah Olympic Park
During the 2002 Winter Games, the crown prince of Monaco drove a four-man bobsled halfway down the Utah course, then flipped it over and rode on his head. Think you could do better? Then sign up for bobsled driving lessons taught by coaches from the U.S. national team. The Utah Olympic Park also offers winter camps for those who fantasize about piloting the luge (essentially a very fast sled) or the skeleton (like the luge, but you drive face first). Introductory camps start around $200. 3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City, 435-658-4200, OlyParks.com

BEST INDOOR BOULDERING
The Front
When you can’t get out to natural climbing spots, your year-round climbing spot is right around the corner. The climbing wall provides more than 10,000 square feet of climbing space, and with weekly changes to individual sections of the wall, the routes are always new. And if you just feel like training for your next climb, take advantage of the full-service weight room, aerobics equipment or yoga classes. First-timers or veterans will find a perfect reason to get on the rocks. 1450 S. 400 West, 466-7625, FrontSLC.com

BEST FLAT MOUNTAIN BIKING
Park City
Once you’ve ascended 4,000 feet (in a car), Park City is a novice biker’s dream. Paved trails trace the path of the highway from Snyderville all the way to Park City. Old rail lines converted to trails run from Park City to Heber. And interesting signs along the way educate about local history. Then there is the Mid-Mountain trail, an on-mountain path that lets bikers cruise along at around 8,000 feet from The Canyons all the way to Deer Valley. (Again, drive to a start point at the top of the mountain.)

BEST GYM/HEALTH CLUB Readers’ Choice
Gold’s Gym
Gold’s Gym does its part to fulfill the American dream, offering members bright, shiny facilities that in certain locations stretch out like a massive airport hangar filled with new equipment and generous tubs of muscle powder. Utah residents have their choice of 19 locations, but Salt Lake City fitness enthusiasts swear by their chain’s Cardio Cinema, a darkened room with a screen projecting films while runners run, cyclists spin and elliptical users, um, elipticize. Other highlights include a kid zone, steam room and pool. Multiple locations, GoldsGym.com
2. 24 Hour Fitness
3. Xcel Fitness

BEST OGDEN HIKING TRAIL
Indian Trail
Above the Ogden River, Ogden city and the Great Salt Lake, through fir and spruce and wild flowers of clover and collomia runs, if not the best Ogden Canyon hiking, certainly its most popular hiking trail. The Indian Trail is all the better due to the fact that its 4.3-mile length is made essentially impassable to motorized vehicles and to most mountain bikers by virtue of its rock outcrops. Even the Shoshone Indians of past thought this was the best way to escape high water of old. For the Ogdenite’s ideal three- or four-hour hiking respite, find the Smokey Bear sign.Trailhead east of Ogden off 22nd Street

BEST SPINNING INSTRUCTORS
Sports Mall
This expansive Murray health spa and gym could be deemed the best in any number of categories. Best gym for families? Check. Best gym to avoid Stallone types? Check. Best personal trainers and group instructors? Check. Best all-around facility? Check. But, one category stands out at the Sports Mall—its spinning instructors are the best around, the most informed, the friendliest and the most willing to teach you the right techniques while pushing you through a great workout. Herman, Jim, Evi, Judi, Linda, Elissa, Leslie, Peggy, Mark, Bobbi, Stan, Karlyn, Mike, Megan, Diana and Pierre—you’ll know them by the music they play during their dynamic and varied 50-minute workouts. Get a VO2 test (to best determine your aerobic capacities; critical for safe and effective spinning) from Sports Mall trainer and fitness expert Scott Browning and let your inner wheels turn and burn. 5445 S. 900 East, Murray, 261-3426

BEST LOW-COST LANGUAGE CLASSES
Salt Lake Community Education
While the majority of the educated world has long been bilingual, Americans are famous as second-language laggards. You need not break the bank to end that trend. For as little as $50, you can learn all the Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese or even Russian and Arabic or ESL that a two-month, one-day-per week course can provide, courtesy of language classes through the Salt Lake City School District’s Salt Lake Community Education programs. Most classes are held early evenings and at local public schools in a neighborhood near you. Multiple locations, 578-8236 or 578-8275

BEST YOGA CLASSES Readers’ Choice
Centered City Yoga
If the only thing standing between you and yoga is a fear of vriksha-asana, ushtra-asana or any other seemingly unpronounceable, much less attainable pose, take heart—Centered City helps students enroll in classes suited for their individual strengths, abilities and intent. Bright and inviting, the downtown studio’s facilities will help you focus on the goal at hand, whether it concerns weight loss, stress management or simply the desire to feel like a kid again. The first class is free for Utah residents, as is every session of Amy Conn’s Quality of Life program for cancer survivors, fighters and their loved ones.918 E. 900 South, 521-9642, CenteredCityYoga.com
2. Flow Yoga
3. The Front Climbing Gym

BEST DEEP TISSUE MASSEUSE
Julietta Hernandez
When Hernandez lays her hands on you, don’t expect to start talking in tongues or to begin jumping up and down after years of being bedridden. However, you can expect to swear just a little bit while the muscles you’ve been abusing by not using perform their own kind of liberating dance. If you need to be healed and pampered (yes, she has a kind streak), try her deep tissue massage. Thanks to her precise trigger point work, you can kiss any tension in your body goodbye. 533 S. 700 East, 799-4999

News_&_Columns Best of Utah 2007 | Daylife 1CA7B8D7-2BF4-55D0-F1F3BE5DF2114175 2007-06-11 15:19:20.0 1 1 1 2007-04-05 00:00:00.0 7301 0
City Weekly Staff

Around 500 items jammed into slightly over 200 pages—yes, it’s City Weekly’s largest B