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Community Corner

🌱 Berlin's 'Candy Bomber' Dead At 101 + UTA's Ridership Spikes

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Salt Lake City.

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Hey, people of Salt Lake City! It's me again, Joseph Peterson, your host of the Salt Lake City Daily.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 49 Low: 29.

Here are the top three stories in Salt Lake City today:

  1. Salt Lake City-native Col. Gail Seymour Halvorsen, who was known around the world as the'Berlin Candy Bomber' has died at 101 years old. A World War II veteran of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Col. Halvorsen became an internationally celebrated post-war figure of kindness for continually dropping candy out of his plane to the kids below during the Berlin Airlift when supplies and spirits were low. For these acts, he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2014. (fox13now.com)
  2. How does the saying go, if you build it they will come? Well, it looks like the same holds true for free public transportation as UTA announced that weekday ridership jumped 20% during the first half of Free Fare February, making it the busiest month UTA has seen since the pandemic began. Leaders at UTA hope this highlights what public transit has to offer as the area's population continues to grow, with Board of Trustees chairman Carlton Christensen, noting that transportation services are "poised to have a great impact on our access to opportunities, economic development, to jobs, entertainment activities, our air, and quality of life." (KSL.com)
  3. The Kozo development that looked to bring a high-density, mixed-used building to Salt Lake City's west side, which was stalled amid community backlash and protests, is now back after paired down alterations to the originally-planned 356 units to bring the project back for review by the city council. It's possible a general misunderstanding of zoning designations was part of what make the Kozo the target of neighborhood scrutiny. (buildingsaltlake.com)

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Today in Salt Lake City:

  • Attend the opening reception to the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art's 5 new exhibitions including one titled Our Wake Up Call For Freedoms which features work by the For Freedoms artist collective, Hank Willis Thomas, José Parlá, and Trevor Paglen. (6:00 PM)
  • The Red Rocks, the University of Utah's women's gymnastics team, take on Oregon State tonight at the Jon M. Huntsman center. (7:00 PM)
  • From UtahPresents, it's International Guitar Night. Enjoy a brilliant lineup of diverse artists and styles at the Utah School of Music's Libby Gardner Hall. (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • "Throughout the month of February, viewing bald eagles in Utah's outdoors can be an awesome activity for the whole family! Right now, bald eagles are migrating through Utah to escape colder conditions up north." (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
  • "In 2018, The New York Times Magazine published Reginald Dwayne Betts' long essay "Getting Out." Several months later, the piece was awarded a National Magazine Award. Betts has transformed himself from a 16-year old kid sentenced to nine years in prison to a critically acclaimed writer and graduate of the Yale Law School. Join Tanner Humanities Center for an evening with the author next Tuesday (2/22). The event is FREE and open to the public, however registration is required. (Streaming also available.)" (The University of Utah)
  • "Join our team and be a part of the vibes. The Utah Arts Festival has 2 open marketing intern-level positions - Content Marketing Intern and Video Content Intern. We're seeking two enthusiastic, hardworking team members who can help with various marketing tasks throughout the year and during the Festival." (Utah Arts Festival)
  • "Tchaikovsky's heartfelt Violin Concerto, Prokofiev's most romantic ballet score, and—not to be outdone—an exciting new piece by Brazilian composer Paulo Costa Lima. You CAN NOT miss this weekend's performance." (Utah Symphony)
  • Did you know February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month? CTE prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers, such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality management, and so many more. The most recent research shows that if students take at least one CTE course in high school they are more likely to graduate." (Salt Lake City School District)
  • "Is your child in 2nd grade or higher? Are you looking for something to do on Presidents' Day? We'll you're in luck! We are having a special STEAM-powered class that is fun, exciting, and educational. This "Sustainable Egg Drop" class will be presented by The Society of Women Engineers, who will take the kids on a journey of engineering, creating, and exploring. The best part? You get to drop your eggs off of our big stairs" (Discovery Gateway Children's Museum)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you tomorrow for your next update.

— Joseph Peterson

About me: Joseph is a writer and marketing communications strategist with a degree in Mass Communication and Public Relations from the University of Utah. He's keen on city life, public libraries, national parks, and promoting events that build community.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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