You have a water leak, you call a plumber. When do you call a congressman?
Gitanjali Poonia writes: "Last week, while Rep. Blake Moore was in Washington, D.C., fulfilling his congressional obligations, his wife Jane called him from Utah, complaining about a leak, so they had to ask a plumber to come in. 'The most productive people in our communities are the plumbers and electricians,' he told the Deseret News over the phone Wednesday afternoon. 'But there are times when you have to call a congressman, and it’s not just to complain or praise. ... it is for actual constituent services.'
"Moore’s office landed as a finalist for the Democracy Awards’ constituent service category, and some of the numbers he’s racked up explain why.
"In 2023, his office held 11 town halls — they’ve already had five this year — 4,480 constituent and stakeholder meetings and nine mobile office hours...
"Another Utah lawmaker, Rep. Burgess Owens, is a finalist for the 'Life in Congress' workplace environment award. Last year, Rep. John Curtis, a Republican who represents Utah’s 3rd District, won the award for constituent accountability and accessibility."
Tell us: Have you ever reached out to your congressman? If so, what was the reason, and what was your experience like?
Read more about Rep. Moore and Rep. Owens' award nominations.
Cary Elwes stopped in Salt Lake City on Saturday for a showing of the "Princess Bride" and a chat with fans about the movie at Capitol Theater. Elwes shared memories from filming and discussed the film's meteoric rise to being a cult classic.
The movie, he said, didn't achieve popularity upon its initial release and only began selling “like hotcakes” after its VHS release.
Elwes told fans, "This wonderful thing happened where everyone got to experience the film together, at home. Everyone could appreciate it — grandparents, parents, grandkids, kids.”
The star shared set mishaps, including one with co-star Christopher Guest (Count Rugen) in which the two fought with steel swords instead of prop swords. In staging a fight scene, stunt coordinators adjusted the actors between takes to make the scene look more real, but with steel swords, the scene suddenly became too real.
Elwes said, “In the script it says, ‘Rugen knocks out the Dread Pirate Roberts with his sword, screen goes to black.’ Well, my screen went to black. For real. And he knocked me out. And that’s the take in the film.”
The actor shared more on-set mishaps and fond memories of his co-stars at the event.
Read more about Cary Elwes' memory of the "Princess Bride."
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Get ready to be amazed at this year's Salt Lake Parade of Homes event!