This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
THUMB DOWN: Food for hungry • Troops of a different type need our support. The Salvation Army has a $119,000 budget deficit and can no longer afford to provide the dinners that so many homeless individuals and down-and-out families depend on for their one balanced meal of the day. It costs the nonprofit organization $3,000 a month to use Catholic Community Services' St. Vincent de Paul dinner hall for the nightly meal, money it doesn't have. So it will, instead, take meals to the places where homeless people congregate, such as parks and shelters. A slow economic recovery from the Great Recession means the organization gets fewer and smaller donations, but it also means there are more people in need of a square meal. The Salvation Army has provided a sandwich and hot soup to 350 to 375 people 364 nights of the year. The indoor dinner also has provided the homeless a respite from winter cold and summer heat. Homeless advocates are trying to find donors to keep the service going. It's a worthy cause that deserves a leg up.
THUMB DOWN: 15 wrists slapped • The score in the prosecution of people who illegally looted southern Utah archaeological sites and sold ancient artifacts is: pot hunters 15, the public and native tribes 0. Among 15 artifacts dealers tried in Judge Dee Benson's federal court, not one has been sentenced to serve a day behind bars for their felonies. Incredibly, Benson told the latest pot hunter to appear before him that because he has "lost decades' worth of collecting materials" and was a nice person, he would get only probation. What Vern Crites and others like him "lost" belonged to Indian tribes and were located on federal land. What about them?
THUMB UP: Utah's hostess • We note with respect the passing of Phyllis Steorts, for many years the gracious face of Hotel Utah and a pioneer among the state's business women. During a 32-year career at the hotel, which began in 1953, she rose from secretary to director of public relations to resident manager. She played hostess to countless guests, including several presidents, the last being Ronald Reagan. In 1963, she managed a whirlwind renovation of rooms for President Kennedy in three weeks. She served as chairwoman of the Central Business Improvement District and on the executive committee of the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce. She retired from the hotel in 1985, two years before the LDS Church closed and converted it to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Mrs. Steorts died this week at 90.