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With so many important issues demanding attention in a fast-paced, ever-changing landscape, the Salt Lake Chamber routinely generates articles, op-ed pieces and other publications that benefit our membership and clarify Chamber positions. These articles are available here shortly after they are published. It is another way the Chamber stands as the voice of business, supports its member’s success and champions community prosperity.
The Voice Archives:
O.C. Tanner Hosts Breakfast with the Board
December 10 - Business leaders got an inside look at the newly –renovated O.C. Tanner flagship store at Breakfast with the Board today. 
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222 Main welcomes business leaders
October 22 - Utah business leaders got an inside look at the newest addition to the skyline of Salt Lake City at Breakfast with the Board, held at 222 Main.
“This building is an amazing addition to the city,” said Lane Beattie. “Everything about the building is first class and it stands as a tribute to the commitment Hamilton Partners has shown to the city and our community.”
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Keep higher education strong with investment and local student loans
October 21 - Business leaders know that education is the engine for long-term economic prosperity, so we celebrate recent news of record higher education enrollment, plus the lowest student loan default rates in the nation.
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State investment in Goldman Sachs great for Utah
September 27 - I support the state’s recent incentive for Goldman Sachs to expand their regional presence in Utah. The reason is simple: it will contribute to sustained economic growth creating wealth and opportunities for Utahns. Goldman Sachs is investing in Utah and it is right that we invest in them.
The “Great Recession” has impacted every Utah family and business. Approximately 82,500 Utahns are unemployed, exceeding anything we have experienced in more than half a century. There has never been a time when economic development has been more important to the well-being of every Utahn.
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Chamber Joins 2010 Census Complete Count Effort
September 25 - The Salt Lake Chamber has signed-on as an official partner for the upcoming 2010 Census and will play in active role in encouraging Utahns to ensure a complete and accurate count.
“In Utah we know just how important it is to count everyone,” said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber noting the state came within 900 people of gaining a fourth seat in the United States House of Representatives.
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Economic benefits adding up with Home Run 2
September 17 - Utahns looking for a house or a job are benefiting from Home Run 2 housing grants, while driving home some stimulus to the Utah economy.
Since Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert announced Home Run 2 a few weeks ago, more than 150 homebuyers have used the $4,000 grant to purchase newly constructed homes. Another 1,800 grants are available through Dec. 1.
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World Trade Center Utah celebrates 3rd anniversary on 9/11, promotes peace through international trade and investment
September 11 - Eight years ago tomorrow, September 11, 2001, was a horrific day for the free world. The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City ushered in a vastly changed landscape and untested approaches to international issues. Out of the sorrow and rubble of its headquarters in New York, the association of 326 World Trade Centers around the globe united to adopt a new and uplifting motto: Peace through trade and Investment. Three years ago tomorrow, our own World Trade Center Utah was established to further the cause of peaceably expanding Utah businesses’ outreach to the growing global marketplace.
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Hyatt Place opens at The Gateway
September 10 - Downtown Salt Lake City continues to rise. The Gateway, Salt Lake’s largest downtown redevelopment project, celebrated the opening of Utah’s first Hyatt Place Hotel.
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Salt Lake Chamber President, Lane Beattie joined Jake and Roger Boyer as well as builders and managers to officially open the hotel. The Boyer Company developed the building to Hyatt’s specifications. The hotel is six stories high and over 80,000 square feet, with 128 guest rooms, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.
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Downtown Rising adds “America’s Most Beautiful Jewelry Store”
O.C. Tanner flagship makes debut in former Hansen Planetarium
September 09 - The 1905 structure that has been home to both the Salt Lake City Library and Hansen Planetarium has been reborn, now as, “America’s most beautiful jewelry store,” the flagship of the O.C. Tanner, Co.
The result of two years of construction and an investment of $24 million, the opening of the new O.C. Tanner store provides a productive and continued use for a historic structure that not long ago faced an uncertain future. Built in 1905 as the city’s main library, it served that function for 60 years. The building then was used by the Hansen Planetarium, which left in early 2003 for a new building in the west part of downtown. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, the three story Beaux Arts-style building then sat vacant and decaying for four years until O.C. Tanner bought it from the city after submitting plans to restore its faded luster.
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Microsoft Commitment Highlights Utah’s Culture of Innovation
September 03 - Another positive sign for the overall economy in Utah was announced today as Microsoft opened its newest office at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. The new Microsoft facility provides offices for Research and Development as well as product development employees.
Utah native Brad Anderson, Microsoft’s corporate vice president, Management Services Division, was joined by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch and Salt Lake Chamber President Lane Beattie to commemorate the opening and participate in several product demonstrations. Representatives from Sorenson Center and the Utah Technology Council also attended the event.
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Business Community has Vested Interest in Education
August 27 - The commissioner of education in Texas recently came under fire for calling on business leaders to ban the hiring of school-age dropouts.
Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott’s theory, is that business leadership compels students to remain in school or continue their education via an online program.
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A Time for Unprecedented Partnerships
August 14 - Earlier this week, Gary Herbert officially became the 17th governor of Utah. In his inaugural address he made it clear he intends to work closely with the business community to get things done.The Chamber has enjoyed strong relationships with our elected officials for years. We’ve worked closely with the state legislature, our federal delegation and past governors to fund critical transportation and transit projects, advance health system reform and jump-start a staggering economy. As governor Herbert said in his inaugural address, “it is time for unprecedented partnerships.” The business community looks forward to working with the Herbert administration to further strengthen our reputation as both the best-managed and most business friendly state in America.
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Can-Do Coalition: Expansion and Innovation in Utah Health Facilities Helps Heal Economy
August 6 - While the debate over what needs to be done to fix our nation’s broken health system rages on, there are several positive things happening in Utah health care.
The Utah Economy Can-Do Coalition, convened by the Salt Lake Chamber, applauds the expansion of Utah hospitals and research facilities as well as continued innovation. This expansion and innovation creates jobs, increases the quality of health care and helps state industries recruit talent from around the world.
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Global Firm Breaks Ground For LEED Designed Offices In Midvale
Salt Lake Chamber welcome FLSmidth to View72 Corporate Center
August 4 - The first tenant in what will be Utah’s largest class A office park join government and business leaders to break ground today. FLSmidth will occupy two buildings designed for LEED-certification inside the 90-acre View72 Corporate Center in Midvale City.
FLSmidth is headquartered in Denmark with locations in more than 40 countries.
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Hope Gallery a Hidden Jewel on Main Street
July 31 - As Downtown Rising continues to revitalize Salt Lake City, undiscovered treasures are appearing where there were once just empty buildings. The Hope Gallery and Museum of Fine Art, located in the recently renovated Tracy Loan and Trust Co. Building, is one of those treasures.
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Real Salt Lake, MLS All-Star Boosts Utah Economy
July 30 - Salt Lake City has emerged as a world city and last night we hosted the world’s game.
The top athletes of Major League Soccer squared off with Everton, one of the top teams in the English Premiership, at the MLS All-Star Game. For a few hours, the eyes of soccer fans all over the world were trained on the Wasatch Front.
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Downtown Rising: O.C. Tanner Flagship Store Schedules Grand Opening
July 28 - At a time when construction is depressed across the nation, O.C. Tanner is opening a high-end, upscale $24 million retail store that reflects the generosity of its late founder, Obert C. Tanner.
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Hope Gallery a Hidden Jewel on Main Street
July 26 - As Downtown Rising continues to revitalize Salt Lake City, undiscovered treasures are appearing where there were once just empty buildings. The Hope Gallery and Museum of Fine Art, located in the recently renovated Tracy Loan and Trust Co. Building, is one of those treasures.
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UPP makes health insurance more affordable for Utah workers
July 27 - Health reform dominates the headlines as the president and congress slug out the framework and haggle over details. Access to the best health care for all Americans is everyone’s goal. For those who are currently left out of the system, a number of programs exist to provide the care they require. There is a source of help For those who struggle to pay for their health insurance.
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July 16 - Finding a job can be difficult for anyone but for those with developmental disabilities, the job market can seem particularly daunting. For one local non-profit, business is about two things: shredding documents and making a difference.
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MPI
Means Big Business for Salt Lake
July 15 - Utahn’s know Salt Lake City is one of the best kept secrets in the country but thanks to a convention of influential meeting planners that is soon to change.
Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) Annual World Education Conference wrapped up yesterday.
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July 2 - Look around downtown Salt Lake City and you can see the Downtown Rising vision coming to life. Construction cranes that once surrounded large holes in the ground now lift materials to crews working several stories above the ground.
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Proposed Tax Would Hurt U.S. in Global Markets
June 25 - A proposed change in the tax code with respect to United States--based multinational corporations would place this country at a great disadvantage in the global market.
As Utah’s business leader, the Salt Lake Chamber recognizes the importance of global markets to the future of our economy. Elimination of our current deferral system and the implementation of immediate double taxation on U.S. businesses is a short-sighted attempt to increase tax revenue to the federal government.
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Members Tour Overstock.com Facility
June 18 - A group of business leaders got an inside look at Overstock.com’s operation this morning as part of the Salt Lake Chamber’s Breakfast with the Board series.
Overstock.com has grown from a $1.5 million project to an $850 million operation in only a decade. The company employs 1,000 Utahns working in the corporate office, a call center and two warehouses. The warehouses alone combine for over one million square feet of space.
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Card Check Legislation Bad for Business
June 17 - A disturbing piece of legislation has been proposed and is currently being debated in Washington. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is nothing more than a euphemism. Ironically, the act would take the choice of whether to unionize away from employees through the elimination of secret-ballot voting. It would also take employers out of the process by effectively disallowing them from campaigning against unionization. Core business decisions would be taken away from employers and employees alike through mandatory arbitration. The passage of EFCA would have a damaging effect on the U.S. and Utah economies and must be opposed.
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Let’s Make One Thing Clear…
May 28 - Some of the problems we face today are so large that we, as individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities feel powerless to confront them. They are so big in scope that most of us feel no real connection with the problem or any possible solution. These, we feel, are the issues with which “the government,” must grapple—or at least somebody else who can do something about the problem.
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Early indicators show housing stimulus is a home run
April 17 - Utah is only one month into our economic stimulus for housing, and house sales are hopping. Nearly 250 people have already purchased homes with $6,000 Home Run Housing Grants. With 1,600 grants available, they could be gone in a matter of months.
March activity in the Salt Lake housing market scored among the highest in the country, according to Zelman & Associates, a leading national real estate research firm that measures activity in 55 markets around the country. The Home Run grant program is cited as a key factor.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING IN A RECESSION
April 10 - In recessions or other periods of slower economic performance, brand managers and marketers have to carefully consider how to wisely spend their valuable resources. In times of economic concern, one frequent response is to cut brand-building and marketing activities in an effort to better control costs. While it is in many respects the last thing a company should do, it is often the first thing they do.
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The Case for State Bonding
February 19 - Like most Utahns, I’ve watched with great interest as the federal government either took steps toward getting our economy back on track or spent us into oblivion, depending on your point of view.
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Getting Back on Track
February 11 - Isn’t it amazing how quickly things can change? Only a few short months ago health system reform, immigration and other issues were going to be the top priorities for the 2009 General Legislative Session; now the focus is on one main issue—getting the economy back on track.
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Transportation Investment Key to Utah’s Economic Future
February 05 - The Salt Lake Chamber has no higher priority than getting our economy back on track. As the Utah State Legislature is now well into the general session, it is our intent to aggressively support funding for transportation infrastructure in Utah.
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Chamber holds 106th Annual Meeting Today
January 29 - Long considered one of the best states for business—the longevity of the Salt Lake Chamber is testament to what can be accomplished when business leaders and elected officials work together to benefit our
community. Today the Salt Lake Chamber will hold its 106th Annual Meeting. We’re celebrating a year in which Utah businesses were “Bucking the Trend” and “Reining in a Wild Economy.”
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Building a Strong Economy in Challenging Times
January 21 - I enjoyed the inauguration festivities yesterday. It amazes me how smoothly we make a transition from one administration to another. That transition compares only to the one we make from celebration to the business of governing. Right here in Utah, we are now only a few days away from the opening of the legislative session. In a matter of 45 days, state senators and representatives will tackle a number of issues—not the least of which is the state of our economy.
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Business Leaders Announce Legislative Priorities
January 14 - Utah’s legislative session begins in just under two weeks and the State Legislature faces a colossal challenge. Charged with balancing the budget, our elected officials face state revenues in the General Fund and Education Fund that are $620 million lower in FY2009 than anticipated. For FY2010 the forecasts are even worse. Legislators must find another $721 million in cuts, increased revenues and new ways of doing things.
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Economic Info Straight From the Source
January 12 - As president of the Salt Lake Chamber, I spend a lot of my time discussing the current state of the economy—both on a state and national level. Business owners, workers and even government officials are concerned about the way things are going but we have reason to be optimistic as we look toward the future—especially here in Utah.
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Christmas message
December 23 - One of my favorite Christmas carols declares, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” On behalf of all of us at the Salt Lake Chamber I wish you a wonderful holiday season. This is a time of year when the Christmas Spirit enters our everyday lives, encouraging us to see each other from a different perspective. We are a little kinder, more patient and happier.
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Utah better prepared for economic challenge
December 12 - Whether you run a small business or a major corporation, a non-profit or a family budget, we’ve all had to find ways to cut expenses and do more with less. The good news that came from the “official” announcement that we are in a recession is that we have been in one for nearly a year. Based on the average length of recessions historically, we are somewhere between half and two-thirds of the way through the down period.
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Chamber Applauds Delta Air Lines for Service to Tokyo Narita
November 12 - Now it’s even easier to access the world from Salt Lake City.
The Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest business association, applauds Delta Air Lines for adding non-stop service to Tokyo. When the flights begin in June 2009, our state will be directly connected to Asia five times each week.
Campaign Ends, Time to Get to Work
November 5 - The longest and most expensive campaign
season in American history has come to a close and whether you
woke up this morning smiling from ear to ear because your
candidate won, or barely wanted to roll out of bed because you
candidate didn’t, the time to roll-up our sleeves and get to
work has come.
Reforming Health System, not Health Care
November 3 - Last month, the Salt Lake Chamber, supported
by business leaders representing nearly half a million Utah
workers, signed the Health System Reform Business Bill of Rights
and Responsibilities on the steps of the State Capitol. The
demand for change was clear and the document outlined reform
imperative to our current health system.
TRAX is About to Take Flight
November 1 - The Downtown Rising vision continues to materialize
before our eyes. the skyline of Salt Lake City is filled
with construction cranes- what I like to call the "mascots
of progress." In the past few weeks, I've had
the pleasure of participating in two significant Downtown Rising
announcements: one for the Utah Performance Center on Main
(click here to read about the performance center) and another to
break ground on the newest TRAX service to the Salt Lake City
International Airport..
Downtown Alliance Selects New Leader
October 30 -
Jason Mathis will serve as the new Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance, Lane Beattie, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance announced today. Mathis will work with local business and community leaders to promote downtown during a pivotal time in Salt Lake’s history.
TRAX is About to Take Flight
October 22 -
Here in Utah, we’re humble people but with so many great things happening in the Beehive State, sometimes it’s a little difficult not to sound a little boastful—especially when it comes to TRAX and FrontRunner.
Chamber Co-Sponsoring Golden Key Awards
October 02 -
The Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, in conjunction with the Salt Lake Chamber and Ogden/Weber Chamber of Commerce, will honor local business leaders and others for their efforts in hiring people with disabilities at the Annual Golden Key Awards Luncheon to be held at the Salt Lake Hilton tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.
Chamber Praises Rio Tinto for Corporate Citizenship
September 29 -
Kennecott Copper Mine is a permanent part of the Utah landscape and thanks in part to its parent company, Rio Tinto, Major League Soccer will be for years to come.
Downtown Rises in Many Forms
September 17 -
It’s not everyday you get to break in a brand new stretch of road.
The Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance are excited to see Downtown Rising. The vast scope of the undertaking that includes 54 projects and $1.6 million per day is often thought of as the bigger ventures like City Creek and 222 South Main but here at the Chamber building we’ve had a front row seat for another project.
The Metro Condominiums are coming to life.
A Legacy for Everyone to Follow
September 12 -
It’s not everyday you get to break in a brand new stretch of road.
This weekend the Legacy Parkway becomes a reality. As I take my first drive of the parkway, I’m sure my thoughts will return to the origins of the
project.
Utah School Work
September 11 -
It’s not everyday you get to break in a brand new stretch of road.
The Salt Lake Chamber is making it easier for businesses and professionals to give back.
The “Utah School Work” program allows donations of time or money or both to be donated through the Salt Lake Chamber directly to an existing organization. The goal itself is very straightforward: raise $100,000 and 100,000 hours of volunteer time going directly to schools.
Utah: A Winner on Any Playing Field
September 05 -
I once overheard someone say they thought Utah had a bit of an inferiority complex. The theory presented by this person centered on sports and our jealousy (his term, not mine) of bigger cities like New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago.
Chamber Hosts 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Workplace Flexibility
September 04 -
The Salt Lake Chamber will honor the 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Award winners at a breakfast Wednesday, September 17, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in the Kirtland Room on the ninth floor.
Chamber Hosts American Health Insurance Plans, Discusses Change
August 28 -
The hottest and most talked-about topic among business leaders in Utah isn’t the Democratic National Convention, it isn’t Mitt Romney’s chances at the V.P. spot on the Republican ticket; it isn’t even high gas prices.
The most pressing issue is health system reform.
“Visions of the City” to Honor President Hinckley
August 20 -
When Brigham Young plotted Salt Lake City he designed it, as any Utah resident can tell you, with the temple as the centerpiece. Over the 161-year history of the city, through changes in culture and style, various buildings, statues and other features have been added.
Chamber Supports New Director of Planning
August 14 -
The Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance enthusiastically welcome Wilford Sommerkorn as the new Director of the Salt Lake City Planning Department. The organizations applaud Mayor Ralph Becker’s appointment of the award-winning professional planner.
"I've known Wilf for many years and have always respected his leadership in economic development, planning and public decision making," said Lane Beattie, President and CEO.
Chamber Hosts Copenhagen Consensus Leader
August 12 -
Prioritizing actions and resources to address challenges facing the state while avoiding undue political pressure was the message delivered by Bjørn Lomborg of the Copenhagen Consensus Centre (CCC) at the Salt Lake Chamber today.
Statement on FrontRunner South
August 11 -
The Salt Lake Chamber applauds the judgment of Utahns and the work of the Utah Transit Authority in moving forward on FrontRunner South expansion. The Chamber has been a chief advocate of FrontRunner commuter rail since 2006, when the Chamber spearheaded efforts to successfully pass a $1 billion highway bond.
Tax Credits Help Homebuyers, Economy
August 11 -
I like to say I’m in the business of helping business. Earlier in my career I sold radio advertising and helped companies pitch their products to the public. Now I manage the Salt Lake market for the Bonneville Radio Group, which includes popular radio stations like KSL, FM100 and Arrow 103.5. This business and broadcast experience has taught me how important it is during challenging economic times to lift our selves by lifting others. This principle became clearer to me in recent weeks as I thought about the slowdown in Utah’s economy and the President’s signing of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
Economic Recovery Starts at Home
August 10 -
While visiting a friend’s home recently I noticed a saying that had been stenciled on the wall in big letters, “A House is Built with Boards and Beams, A Home is Built with Love and Dreams.” I love the idea that a house—the actual edifice—can become more when filled with people. But the proverb also indicates a need for a place—a physical structure—in which we cultivate relationships and live our lives.
Enjoy The Ride Beijing
August 07 -
Tomorrow the world gathers once again to light
the Olympic torch as a symbol of peace, brotherhood and friendly
competition. Every
Utahn should pause, remember our Olympic moment and join with
China to celebrate.
Housing Help Arrives
August 06 -
When was the last time you heard any positive news about the housing industry? It’s been long enough that it’s a little difficult to remember. Television news outlets have nearly worn out the file videotape of the ambiguous neighborhood where every house has a For Sale sign, none adorned with a SOLD placard. That shot runs almost as often as the story about homeowners who just walk away from their mortgages because they find themselves completely upside-down.
Utah Business Leaders Speak Out on Utah Economy
July 30 -
Utah business leaders remain confident in the performance of the local economy and praised new legislation designed to stimulate the slowing housing market. Fueling optimism among business leaders, President George W. Bush signed H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, into law today.
Downtown: It's The Place for the Broadway Theater
By Carla Wiese
July 18 -
Brigham Young said if he were ever placed on a cannibal island and charged with civilizing the place, he would build a theater. Salt Lake has certainly become quite a civilized place since the pioneers entered the valley in 1847, but the value of a performing arts theater to serve the region has not diminished.
The Sky is Not Falling
By Lane Beattie
July 09 -
Many of us recall the children’s story about Chicken Little. By way of review, Chicken Little was walking along one day when an acorn fell from a tree and hit him on the head. He came to the conclusion, not that an acorn had fallen, rather that the sky itself was falling! Chicken Little, quite honorably if a little misguided, set off to warn his friends of the impending doom. Of course, from the very beginning, there was no need for Chicken Little to worry at all.
Hill Air Force Base key to Utah’s Economy
By Lane Beattie
July 02 -
They say everyone loves a parade. Certainly my grandchildren love the parade for the same reason my children did years ago: the free candy thrown to the crowd by firemen, policemen and other participants on various floats. Proud parents line the streets to see their children march in the high school band or display a cheerleader uniform for the first time. While all those are great, my favorite part of any 4th of July parade is the beginning.
100th Board Chair ready to be “Bull on Business”
June 25 -
There is no official list of the busiest people in Utah. But if there were such a list, Chris Redgrave would almost certainly be at the top, and she’s about to get busier.
Redgrave will become the 100th Chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors, assuming the position currently held by Scott Hymas, President and CEO of RC Willey Home Furnishings. The change officially takes place July 1.
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Chamber Voice
