"It was because of the mustache - I was the strangest of all the mayors," Snarr said in self-deprecating style. Perhaps the Old West handlebar mustache had something to do with it.
At the time, Snarr was attending a national mayors convention near Hollywood. While other "hizzoners" wore suits and ties, Snarr stayed comfortable in a $15 Hawaiian shirt from Murray's Costco.
"[Esquire] asked if I felt out of place. I said no; I felt like I was just being myself," Snarr said.
The glossy magazine printed Snarr's political hero - the leader of the LDS Church - and the best thing to do in Murray - hang out at Costco.
"I joked about how I have a table over there and people meet me there to chat."
As far as political heroes, Snarr felt the current pool has dried up. So he praised the LDS church for the aid it spreads worldwide and talked up Gordon B. Hinckley, a former neighbor, as a leader he could respect.
Appearing with the rich and famous in Esquire hasn't gone to Snarr's head. After all, this is the guy who personally sprays weeds along State Street to spruce up the city.
"I'll tell you how cheap I am," Snarr grinned. "I didn't go buy a copy - they mailed me one a couple of weeks after it came out."
River of no respect
The poor Jordan River. Even at a gathering geared to help the much-maligned waterway, it still winds up suffering a few dings - albeit inadvertently.
It happened last week at the inaugural meeting of Blueprint Jordan River, a group consisting of various players seeking to establish long-term plans for the corridor that stretches from the Great Salt Lake in the north to Utah Lake in the south.
As Envision Utah unveiled a series of logos for the project, some group members began to murmur.
First, they pointed out that "Jordan" was misspelled; two of the four options read "Jordon River."
Then one person noted that the river was not even the focus in any of the logos. Instead, they touted the mountains and a city skyline more than the waterway.
And even when the group selected one of the four options, several people complained about the color scheme.
The logo features a large, green glow in the foreground of the mountains.
Some in the back of the room asked, "What's that supposed to be?"
A few suggested it might be Tooele.
"Maybe it's supposed to be EnergySolutions," said another.
No respect on 9th & 9th
Praise for the purple lamps, new signposts and green benches was plentiful last weekend during the dedication of Salt Lake City's revamped 9th & 9th retail district.
Mayor Rocky Anderson thanked all the forces that helped refurbish the popular corner as a street-festival crowd perused the booths on newly designed pavers.
Except the mayor left out the City Council. And Councilwoman Nancy Saxton was livid.
"That was disappointing to say the least," Saxton fumed at Tuesday's council meeting. "It was our baby. We were the ones who funded it."
She went on to call the mayor's move "weak" and a "grave oversight." Saxton argued that she, along with council colleagues Jill Remington Love and Dave Buhler, fought for the makeover dollars and deserved to be recognized.
In response, Anderson's chief of staff, Sam Guevara, noted the administration was not in charge of invitations.
"That's not true," Saxton barked.
Relations between Saxton and Anderson have been chilly for years. Perhaps surprising: There was no name-calling - and no mention of Rodney Dangerfield.
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