Green light: It is encouraging that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seemed to indicate in a statement last week that it would be open to a discussion of changes in Utah liquor laws. People in the hospitality industry, the governor's office and the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission interpreted the somewhat cryptic statement as a signal that the church is willing to consider changes in the private club law. In Utah, the only place a person can buy a mixed drink without also buying food is in a so-called private club, even though many such clubs amount to public bars. To maintain the veneer of privacy, however, the law requires a membership. That baffles tourists and annoys locals, to the detriment of tourism. The LDS Church is right that the law should discourage overconsumption, drunken driving and underage drinking. But we don't think that maintaining the private club fiction does any of those things.
Sharing space: It's said that Brigham Young designed Salt Lake City streets wide enough for a wagon, pulled by a brace of oxen or horses, to turn around. Now that the city's streets are crowded with cars, trucks and trains, there's hardly room for a skinny-tired bicycle. But Mayor Ralph Becker wants to encourage more cyclists - since they don't pollute the air or pile up in traffic jams - so he's taken the bold step of inviting them into the middle of a traffic lane on 200 South between Main and State streets where there is no room for them on the shoulder. The lane is painted with a green bar to alert motorists to share the space. We applaud Becker and hope nobody gets hurt.
