This past weekend, downtown Salt Lake City underwent a transformation to welcome NBA stars and their adoring fans for the long-awaited All-Star Weekend.

Perspective: The great American patriarch and why he still matters today

In the preface of the book “His Excellency, George Washington,” biographer Joseph Ellis calls our first president the “great American patriarch.” Although Washington had no biological children of his own, we are his legacy.

According to Scott Raines, Washington was the father our country needed. “After winning the Revolutionary War, many feared (and some even expected) that a monarchy or dictatorship would emerge, with Washington at the helm,” he writes. “But America’s great patriarch resisted the pull of power and stepped down from his position as commander in chief. It was the sort of selfless act that good parenting requires.”

Read the full perspective here.

More in President’s Day:

• Perspective: George Washington’s other farewell (Deseret News)
• Perspective: How Jimmy Carter became a national treasure (Deseret News)

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All-Star Weekend:

• ‘The real deal’: How Lauri Markkanen found his footing among the NBA’s elite (Deseret News)
• NBA All-Star Sunday blog: Vivint Arena crowd sings 'Happy Birthday' to Charles Barkley (KSL)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell praise Lauri Markkanen as he readies for first All-Star Game (Deseret News)

Culture:

• The ultimate, definitive guide on how to find a hobby as an adult (Deseret News)
• Post Malone — who calls his Utah home an ‘oasis’ after leaving Hollywood — will perform at the NBA All-Star Game (Deseret News)
• Honoring the women behind the NBA in Utah (KSL)

Police and Courts:

• Supreme Court will decide on affirmative action this summer. What will happen in Utah? (Deseret News)
• Bills requiring clergy to report abuse discloses won't advance in Utah legislature (FOX13) 🐝

Business and Technology:

• Cotopaxi founders return to Brazil, where the company began, but this time for a different purpose (Church News)
• The future of dating apps looks even more complicated (Utah Business)

Northern Utah:

• Logan father pleads guilty in malnutrition death of 46-day-old baby (KSL)
• Wrong-way crash kills Pocatello man and injures Logan man (Cache Valley Daily)

Wasatch Front:

• Homeless advocates march outside of Vivint Area during NBA All-Star events (KSL)
• Man accused of negligent homicide, kidnapping after girlfriend dies in storage unit fire (KSL)
• Park City Police warn public of ‘Mama moose’ (ABC4)

Southern Utah:

• Teenager dies after falling while climbing cliff in southern Utah (FOX13)
• St. George native returns to Utah to referee All-Star games (FOX13)

The West:

• ‘A crisis of faith’: Spiritual leaders convene at Capitol to call for Great Salt Lake action (Great Salt Lake Collaborative) 🐝
• Where did Utah’s funny freeway signs go? (Deseret News)

Sports:

• Heading into the final week of the season, what seed would struggling BYU receive in the WCC tournament? (Deseret News)
• Analysis: Runnin’ Utes bedeviled by point guard’s injury, turnovers in loss at Arizona State (Deseret News)