Primary Election Forums
Want to know what your state representatives think about the Big Three—hunger, housing and homelessness? Join Crossroads Urban Center as it hosts Democratic candidates in state Senate Primary Election Forums for Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake City, Murray, Holladay and parts of West Valley City in the Utah State Senate. These are issues that personally affect voters in your area, and the Legislature is more and more taking control of these local issues. In Utah, 1 in 9 people face hunger every day, and 3,131 people experience homelessness. Check out who's running in your area on Ballotpedia (https://bit.ly/3M9h9Dg) and learn what's important to you. Virtual, Monday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 31, 3:30 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3MteXXD
Plan for the Watershed
"How often do we look at City Creek, Parleys, Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons—our watershed areas—and realize they are where our drinking water comes from?" If you don't know how to answer that questions, then you need to help update the Watershed Management Plan. In fact, the mountains provide more than half of the drinking water for 360,000 people. You might have noticed that the drought has shrunk lakes and rivers in the area—much of it a result of low snowpack in the mountains. The Salt Lake City Department of Public Works wants to create a sound policy of collaborative management. You can be part of the solution at a virtual or in-person open house. Salt Lake Public Library, 210 E. 400 South, Wednesday, May 25, 5 p.m., free; Virtual, Wednesday, June 1, 5 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/38kd1BX
Rethink Your Landscape
Speaking of water, how about making it personal? At the Waterwise Tree and Shrub Tour, you can learn how to plan a whole landscape or just how to add a few Utah-friendly plants to your yard. During the tour, they'll talk about top performing trees and shrubs, and take your questions about our state. Why is it important to rethink your landscape? The U.S. Drought Monitor issued an update to Utah's drought situation earlier Thursday, and listed 44% of the state in an extreme drought. Most of the rest of the state is in severe drought status. That's not nothing. Conservation Garden Park, 8275 S. 1300 West, West Jordan, Thursday, May 19, 6 p.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/39mJnfq
Check Out Central City
Central City is one of Salt Lake City's first neighborhoods, often neglected but rich with history and diverse architecture. While the city is racing forward with high-rise apartments and office buildings, now is the time to take in "the changing styles of Salt Lake's early years of growth when the community was transforming from an agrarian village to an industrial and commercial center in the Intermountain West" at the Annual Historic Homes Tour. The tour will be north of Liberty Park, bound roughly between 900 South and 600 South, and between 500 East and 700 East. Wasatch Community Gardens, 629 E. 800 South, Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m., $25 before May 20/$30 after. https://bit.ly/3wpJ1fF