Cache Magazine

The Herald Journal Dec. 4-10, 2009

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Cute pet photo of the week

This dog is available for adoption!Pet: Troy From: Cache Humane Society Why he’s so lovable: “Troy LOVES belly rubs. He’s also very affectionate and loves treats, so he would be easily trained, plus he’s a fast learner and is beautiful, too. He does have ONE flaw: He pulls hard on his leash and will need a special harness and training. Troy was walked with the dogs in the kennel and he has no issues with other dogs. Not good with cats. Would be really great with kids, very sweet and takes treats very softly. Good-natured boy!” Troy’s ID number is 2009-7432. To meet him, visit the shelter at 2370 W. 200 North in Logan or contact Michael Bishop at 792-3920.Slow Wave

Slow Wave is created from real people’s dreams as drawn by Jesse Reklaw. Ask Jesse to draw your dream! Visit www.slowwave.com to find out how.

What’s inside this week

Gear up for the seventh annual

Winter Gift Market

(Page 12)

Charlene reviews

a hopeful story of

alcoholism, redemption

(Page 13)

Puppets play really big part innew USU play, “Issun Boshi”

(Page 5)

Go way beyond‘American Gothic’with new exhibit

(Page 11)

Crossword ................p.14Calendar ...................p.15

Cache

THIS WEEK’S COVERstory gives me the warm fuzzies — I love gingerbread houses!

With all the bad that’s happening in the world these days, it’s nice that the Downtown Alliance is still hosting its annual Parade of Gin-gerbread Homes after 10 years. Who doesn’t look at a gin-gerbread house without channeling memories of delicious childhood moments?

I also love that this year’s new rule states that every part of every entry must be edible. If it were up to me, that would have been a requirement from the beginning, but I’m glad to see it’s finally made it into the rule book.

I remember when I was little, I loved looking at the gingerbread houses during our annual outing to the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake City. I was also obsessed

with candy during those years (and, I’ll confess, I still am), and I loved picturing taking those cute houses apart and gob-

bling them up.Maybe that makes me a bad person, but some of them just looked so darn delicious! I wonder — do people eat their creations after they’ve served their purpose?

I know my 4-year-old buddy Cole Juber does. He was making gingerbread men this

week and, by the time I got there, he had eaten

two arms and a leg off one of them. The other one (seen here) he saved for me because it’s supposed

to be me — colorful scarf and everything. I couldn’t

resist sharing it with you.Have a great weekend, everyone!

— Jamie Baer NielsonCache Magazine editor

From the editor [email protected]

“The Pyramids of Egypt” by Hilary Robinson and Rosalyn Warner, on display at Edwards Furniture. Read more about

this year’s Parade of Gingerbread Homes on Page 8. Photo by Braden Wolfe

On the cover:

Magazine

The Herald Journal’s

Arts & EntertainmentCalendar

Cache

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THE BEL CANTO Chorus will present its annual Christmas

concert, “Joyous Sounds of Christmas,” at 7 p.m. Tues-day, Dec. 8, at the Wellsville LDS Tabernacle. This concert will be repeated when the group performs for the Ameri-can Heritage Holly Days at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. Admis-sion to both concerts is free and everyone is invited.

The chorus was founded in the 1930s and sang under the direction of USU professor Walter Welti for many years. Currently under the direc-

tion of Laurel Maughan with Deanne Vanderford at the piano, the chorus consists of women from the Cache Val-ley/Northern Utah area who enjoy singing. The chorus per-forms two or three concerts per year and at other venues as invited and appropriate.

For this Christmas concert the chorus has prepared such anthems and music as “I Wonder as I Wander,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Can-dlelight Carol,” “Infant Holy,” “Infant Lowly,” “Alleluia” and others.

Rhythms

Photo by Alan Murray/Herald Journal

Deanne Vanderford accompanies the Bel Canto Chorus during a rehearsal Tuesday night in Logan.

‘Joyous Sounds of Christmas’

THREE WEEKS, a Cache valley

group that performs original “family-friendly” music, and Delta Sig will sponsor a benefit concert and canned food drive, titled “Three Weeks Till Christmas,” from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at USU’s Taggart Student Center. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance through Delta Sig or from any member of Three Weeks. Tickets will also be available at the door where a $1 dis-count is offered for those who bring a canned food item for donation. Every-one is invited.

Three Weeks was formed in December 2003 and consists of four members, including Cache Valley natives and brothers Bryce and Aus-tin Wood. Bryce is lead vocalist and guitarist, and Austin is an accomplished

keyboardist and guitarist, plays the harmonica and assists with vocals. Drum-mer Kent Scott, a native of Pingree, Idaho, also provides back-up vocals. The band recently added Christian Hathaway, a native of Burnley, Eng-land, as bass player and back-up vocalist.

Their first CD, “Not Just for Tonight,” was released a couple of years

ago and they recently released their second CD, “Alive Again.” They have performed in many local and state venues, includ-ing a summer appearance at part of the Temple Square Concert Series and a feature on KUTV’s morning show earlier this year. For more informa-tion and to listen to some of their music, visit www.threeweeksrock.com.

Three Weeks to celebrate ‘Three Weeks Till Christmas’THE JAZZ KICKS BAND,

directed by Larry Smith, will give a Holiday Season Concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, in the Performance Hall at USU. Admission is $5 for the general public and free for all students.

Duke Ellington’s jazz version of Tchaikovsky’s “Nut-cracker Suite” will be performed by the 17-member group. Ellington recorded the nine-movement work in 1959 to much acclaim. The movements include “Overture,” “Toot Toot Tootie Toot” (Dance of the Reed Flutes), “Pea-nut Brittle Brigade” (March), “Sugar Rum Cherry” (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy), “Entr’acte,” “Volga Vouty” (Russian Dance), “Chinoiserie” (Chinese Dance), “Dance of the Flo-readores” (Waltz of the Flowers) and “Arabesque Cookie” (Arabian Dance). Ellington and his right-hand man, Billy Strayhorn, took Tchaikovsky’s beloved pieces and recast them in the jazz idiom, preserving their unique character while adapting them to his unique style.

“Ellington and Strayhorn virtually recomposed the ballet using a wide

variety of techniques to take the original to a new and strikingly personal level,” said Walter van de Leur, editor of the work. “Ellington and Strayhorn gave a new reading of a classical work with-out either sacrificing their own or the original composer’s music ... the ‘Jazz-

Nutcracker’ is a great achievement indeed.”

The Jazz Kicks Band members include Greg Wheeler, Ken Peterson, Larry Smith, Mike Reeder and Jon Gud-mundson, reeds; Hal Briggs, J. Paul Ward, Grayson Osborne and Jason Gamer, trum-pets; Roger Karren, Andrew Watkins, Sarah Houghton and Todd

Fallis, trombones; Liz Woolley, piano; Corey Christiansen, guitar; Jim Schaub, bass; Travis Taylor, drums; and Monica Fronk, vocals.

Many of the band members were in the Crestmark Orchestra that played for the popular Glenn Miller Shows pre-sented in the University Ballroom for many years. Now they play for the well-received “Celebrate America Show,” which runs for four days after Labor Day each September.

‘The Nutcracker’ — jazz style

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T he 2009 Tabernacle Christmas Concert Series is in full holiday swing. All concerts are free to the public and begin at 7 p.m. Be sure to check Cache Magazine every week for profiles on upcoming performers. And as always, don’t forget to visit the gingerbread house displays in downtown Logan!

Christmas spirit lands at the tabernacle

Jeremy Threlfall, Kermit Herd & The Treble Makers (Friday, Dec. 4)

J eremy Threlfall’s unique voice has touched the lives of all who truly listen. His love for sing-

ing started at the age of 5 and has developed into a life of performing, composing, recording, filming and arranging. With a variety of audiences ranging from country to Broadway, opera to children and inspirational, Jeremy’s array of musical genres par-allels an endless canvas of inspiring paintings that many can connect with. Jeremy will be performing with special guest composer Kevin Kula.

K ermit Herd has appeared in more than 50 professional musical concerts with such stars as Ginger Rogers, Shir-

ley Jones, Chita Rivera and Donald O’Connor, to name a few. He now resides in Logan.

T he Treble Makers have been singing together for many

years. Accompanist Lynne Morrey studied music at Weber State and Utah State. She has been teach-ing piano for more than 14 years. Sally Jones is accomplished in both voice and keyboard, with a degree in music education from Texas Christian University. She has been teaching voice lessons for more than 20 years and is currently a first soprano in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Becky Olson has performed in various musicals and women’s trios, and is currently a member of the American Festival Chorus. Evelyn Burch has performed in choirs at Ricks College and USU, in musicals and in women’s trios. She currently sings with the American Festival Chorus.

T he Cache Children’s Can-tate and Concert choirs will

be singing a variety of Christmas carols and seasonal songs. The Cantate Choir is an auditioned choir comprised of singers ages 11 to 15. They are directed by Jill DeVilbiss, who is assisted by USU Horrigan

Scholar Nadia Stehmeier. The Con-cert Choir has singers from fourth to eighth grade. The Concert Choir is directed by Melody Francis and assisted by USU Horrigan Scholar Michelle Farrell. They will be joined by the Candlelight Carolers for this special Christmas concert.

Cache Children’s Choir (Saturday, Dec. 5)

W illow Valley Singers and Sassafras String Band will

team up for an evening of Christmas music. The Willow Valley Singers specialize in bringing to life the charm and character of early Ameri-can folk songs, gospel and senti-mental songs dating from the 1800s. Songs chosen for the Christmas sea-son include “Jesus, Jesus Rest Your

Head, “Wondrous Love,” several Shaker tunes, shape-note arrange-ments and other favorites. Sassafras will join with Willow Valley on “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “Rise Up Shepherd and Follow” and “Jingle Bells” as well as play a variety of their own seasonal favorites. Sing-a-longs will be sure to get everyone in the spirit of the season.

Willow Valley Singers & Sassafras(Tuesday, Dec. 8)

Imperial Glee Club (Wednesday, Dec. 9)

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Westminster Bell Choir (Thursday, Dec. 10)

U sing four octaves of English handbells and three octaves of chimes, the 22 members of

the Westminster Bell Choirs will fill the tabernacle with the sounds of familiar Christmas hymns and carols. The two choirs — an ensemble that has been entertaining Cache Valley audiences since 1998 plus a new ensemble organized last year — will use a range of techniques to enliven such favorites as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “How Great Our Joy,” “Silent Night” and “Winter Wonderland.” The concert will also include num-bers by friends of the bell choirs, including vocal-ist Kermit Herd and pianist Nancy Skabelund.

The rest ofthe series

Dec. 11 Cache Chamber OrchestraDec. 12 Handel’s Christmas MessiahDec. 13 Community Food Pantry Benefit Concert

Stage

THE CREATIVE use of large-scale puppets plays an

important part in the next stage production to open at Utah State University when the Caine School of the Arts presents Utah State Theatre’s production of “Issun Boshi,” the Japa-nese tale of Tom Thumb. The production plays at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 in the Morgan Theatre of the Chase Fine Arts Center at USU. A matinee will show at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $13 for adults, $7 for K-12 students and free to USU students with valid ID, and available at the Caine School of the Arts Box Office in the Chase Fine Arts Center, FA 138-B; by calling 797-8022; or online at http://boxoffice.usu.edu.

“Issun Boshi” (“Little One Inch”) is the Japanese tale of Tom Thumb, the story of an elderly couple who wish for a child no matter the size. Issun arrives the size of a thumb and never grows any larger. He has many adventures that are portrayed in the play.

Utah State Theatre’s production involves large-scale puppets designed by associate professor

Dennis Hassan, who spent part of his sabbatical year studying traditional East-ern European marionette design and construction. Following his return, Has-san organized a theater crafts course specializing in puppetry. Students of that class and other the-ater arts specialists have invested hundreds of hours in the construction of the puppets for “Issun Boshi.”

“Considerable time has been spent in rehearsal with the actors learning to manipulate the puppets,” said Hassan. “It hasn’t just been a show where you build something and walk away from it, and we didn’t expect it to be. That’s part of what makes it exciting.”

The puppets range from the littlest Issun, a small puppet operated by the actor who plays big Issun; to the

gigantic samurai operated by up to eight actors. The production also features a large-scale wasp, rat, fish and kappa (water spirit).

A children’s activity book was prepared by students in the USU honors creative arts class specifically for “Issun Boshi.” To request a copy, e-mail [email protected]. The books will also be available at each performance free of charge.

Utah State Theatre’s production involves large-scale puppets like this one. Students and other theater arts specialists have invested hundreds of hours in the construction of the puppets for “Issun Boshi.”

Puppets star in USU play

PICKLEVILLE Playhouse will

present its brand new musical, “Once Upon a Christmas: A North Pole Musical,” at 7:30 p.m. now through Dec. 23 at USU’s Eccles Confer-ence Center. A matinee will show at 3 p.m. Dec. 23. An optional holiday buffet meal catered by The Copper Mill will be available before each performance. Show-only tickets are $15.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 11 and younger; dinner/show tickets are

$30.95 and $17.95. Dis-counted pricing is avail-able for company/office groups and groups of 25 people or more. For more information or to pur-chase tickets, call 755-0968 or visit www.pickle villeplayhouse.com.

“Once Upon a Christ-mas” is directed by Andrea Davis with choreography by Sharli King. The cast includes Brittney Worley, Derek Davis, Bryan Stephen-son, Whitney Davis, Olivia Ballam, Sharli King and T.J. Davis.

Pickleville premiers new holiday musical

Bryan Stephenson as Zippy the Elf

“Everybody’s Fine”Rated PG-13★★★ For those weary of the cuddly Robert De Niro, the gentle uplift of his latest film probably isn’t going to be tonic for the soul. Playing a retiree looking to reconnect with his adult children, De Niro does offer a master class of minimal-ist acting. If writer-director Kirk Jones (“Waking Ned Devine”) had allowed his lead actor a bit more room to roam into the dark corners of his character, the movie’s fast path toward late-life insight would have felt more earned. Still, De Niro’s work possesses such a quiet power that Jones’ well-crafted film dis-appoints only in the sense that it could have delivered more. With Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckin-sale and Sam Rockwell as the grown children. PG-13 for the-matic elements and brief strong language. 100 min.

“Armored”Rated PG-13(N/A) A review of “Armored” was not available from The Asso-ciated Press. In lieu, please accept this synopsis from www.RottenTomatoes.com: “Nimrod Antal (‘Vacancy’) directs this high-powered heist movie star-ring Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Laurence Fishburne. The plot follows the supposedly genius plot of a group of armored car men who decide to steal from their own company. But their plan begins to fall apart when an innocent person intervenes in their attempt.” PG-13 for sequences of intense violence, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

“Ninja Assassin”Rated R★

1⁄2 When considering the mea-ger merits of this blood-splat-tered bone-snapper, it’s best to remember the words of John Goodman’s PC-challenged character in “The Big Lebowski”: “The man in the black pajamas, Dude. Worthy ... adversary.” The makers of “Ninja Assassin” want to make those words real and rescue the ninja from the

province of turtles. They have a funny way of paying respect to the sword-wielding sabo-teurs, though. Director James McTeigue (“V for Vendetta”) is clearly more interested in spray-ing geysers of digital blood than in establishing the ninja as a foe to be taken seriously. Another problem: Since the movie’s nin-jas only come out in the dark, the fight scenes are murky and almost impossible to follow. No worthy adversaries here. Korean pop star Rain and Nao-mie Harris lead the cast of the movie, which centers on a rogue hit man who betrays his clan of assassins. R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language. 99 min.

“Amelia”Rated PG★★ Considering the risks Amelia Earhart took, losing her life in the call of aviation, Hil-

ary Swank and director Mira Nair don’t put much on the line in their film biography of the pioneering flyer. This is a biopic on autopilot, providing the facts but not the passions of Earhart’s achievements, her marriage to her promoter (Rich-ard Gere) and her fling with a fellow pilot (Ewan McGregor). Swank’s Earhart repeatedly tells people how she has to fly or die. Yet when she’s in the air, she’s as stiff and closed-off as a passenger stuck in a middle coach seat on a trans-Atlan-tic flight. As Earhart, Swank exposes what could be her prime limitation: She doesn’t have much range. Swank can tear up the screen in raw street drama such as “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby,” for which she earned Academy Awards. She’s miserably out of her skin as the stately Earhart, though — drab, distant, utterly

uninvolving. In choppy fashion, the movie intercuts between Earhart’s doomed last flight around the world in 1937 and the achievements leading up to it over the previous decade — her Atlantic and Pacific cross-ings, her mentoring of female flyers, her efforts to establish regional passenger shuttle service. Lovely aerial images, lush landscapes and rich sets and costumes are the film’s lone strengths. In almost every other regard, “Amelia” veers off course. PG for some sensuality, language, thematic elements and smoking. 111 min.

“New Moon”Rated PG-13★

1⁄2 As every Stephenie Meyer fan knows, this is the one where studly vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) dumps human girlfriend Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) for her own safety, and she turns to old chum Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) for solace, unaware that he’s a werewolf, and there-

fore Edward’s sworn enemy. Fans will turn out in blockbuster legions, but here are a few of the many things wrong with director Chris Weitz’s adapta-tion: It’s really two half moons, or two halves of a movie that don’t quite fit. Mopey teenager Bella has all the luster of, well, a mopey teenager. The real rivalry is whether werewolves or vampires can behave with greater preposterousness and pretension. Finally, “New Moon” is boring, eternally so. The soap-opera melodrama of Stewart, Pattinson and Laut-ner’s performances provides some unintentional laughs. Yet Stewart is on screen almost all the time, and her Bella is just a drag to be around. With her flat speech and listless presence, it’s unfathomable how two dif-ferent sets of monsters could fixate so completely on her. PG-13 for some violence and action. 130 min.

— All reviews byThe Associated Press

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Help make a difference!

Cuddles from the Heart Bring in your homemade or

store-bought blankets for donation

to Logan Regional Hospital and

Primary Children’s Medical Center! Donations must be made by Dec. 1, 2009, and can be dropped off at The Herald Journal, 75 W. 300 North, Lo-gan. For more information, e-mail HeartCuddles @yahoo.com or call 792-7229.

4,17,

Film

Still playing

New this week

IN JIM SHERIDAN’S “Brothers,” it feels like the film’s three young stars are

playing house.Tobey Maguire, Natalie Port-

man and Jake Gyllenhaal have all previously played memora-ble teenage characters and each has maintained a youthfulness into their late 20s and 30s.

Here, they star in a suburban, domestic drama that extends all the way to Afghanistan. Magu-ire is Captain Sam Cahill, a decorated Marine and husband to his high school sweetheart, Grace (Portman), with whom he has two daughters. Gyllenhaal is Sam’s brother, Tommy (Gyl-lenhaal), the black sheep of the family who, at the movie’s start, is just getting out of prison.

When Sam ships out to Afghanistan, he’s presumed dead after a fiery helicopter crash. Grace is heartbroken from the loss, but finds support in a maturing Tommy. He helps around the house, plays with the kids and begins to have feelings for Grace.

All the while, we know Sam is not dead and has been taken prisoner. Under threat of death, he’s forced to commit an unspeakable sin, an incident that damages and haunts him when he returns to his previ-ously idyllic family life.

The possibility that his broth-er and his wife have become

romantically involved causes him to explode in jealousy.

“Brothers” is a remake of Susanne Bier’s 2004 Danish film “Brodre,” in which the three main characters were slightly older. But the youth of “Brothers” isn’t a knock on the film. On the contrary, it makes it more realistic given the thou-sands of fresh-faced soldiers so often sent to war.

It’s one of the few differences between Sheridan’s remake and the original. It’s a simple story and “Brodre” had an affecting, lyrical quality, a poetry lacking in Sheridan’s sleeker, more sen-timental film.

Staying almost scene-for-scene with the original, Sheri-dan (“My Left Foot,” “In Amer-ica”) weaves the dual story lines — at home and in Afghanistan

— building the tension for the inevitable clash between the separate worlds.

“Brothers” has aspirations for “Deer Hunter” territory — a dramatic examination of the cost blue-collar families pay for war. Where “Deer Hunter” was epic in its reach, “Brothers” feels as though it never really leaves the front yard.

When Sam returns home, he might as well be an alien. He’s creepy and bug-eyed with post-traumatic mania, nearly unrec-ognizable to his family.

Gyllenhaal is perhaps too likable for his character. We believe his caring, responsible uncle, but not his recent history as a drunk convict.

By distilling the story of war down to a single family, “Broth-ers” makes an impossibly com-plex story of war understand-

able and human. But missed are opportunities to expand the film, such as with Sam and Tommy’s father, an alcoholic veteran played by Sam Shep-herd.

Portman is mostly left to bounce between Sam and Tommy. Constantly either long-ing for her husband or anxious for his well-being, she rings true as a military mother full of worry and caring.

In the end, “Brothers” hopes that healing can happen through confession and understanding. Ultimately, it’s the need for the home front to know the pain of its sons and daughters fighting abroad.

It’s a worthy lesson and the aspiration of “Brothers” is noble. But it can’t preserve the intimacy of the original film, and the loosened characters slide into cliche.

“Brothers,” a Lionsgate release, is rated R for language and some disturbing violent content. Running time: 110 minutes. Two stars out of four.

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‘Brothers’ loses something in translationAisle Seat

By The Associated Press

★★

“Brothers”Rated R

hile doing Christ-mas shopping in downtown Logan this month, don’t be surprised if you

happen to see multiple Hansel and Gretel havens in the windows of your favorite stores.

The 10th annual Parade of Ginger-bread Homes, which has been going on since Nov. 27, includes 11 delicious entries of gingerbread houses in all shapes, sizes and sugary sweets — each being displayed in a local business.

The event was launched 10 years ago by Julie and Gene Needham after they heard about a similar gingerbread contest held in a town in Vir-ginia. They thought it would be fun to start the tradition in Logan and as Gene was presi-dent of the Downtown Alli-ance, the contest was a way to promote local businesses.

In previous years, contes-tants did not have to make their houses out of only edible supplies, but this year Julie said that rule was changed and only entries that could be eaten in their entirety were accepted. All of the houses were turned in Nov. 20 and judged by pro-fessional designers and cake decora-tors the next morning for first, second and third places. There was no limit to the time spent or the creativity involved in each of the entries.

It took two weeks, dozens of hours and four or five trips from Hyrum to Layton for Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon to make their gingerbread house, which resembles Hagrid’s hut from the “Harry Potter” series — and that’s not counting the supplies, gum paste and frosting. It was worth it, though, the two friends say. The judges ended up choosing them as

second-place winners.Barlow and Scanlon didn’t skip any

details when creating their house. Bar-low made the circular hut from gin-gerbread and Scanlon said she spent about 18 hours working on figures in Hagrid’s yard that include trees, pumpkins, Ron, Hermione, Harry Pot-ter and Hagrid himself. Those who have read the books will be impressed

to see that Scanlon and Barlow even made sure to include a grave for Ara-gog, Hagrid’s giant spider friend.

Barlow said she would drive to Layton every Monday and Scanlon would come to Hyrum on Fridays so they could work on the gingerbread house together.

“My favorite part is just doing something that you think about and

seeing it come to life,” Scanlon said. “It’s also neat to see what other people have done and get ideas. We just really enjoy it. It’s just really fun to do.”

Megan Stettler made a Victorian house out of gingerbread, complete with a wrap-around roof and porch, frosting icicles, wreaths on every window and a sparkly, silver roof made of gum and luster dust. She

ended up placing first for the critic’s choice award, although she said it’s only the second gingerbread house she has ever made. The first was a couple years ago when she worked as a cake decorator at Macey’s. It was there she learned how to make intri-cate shapes with frosting.

Stettler said she got the idea for her Victorian after looking at several

different types of houses online. From there she made a template for the gingerbread.

“The Victorian looked cool,” Stettler said. “It has a different look. It’s classical and homey.”

She started the house five days before she had to turn it in and is unsure how much time she spent on it.

“Oh boy, I don’t even know. I just did a little every day,” she said.

Lael Gilbert said she spent two full days making a man-sion out of green, cotton candy-flavored sucker candy, which gives it the appearance of a glass house. She said she

didn’t have any molds for the man-sion so she poured the candy on the counter and cut it into the sizes she wanted, then used melted sugar to fuse the walls together. She also made red sucker trees that she placed around the house.

“I make suckers for the farmer’s

See TASTY on p.14

“Home for Christmas” by Megan Stettler (on display at Bernina’s Stylish Fabrics)

Details, from top: “Home for Christmas” by Megan Stettler; “Fantasy Carousel” by Linette Hlavaty; “A Coastal Christmas” by the Parrys; “Hagrid’s Hut” by Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon

Left: “Don’t Throw Stones” by Lael Gilbert (on display at Poco Loco) Right: “Fantasy Carousel” by Linette Hlavaty (on display at S.E. Needham Jewelers)

Photos, from left: “The Pyramids of Egypt” by Hilary Robinson and Rosalyn Warner (on display at Edwards Furniture); “Hagrid’s Hut” by Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon (on display at U&I Furniture); “Pink Palace” by Abby Johnson (on display at Coppin’s Hallmark); “A Coastal Christmas” by the Parry Family (on display at The Book Table)

hile doing Christ-mas shopping in downtown Logan this month, don’t be surprised if you

happen to see multiple Hansel and Gretel havens in the windows of your favorite stores.

The 10th annual Parade of Ginger-bread Homes, which has been going on since Nov. 27, includes 11 delicious entries of gingerbread houses in all shapes, sizes and sugary sweets — each being displayed in a local business.

The event was launched 10 years ago by Julie and Gene Needham after they heard about a similar gingerbread contest held in a town in Vir-ginia. They thought it would be fun to start the tradition in Logan and as Gene was presi-dent of the Downtown Alli-ance, the contest was a way to promote local businesses.

In previous years, contes-tants did not have to make their houses out of only edible supplies, but this year Julie said that rule was changed and only entries that could be eaten in their entirety were accepted. All of the houses were turned in Nov. 20 and judged by pro-fessional designers and cake decora-tors the next morning for first, second and third places. There was no limit to the time spent or the creativity involved in each of the entries.

It took two weeks, dozens of hours and four or five trips from Hyrum to Layton for Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon to make their gingerbread house, which resembles Hagrid’s hut from the “Harry Potter” series — and that’s not counting the supplies, gum paste and frosting. It was worth it, though, the two friends say. The judges ended up choosing them as

second-place winners.Barlow and Scanlon didn’t skip any

details when creating their house. Bar-low made the circular hut from gin-gerbread and Scanlon said she spent about 18 hours working on figures in Hagrid’s yard that include trees, pumpkins, Ron, Hermione, Harry Pot-ter and Hagrid himself. Those who have read the books will be impressed

to see that Scanlon and Barlow even made sure to include a grave for Ara-gog, Hagrid’s giant spider friend.

Barlow said she would drive to Layton every Monday and Scanlon would come to Hyrum on Fridays so they could work on the gingerbread house together.

“My favorite part is just doing something that you think about and

seeing it come to life,” Scanlon said. “It’s also neat to see what other people have done and get ideas. We just really enjoy it. It’s just really fun to do.”

Megan Stettler made a Victorian house out of gingerbread, complete with a wrap-around roof and porch, frosting icicles, wreaths on every window and a sparkly, silver roof made of gum and luster dust. She

ended up placing first for the critic’s choice award, although she said it’s only the second gingerbread house she has ever made. The first was a couple years ago when she worked as a cake decorator at Macey’s. It was there she learned how to make intri-cate shapes with frosting.

Stettler said she got the idea for her Victorian after looking at several

different types of houses online. From there she made a template for the gingerbread.

“The Victorian looked cool,” Stettler said. “It has a different look. It’s classical and homey.”

She started the house five days before she had to turn it in and is unsure how much time she spent on it.

“Oh boy, I don’t even know. I just did a little every day,” she said.

Lael Gilbert said she spent two full days making a man-sion out of green, cotton candy-flavored sucker candy, which gives it the appearance of a glass house. She said she

didn’t have any molds for the man-sion so she poured the candy on the counter and cut it into the sizes she wanted, then used melted sugar to fuse the walls together. She also made red sucker trees that she placed around the house.

“I make suckers for the farmer’s

See TASTY on p.14

“Home for Christmas” by Megan Stettler (on display at Bernina’s Stylish Fabrics)

Details, from top: “Home for Christmas” by Megan Stettler; “Fantasy Carousel” by Linette Hlavaty; “A Coastal Christmas” by the Parrys; “Hagrid’s Hut” by Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon

Left: “Don’t Throw Stones” by Lael Gilbert (on display at Poco Loco) Right: “Fantasy Carousel” by Linette Hlavaty (on display at S.E. Needham Jewelers)

Photos, from left: “The Pyramids of Egypt” by Hilary Robinson and Rosalyn Warner (on display at Edwards Furniture); “Hagrid’s Hut” by Laura Barlow and Andrea Scanlon (on display at U&I Furniture); “Pink Palace” by Abby Johnson (on display at Coppin’s Hallmark); “A Coastal Christmas” by the Parry Family (on display at The Book Table)

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The 2009 winter Gallery Walk is here!

THE ALLIANCE FOR THE VARIED Arts will present its Winter Wonderland Gallery Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec.

4. Many businesses and galleries in the downtown area will be open later that night with a display of artwork and live music for all ages to enjoy. For more information, call 753-2970 or visit www.avaarts.org. Those participating include:

AVA Gallery (35 W. 100 South)featuring The Cache Chapter

of the Utah Watercolor Society“The Gift of Watercolor Media”

Riverwoods Gallery (615 S. Riverwoods Pkwy.)featuring professionalartists of Cache Valley

Fuhriman’s Framing (37 N. Main)featuring various artists“A Flair to Remember”

Utah Public Radio Studio (43 S. Main)featuring various artists

“Frog Hollow Summer Camp”

Winter Gift Market (43 S. Main, upstairs)featuring various Cache Valley artists

Winborg Gallery (55 N. Main, Ste. 208)featuring Larry & Jeremy WinborgOriginal works and giclee prints

The Art Center Gallery (25 W. 100 North)featuring various artists

“15 Painters and 2 Sculptors”

The Sportsman (129 N. Main, downstairs)featuring Linda Smith Morse

“Visions of Cache Valley and Beyond”

Mtn. Place Gallery (129 N. Main, upstairs)featuring Russ Fjeldsted

“Paintings of Bear Lake, Cache Valley”

S.E. Needham Jewelers (141 N. Main)featuring Heather Theurer

“Expirations in Life and Imaginations”

The Italian Place (48 Federal Ave.)featuring LHS art students and faculty

“Reflections Contest Entries”

Caffe Ibis Galley Deli (52 Federal Ave.)featuring Chris Garr and Ginger Payant

“Classy Cuts and Company”

S Designs Photography (106 Church St.)featuring Cache ValleyPhotographers Group

Global Village Gifts (146 N. 100 East)featuring various artists

“Other Worlds, Other Art”

St. John’s Episcopal Church (85 E. 100 North)featuring artist-teachers

and their students

The Logan Downtown Alliance“10th annual Gingerbread Walk”

Get your voting ballots at the AVA!Placed at various downtown businesses

100 North

200 North

100 South

Utah Public Radio

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Church

AS PART OF ITS wintertime festivities, the

American West Heritage Center will host its annual “Frontier Christmas” Dec. 11-19 with the last two days, Dec. 18 and 19, climaxing with the Holly Faire: A Victorian Marketplace. Fron-tier Christmas will run from 5 to 9 each evening and from noon to 9 p.m. Dec. 12, 18 and 19. Admission is free, though charges do apply for some optional activities.

Frontier Christmas boasts Christmas lights and holiday decor in an old-fashioned set-ting, as well as train rides, pony rides and visits with Father

Christmas, the Heritage Center’s unique, Victorian-flavored Santa. Food and snacks will be available. Visitors can also visit the 1917 Jensen Historical Farm and experience “A World War I Christmas on the Home Front,” where they can enjoy music at “Christmas Jam” or enjoy a snack from the period wood-burning stove. Visitors are encouraged to bring voices and/or instruments to Christmas Jam and join in on the jam session. Even novice musicians and sing-ers are welcome. Another attrac-tion includes the Living Nativity with animals in which partici-pants can dress up in nativity

clothing and pose in tableau next to cute goats and donkeys. Fine art from local artists will also be available in the Livery Stable.

It’s also the fifth year for the annual March of the Socks Christmas stocking exhibit, where local artists paint, carve and otherwise artistically cre-ate the most unique Christmas stockings around. The Heritage Center is also participating in the Hungry for Art program, so please remember to bring cans of food to donate to the Cache County Food Pantry.

For more information about Frontier Christmas or the Holly Faire, visit www.awhc.org.

The American West Heritage Center’s living nativity tableau with Jack the donkey looking in from the background.

Step back in time at AWHC’s annual ‘Frontier Christmas’

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You know it’s Christmas when the Wranglers come to town!

All mixed up

THE CACHE VALLEY Center for the Arts will pres-ent the return of the Bar J

Wranglers for their annual Christmas concert at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sat-urday, Dec. 19, at the Ellen Eccles Theatre. Experience the spirit of the Old West as the Bar J Wranglers take their holiday charm on the road. Tickets are $16, $18, $20 and $22 and can be purchased online at www.EllenEcclesTheatre.org or at the Cache Valley Center for the Arts Ticket Office, 43 South Main. For more information, call 752-0026.

The Bar J Wranglers have been performing annually at the Eccles Theatre for the last nine years. The group was formed in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 1983 by Babe Humphrey;

they have performed nationwide with outstanding performers such as Roy Rogers, Randy Travis, Sons of the Pioneers and others.

Throughout the summer months they entertain 700 guests seven nights a week at their acclaimed Bar J Chuckwagon in Jackson Hole. The five band members combine old-fashioned hard work to create a true Western classic. For more infor-mation about the group, visit www.barjchuckwagon.com.

Babe Humphrey is the original Trailboss of the Wranglers. Hum-phrey is enjoying a much-deserved retirement after handing the reins over to his son, Scott. Though mak-ing an occasional holiday appear-ance, Humphrey has enjoyed more

than 50 years in the Western music business. He also plays both lead and rhythm guitar. Scott Humphrey is Babe’s oldest son and has been in the group since 1986. He plays rhythm guitar and sings tenor. Bryan Hum-phrey is Babe’s youngest son and joined the group in 1989. He plays the “doghouse” bass and has a com-manding lead voice. Tim Hodgson is Babe’s “adopted” son, performing with the group since 1989. Hodgson plays the fiddle and sings tenor and high baritone. Donnie Cook began playing with the band in 1999; he plays flat-top guitar, steel guitar, dobro and banjo. Danny Rogers is the newest member, joining the band in 2007. Rogers rounds out the group with his smooth bass voice.

Eat and dance the night away in high Victorian styleAS PART OF ITS

wintertime festivities, the American West Heritage Center will host its annual Victorian Christmas Feast at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 in the Heritage Center’s Opera House. It will be followed by a Victorian Winter Ball at 8

p.m. featuring live music by the Sassafras Folk String Band.

Victorian costumes are option-al. A menu of authentic Vic-torian recipes will be featured at the feast, prepared by mul-tiple-prize-winning chef John Simpson of Culinary Concepts working closely with Heritage Center historians for accuracy. It will include an eight-course meal with a suckling pig, turkey

and other delicacies, climax-ing with a Victorian flaming pudding. The evening will also feature musical entertainment and Heritage Center personnel have hinted that a few Yuletide gunfights might take place.

Dinner/dance tickets are $29.50 per person. Visitors are advised to dress warmly and to come early, for it takes a short wagon ride to get to the Opera

House from the Welcome Cen-ter, where guests can check in. For more information, contact David Sidwell at [email protected] or visit www.awhc.org.

Following the dinner, the Heritage Center will open its doors to the general public with its Victorian Winter Ball. Admission is $5 and live music will be provided by Sassafras. Vintage costumes are optional.

SATIRICAL IMITATIONS OF GRANT Wood’s famous oil painting of a long-faced, tight-

lipped farmer holding a pitchfork, his spinster daugh-ter standing stiffly beside him and a white house with a Gothic window in the background have surfaced hundreds of times since “American Gothic” was cre-ated in 1930.

The images have appeared in televi-sion shows, sculpture, comic books, movie posters, animated car-toons,

adver-tisements and

billion-dollar “cur-rency,” to name a few. Bill

Laursen, a resident of Sandy, has col-lected about 100 parodies of the artwork over

30 years that will be presented in the exhibit “Beyond American Gothic” at the Brigham City Museum-Gal-lery (24 N. 300 West) through Dec. 9. Admission is free. The museum from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 435-723-6769.

Go way beyond

‘American Gothic’

Photo: Visitors frolic at the annu-al Winter Ball at the American West Heritage Center.

“King Tut and Queen Nefertiti” by Bill Laursen of Sandy, created in colored pencil over computer images.

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THE SEVENTH annual Winter Gift Market

— Cache Valley’s premier arti-san gift market for the holidays — will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at The Bullen Center, 43 S.

Main, Logan. Admission is free. More than 30 local artists will be selling their pottery, woodwork, metal work, art glass, beadwork, jewelry, photography, wreaths, florals, fabric arts and hand-made, handspun, knitted and crocheted items, soaps, lotions and more. There will also be live

music and children’s activities from the AVA. Due to stair-cases and space con-straints, no strollers please. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.gar denersmarket.org. This year’s artisans include:

POTTERY/CERAMICS

• Heather Gale• Rasmussen Pottery• Paradise Pottery

ART GLASS/POLYMER CLAY

• Christina Bailey• Leona Hawks, Fused Glass Station• Jen Walker, Glitzy Glass Stars• Sharon Ohlhorst, ‘Just SO’ Creations• Andrew Duncan, Studio 63

FIBER ARTS• Shirley Joffs, Fabulous Fabric• Corinne Thul & Arrin Brunson, Felted Wooly Goodness• Sharon Ohlhorst, ‘Just SO’ Creations• Northern Utah Fiber Artisans• Amanda Townsend, Serenity Silk• Raecale Stull, Stull Knits• Tamra Roe, Teez Sportswear

PHOTOGRAPHY• Amanda Murray & Friends @ USU• Andrew Rayburn, (Mostly) Living World Photography• Ed & Ollie Stamps, A Moment in Time

JEWELRY• Joy Brisighella (historical bead cre-ations)• Myra Lynch & Lois Sorensen, Glitz Biz• Carie Toone,

Elegant Expressions• Jen Walker, Glitzy Glass Stars• Mary Ann Montour• Gayle Knapp, Keletica• Suzie Stones

BATH & BODY• Craig & Kami Huntzinger, Bees Brothers• Laura Mae Miller, Jewel Soap

• Evelyn Rust, Sunshea Products• Becky Yeager, The Spirit Goat

WOOD/METAL/FOLK ART• Christina Bailey• Odell and Bill Bodrero• Bec and Kirk Dahle, Limber-pine Design• Monte McCulloch• Wendy Douglas

FROM THE EARTH• Christina Bailey• Bryan Palmer, Craft Farm• Melinda Petro• Wreaths, Stone, Leaf& Gourd Art• Evelyn Rust, Sunshea Products• Donna Watkins

GIFTBASKETS

& GOODIES• Craig & Kami Huntzinger, Bees Brothers• Liz Butcher, Butchers Bunches• Ana Berry, Europa• Barb Farris & Penny Trinca

UTAH STATE University’s Ceramics Guild

will host its annual Holi-day Sale from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Sat-urday, Dec. 4 and 5, in the Ceramic Studio, Fine Arts Visual, FAV 123. Everyone is invited.

Ceramics students and sale organizers promise multitudes of beauti-ful, hand-crafted pottery with prices starting at $8. Items include everything from plates, jars and mugs to baking dishes and serving platters. Dur-ing the sale, cash and check will be accepted.

“Handmade pottery is sure to make a unique gift for the holidays and,

of course, you also get the satisfaction of sup-porting some very hard-working art students,” said guild member Michiko Zaharias.

The artists will be on hand to answer any ques-

tions about the artwork and to give tours of the facilities to all those interested.

For more information, call 797-3566 or e-mail [email protected].

All mixed up

Gear up for the seventh annual Winter Gift Market

USU Ceramics Guild to host Holiday Sale

“ACHRISTMAS Pudding” will

play at 7:30 p.m. every Monday, Friday and Sat-urday Dec. 4-19 at the Heritage Theatre, 2505 S. Highway 89, Perry. Matinees will show at 2 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19. Tickets are $9 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. For reserva-tions or more informa-tion, call 435-723-8392 or visit www.heritage theatreutah.com.

Directed by Mac Edwards, “A Christmas Pudding” was created, compiled and adapted by David Briney, who describes the play as “an evening of song, mirth and music designed to bring out the best in all of us.”

The production was first staged many years ago in Los Angeles and has devel-oped quite a following. The play has been performed in theaters, churches, cathe-

drals, schools and other intimate gatherings.

The show derives its title from the traditional Christmas pudding served in England. Briney even includes the presentation

of a Christmas pudding by Mrs. Bob Cratchit to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge.

Hence the production takes “a little bit of this and a lot of that” to blend

into a fun, heart-warm-ing and memorable evening at the theater. The actors even share the history behind many of the carols, which adds to the sig-nificance of the lyrics and the melodies.

Cast members include Carolyn Able, Greg Christensen, Alexis

Morgan, Emily Thornock and Joshua Wilding, all from Brigham City; Nancy Baker of Willard; and Rand Breim of Ogden. Tammy Hirschi of Perry will pro-vide accompaniment.

Heritage Theatre serves upa little Christmas pudding

Friday, Dec. 4, 6 to 9 p.m.

• HiFallutin’ Flute Choir• Ryan Thorell (jazz guitar)• Caine Saxophone Quartet

Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Marley Lunt (didgeridoo demos and lessons)• Hot Flashes• Wade, Cara & Friends: Ryan Russell, more• Jam session featuring Antonio Arce

This year’s musical lineup

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READERS, MARK your calendar for a Cache Valley literary

event this evening, Dec. 4, at The Book Table in downtown Logan. The author who is fea-tured in this week’s column, Frank Richardson, and a host of other authors will be appearing at the store from 4 p.m. to mid-night for a special event called “Midnight Madness.”

Appearing with Richardson will be Dorothy Keddington, Jeff Jeppson, Linda Chadwick, Pam June and Koltn Burbank. Here is your chance to meet and talk books with several authors and get a signed copy of your favorites for yourself or Christ-mas giving.

“Where the Sun Rises” by Frank Richardson (Bonne-ville Books, 2009, $14.99)Utah author Frank Richard-

son makes his fiction debut with “Where the Sun Rises.” His book shows none of the obvious markers of a new author. He exhibits the mature writing style of an old pro — tight storyline, well-developed characters and a topic that is worth the few hours it will take to read his book. Of added interest to my Utah and Idaho readers are the locales the protagonist visits during his life-changing journey.

Hatcher Stephens III has lived it all — from the heights of success and wealth to a Seattle gutter where he awak-ens from an all-too-frequent drunken binge. Having lost family, friends and profession, he is touched by an urgency that he must go east — “where the sun rises” — in order to turn his life around. A series of unlikely events brings Hatcher to people who help him start the long journey back from alcoholism and toward something he has lacked his entire life: character.

“Fighting a headache and diz-ziness, he gradually opened both eyes. He was lying beside his own car, his BMW Z4 3.0 Road-

ster. The car was his first — and these days, his only — love, one of the few vestiges of his vanish-ing world.” He finds he is unable to get up from the curb and real-izes not only has he disgraced himself by wetting his pants, but that this is also the “very sort of thing people scorned in the behavior of drunks. Loss of control. Slurred speech. Public display of bodily functions.” As his mind clears of his drunken stupor, he realizes he has man-aged to lose the keys to his car. After finally standing upright, he takes the first few steps of the fateful walk that starts him on his way to sobriety.

Hatcher, soon to be Hatch, has never asked for help from anyone, never said thank you or apologized to another human being. Hatcher was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. Yet on this first night of his odyssey, he is broke, hopeless and taking refuge in a doorway of St. Mark’s Presby-terian Church in Bellevue when he is discovered by a security guard. Trevor Martin quickly recognizes a man in the throes of drying out and takes him home, where Hatcher wakes up several days later unable to understand why Trevor is trying

to help him or his tough-love approach to rehabilitation.

Through Trevor he meets Sylvia, who becomes another mentor and his first employer. Sylvia is a bit skeptical of hir-ing an attorney to work in her little shop, but decides to give him a try. Both she and Hatch are surprised at his aptitude for retail sales and although he toys with the idea several times of returning home to his ex-wife and children, he realizes his current situation is a buffer between him and the problems that face him in the real world.

He promises Sylvia he will stay until after the Christmas holidays and continues to enjoy his work and sobriety until some unfinished business from his old life catches up with him and Trevor literally beats him up for endangering Sylvia’s life. After four months of sobriety, Trevor decides it is time for Hatch to learn a lesson in character build-ing. In a confrontation over why Hatch would hide behind Sylvia rather than being a man and standing up for himself,

Hatch admits his motivation was his fear of being hit in the face — “without warning, Trevor’s right fist flashed in front of Hatch’s face, striking him full in the mouth.” Failing to defend himself, Trevor continues to pummel Hatch until he explains, between punches, “I’m showing you that you can survive having your face busted! I’m hoping you’ll discover that your face is not the most valuable asset you have to protect.”

Enter mentor No. 3: Mark Lester of Nampa, Idaho. Mark picks up Hatch from the side of the road after he leaves Bel-levue, again headed for Denver. In the course of their ride, they discover they have a common interest in prestige cars and Mark convinces Hatch to sojourn in Nampa for a while before moving on. His stay in Nampa extends for more than six months and once again Hatch learns a lot about himself and character building. When he finally leaves Nampa he has money in the bank, he is still sober and his confidence in himself and his life

has grown in leaps and bounds, but he still feels the urgency of continuing his search for “where the sun rises.”

To his complete surprise, that place turns out to be Snowville, Utah, a small stop in the road near the Utah/Idaho border. Here Hatch finally comes face to face with his demons and, through a dying woman, finally finds the courage to make the fateful call to Patty, his ex, and “travel with the sun as it moved west.”

Will Patty believe his recovery and accept him back? Will all Hatch has learned in this extend-ed wandering and soul searching be enough to rebuild his life and regain his family and profes-sion? Or like so many others, will the struggles and realities of life push him back to the bottle?

These are valid questions. As the daughter of an alcoholic, I know from personal experience the good intentions and struggles of a drinker who finally drank himself to death at the young age of 52. This book has strong mes-sages about character and the destructiveness of alcoholism for the inflicted, his/her family and business associates. I could sympathize with Hatch, having seen my dad struggle with these same demons, but at the same time I could understand Patty’s dilemma when she says, “I’m afraid to hope again.”

Feedback at www.charlene hirschi.com.

Books

Regional Reads

By Charlene Hirschi

A hopeful story of alcoholism, redemptionFrank Richardson,

author of “Where the Sun Rises,” will be signing copies of his book from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday,

Dec. 4, at The Book Table. Everyone is invited.

HARDCOVER FICTION1. “I, Alex Cross” by James Patterson2. “Under the Dome” by Stephen King3. “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown4. “Ford County” by John Grisham5. “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett

HARDCOVER NONFICTION1. “Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin2. “Open” by Andre Agassi3. “Have a Little Faith” by Mitch Albom4. “Arguing With Idiots” by Glenn Beck5. “A Simple Christmas” by Mike Huckabee

* This week’s New York Times Bestseller List *

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Answers from last week

Crossword www.ThemeCrosswords.com

Across1. Overstrung6. Coalition10. Disables15. Pet19. Harden20. Hokkaido native21. Comedian Kovacs22. Neighbor of Turkmenistan23. Digestive juices24. Can of worms?25. Freetown currency unit26. Bothers27. Comedian takes over wine company?31. Cable network32. Reef dweller33. Sewed up34. Impulse37. Parts of a code41. Anguish43. Sonja Henie’s birthplace45. Newton, for one46. Impressionist takes over pizzerias?52. Ins54. Hitch55. Part of ICBM56. Elvis Costello song57. Feed59. Language expert62. Surmounting63. Vault65. Grateful?67. Stretch68. Talk show host takes over gift shops?75. Develop76. Wrinkly

77. 10 jiao78. Act as a lookout, maybe79. Reckless criticism83. Sandy beaches87. Greensward88. Hindu loincloth91. God offended by Daphnis93. Rinse, as with a solvent94. Singer takes over food company?99. Cellular stuff100. Nonpareil101. Touch102. Lentil, e.g.103. Kind of income104. Gone106. Govt. regulator108. ___ job110. Royal family member takes over clothing stores?121. Baseball move122. Store area123. Ice cream flavor124. Oranjestad’s island125. Bush appointee126. Round mass127. Kind of ring or swing128. Dali, for one129. Under cover?130. Cold shower?131. Vogue editor Wintour132. Early years in a century

Down1. Balks2. Kind of pricing

3. Slipper option4. Trailer, var.5. Nods6. Rum cake7. Pseudologue8. Sleep ___9. ___ pie10. Sweet clover11. Gazetteer datum12. Involved with13. Object to14. Ball handler?15. Bombs16. Surface17. Sound18. Starfleet Academy grad.28. Bamako is its capital29. First name on Capitol Hill30. Persian Gulf ship34. End ___35. Nettle36. Suitcase38. Show piece?39. Command to Nellie40. Epithet42. Inventor Otis43. U.N. Day mo.44. Ed.’s request46. Begrudge47. Glass of public radio48. Maze marking49. Moving50. Geneva’s river51. School mos.53. Bent58. Skater Babilonia60. Loses hair61. An end to sex?62. Discordant

64. Neighbor of Ger.66. Sun spot?67. Turned hard68. Conglomerate69. Iron man?70. Soft leather71. Aware of72. Smear73. Do-over74. Swallow80. “And I Love ___”81. Spheres82. Rent84. Teacher

85. “Empedocles on ___” (Matthew Arnold poem)86. Envelope closer88. Electron tube89. Egg maker90. Have markers out92. Drop in on95. Ran a lot96. Most silly97. Taro variety98. Puts on103. Dictate104. Small firecracker105. Prevention measure?

107. Character109. Bakery supply111. Pinches112. Stringed instrument113. Maroon’s home114. Lead115. Monopoly token116. Quite a stretch117. Kind of jerk118. Ancient character119. Shade of black120. Gobs121. Purchase at 110-Across?

“Celebrity Takeovers” by Myles Mellor and Sally York

TastyContinued from p.9

market and I wanted to see how far I could take the medium,” she said.

Needham said some contestants took work off so they could finish in time and estimates some people spent more than 40 hours on their gingerbread projects.

Tiffany and Stewart Parry and their children drove their light-house creation all the way from Evanston, Wyo. They had been in the contest two years before they moved from the valley and didn’t want to miss out. Tiffany said they made the lighthouse as a family and each year they love the chal-lenge of creating something new.

“Every year the competition gets greater, it seems. We love that,” she said. “It is so much fun to see what everyone comes up with and this year, the way it was set up, we actually got to meet some of the other contestants and talk with them, discussing materi-als and techniques.”

Tiffany said her family loves the coast and when they travel, they make sure to visit all of the lighthouses they can. After last year’s contest they soon decided on this year’s theme and began finding pictures of lighthouses in the winter.

They made the cliff for their entry out of graham crackers, brownies cooked until hard as a rock and unleavened choco-late sheet cake. The Parrys then sprinkled it with powdered sugar

to look like snow. Water was made of white icing and blue poured sugar; the lighthouse itself was made of gingerbread, red icing, sugar cubes, fondant and iced corn tortillas.

“One of our favorite features is the wreath on the lighthouse, which was delicately crafted by my 11-year-old daughter, Alana, who is very talented with tiny clay creations,” she said.

Judges picked the Parrys’ light-house as third place.

It seems the creators of the gin-gerbread houses found no limits to the kinds of shapes and houses they could create. Linette Hlavaty created a carousel with a red and white striped top and carousel seats shaped like horses, pigs and a sleigh made of peppermints. She also created flower mosaics out

of nerds and Hot Tamales on the inside of the carousel.

Gingerbread pyramids of Egypt were designed by Hilary Robinson and Rosalyn Warner, each towering above a Sphinx, camels and a well made of Pez.

Public voting for the ginger-bread walk will take place through Dec. 31 with the people’s choice winners being announced at the beginning of January. Anyone who would like to vote can pick up a ballot at participating businesses.

“I would encourage everyone to see what everyone did. They spent hours on it and it’s really cool to see it,” Needham said. “Come with family groups or church groups and see the creativity of other people. I just think it’s really fun. The more people that come and vote, the better.”

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KiraMesa will perform with Forever & Anyways, Colleen Darley and Water and Walls (acoustic) at 8 p.m. Friday at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/whysound.

A special candle-light Peace Vigil to pro-test the escalation of the war in Afghanistan will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday on the east side of Main Street between Center Street and 100 North in Logan. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

The Center for Pregnancy Choices will host a fundraiser Christmas shoppe from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 90 N. 100 East, Logan. There will be lots of homemade items and free hot choc-olate. For more information, call 770-8697.

Rob Watson will perform at 6 p.m. and Logan’s News Boys will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at Pier 49 San Francisco Style Sourdough Pizza, 99 E. 1200 South, Logan. For more information, visit pier49logan.com.

The USU Women’s Choir and Flute Studio will present “Holiday Flutes and Voices” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at USU’s Performance Hall. Harpist Chilali Hugo will accompany the choir in a performance of “A Ceremony of Carols” by Britten and the flutes will perform popular seasonal favorites. Tickets are $5 at the door or free to USU students.

The Hyrum Senior Center Craft Fair will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. There will be a huge selection of gifts, baked goods, crafts, baskets, quilts and other items. Lunch will be served all day both days for $2.50. Raffle tickets will be available for $1. Everyone is invited. For more information, call 245-3570.

The second annual Live Nativity at the Morgan Farm (2800 S. 800 West, Nibley) will be on display from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday. There will also be hay rides, live animals, carols and hot cocoa. Admission is one canned food item or $1 per person or $5 per family. Food will be donated to the Cache Community Food Pantry and monetary donations will be given to OPTIONS

Friday

Common Ground Outdoor Adventures’ ninth annual “Holiday Cards With a Cause” fundraiser is now under way. All proceeds directly provide outdoor recreational opportunities for youth and adults with dis-abilities in Cache Valley. To order or for more information, call 713-0288.

Elements restaurant is now sponsoring a food drive to support the local food bank. Anyone can donate food items at the restaurant (35 E. 640 South, Logan) through Christmas. For information, call 750-5171.

Global Village Gifts (146 N. 100 East) is now open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. These hours will continue through December with the exception of holidays. For more information, call 713-4347.

Ongoing events

A Garland Barn Craft Boutique will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 15125 N. 4400 West in Garland. There will be tons of great Christmas gifts for purchase. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.garlandbarnbotique.blogspot.com.

Kirsten Bennett will perform with Swans of Never and Tonight I Am Waiting (acous-tic) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Why Sound.

Todd Milovich will perform at 6 p.m. and Spencer Jensen will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at Pier 49 San Francisco Style Sourdough Pizza.

Sharon Brown Mikkelson of Cache Valley Pottery will host a studio open house and sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and next at 25 E. 650 North in Millville. This event is free and everyone is invited. Light refresh-ments will be served. For more information, visit www.cachevalleypottery.com.

The Cache Valley Folk Dancers and Bridger Folk Music Society will host their “first Saturday” contra dance at 7:30 p.m. at the Whittier Community Center. Beginners and families are welcome; all dances are taught. Live music will be provided by Idaho contra musicians Band a’ Trois. For more information, call 753-2480.

A Christmas Boutique will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 725 S. 250 East, Hyde Park. Baked goodies, a variety of hand-crafted items including hats, scarves, baby items, nativity sets, note cards, locally made jewelry and more will be available.

The Miss Northern Utah pageant will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Utah State University’s Eccles Conference Center. The pageant will be hosted by Marisa Nielsen, Miss Utah’s Outstanding Teen.

Auditions for “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Terrace Plaza Playhouse, 99 E. 4700 South, Ogden. Prepare 16 measures of an upbeat Broadway-style song. No accom-panist will be provided; bring your own or a CD. No a cappella auditions. For more infor-mation, visit www.terraceplayhouse.com.

Saturday

for Independence. For more information, con-tact Tamra at 753-5353.

Stokes Nature Center invites curious tod-dlers ages 2 and 3 to Parent Tot Nature Hour from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday. Explore animals, plants and nature through music, crafts and games. All toddlers must have a parent pal present. Cost is $3 ($2.50 for SNC members). To register, call 755-3239 or e-mail [email protected].

A Cache Humane Society Benefit Brunch will be held Sunday at Hamilton’s. Social hour and silent auction begin at 11 a.m.; a deluxe buffet brunch will be served at noon. Cost is $75 per person; seating is lim-ited. All proceeds benefit the Humane Society.

Sunday

The Cache Valley Parkinson’s Support Group will host its annual Christmas party at 11 a.m. Monday at The Copper Mill Restaurant. Larry Slade will present a pro-gram of music and cowboy poetry, followed by a catered lunch. Reservations are due by Dec. 7; contact Kathy at 245-4036.

The Booklore Club will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the home of Sonja Hunsaker, 293 W. 500 South. Please call 752-1860 if you can’t attend.

The Towne Singers will present their annual Christmas concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Dansante Building, 75 S. 100 West, Logan. Special guest flutist Jo Hays will perform along with accompanist Miho Everitt. Admission is free and everyone is invited.

Logan High School will host Parent-Teacher Conferences from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Monday. Take your family ice skating on Monday nights at the Eccles Ice Center, 2825 N. 200 East, North Logan, and for a limited time receive an Olive Garden coupon for a free kid’s meal with every paid child’s skate admis-sion. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.ecclesice.com.

Spring Creek Middle School Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday and from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday. Regular school will be held both of these days.

The Cache Valley Retired School Employees Association will meet at 1 p.m. Monday at The Copper Mill Restaurant. A musical Christmas program will be presented by former Broadway star Kermit Herd, accom-panied by Nancy Skabelund. All retired school employees in the valley are invited to attend. Reservations are necessary; contact Barbara Jensen at 753-1070.

Monday

Professional Macey’s caterer Elaine will share some unique and quick holiday bread and treat recipes perfect for gift-giving at a free cooking and community class from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Providence Macey’s Little Theater. Seating is limited; call 753-3301 to reserve your spot.

Tuesday

For reservations or more information, call 787-8450 or contact Nancy at 787-1629.

The Post-Mormon Community Cache Valley chapter meets for dinner and social-izing every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at a local restaurant. Newcomers welcome. For more information, visit www.PostMormon.org/logan.

A Christmas open house will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Cache Museum, 160 N. Main, Logan. Everyone is invited. For more informa-tion, call 753-1635.

Katie Jo will perform during Sunday brunch, from noon to 2 p.m. at Caffe Ibis, 52 Federal Ave., Logan. Everyone is invited. The Language of Horses & Insects will

perform with The Sidekick and Chucks at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Why Sound.

The Cache Valley Historical Society will host a night of Christmas music by violinist Conrad Dunn, accompanied by Nancy Griffin on the piano, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the northeast corner of the Logan Library building. Everyone is invited.

The John Birch Society meeting will feature a discussion on current events and legislation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at The Book Table (upstairs). Everyone is invited. For more information, call 753-2930 or 753-8844.

A new detachment of the Marine Corps League in Cache Valley will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Smithfield American Legion Hall, 104 S. Main. All active, reserve, retired, honorably discharged and FMF Navy Corpsman are eligible for membership. For more information, contact Dan Gyllenskog at 232-3170 or Ben Setter at 801-525-0147.

Susan Lott will help make your Christmas morning easier with holiday breakfast and brunch ideas at a free cooking and commu-nity class from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Providence Macey’s Little Theater. Seating is limited; call 753-3301 to reserve your spot.

Wednesday

Graham Isaacson will perform with Tina Ferguson and Duo (folk/acoustic) at 8 p.m. Thursday at Why Sound.

“Christmas Fantasy” — a band/orchestra performance of Christmas music set to an imaginative story for children — will play at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the Mountain Crest High School auditorium. Tickets are $3 for adults, $2 for children or $12 per family.

Bridgerland Applied Technology College will host its semi-annual graduation cer-emony at 6 p.m. Thursday at BATC, 1301 N. 600 West, Logan. Everyone is invited.

The Knotty Knitters meet from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Senior Citizen Center in Logan. For more informa-tion, contact Cathy at 752-3923.

Spanish classes are taught from 6 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Spanish Learning Center, 172 N. 300 West, Logan. All ages and levels are invited. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Thursday

Auditions for “Bye Bye Birdie” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at The Heritage Theatre. Auditioners should be pre-pared to sing 16 bars of an upbeat Broadway song and read from the script; you must have sheet music for the accompanist or a minus track to sing to. Singing a cappella is strongly discouraged. Bring a wallet-sized photo of yourself, a detailed list of all evening and Saturday conflicts from Jan. 1 through March 20 and a list of singing/acting/dancing experi-ence. A dance audition will also be held. For more information, contact Colette at 801-782-8707 or 801-814-8707.

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