Rather than meet at a restaurant, or even the cafeteria at the Capitol complex, he likes to eat in a small conference room next to his office where his secretary brings in a loaf of wheat bread, a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly, along with a bag of potato chips. She also brings in paper towels to be used as plates while the guv and his guest spread their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Huntsman's tastes are similar to those of former Gov. Norm Bangerter who, according to acquaintances, would sometimes excuse himself from a formal, catered dinner with dignitaries in the Governor's Mansion, rush to the small kitchen in the mansion's residence area and quickly make himself a chili cheese dog and a glass of milk. He would then wipe off his mouth and rejoin his dinner guests.
Other governors had more traditional eating habits. Gov. Cal Rampton liked to lunch at the Alta Club and even had his own personal seat next to the window facing South Temple and State Street. But when the state Republican Party moved its headquarters across the street from the Alta Club, Rampton, the old Democrat, would only sit with his back to the window.
Homeland security: A Salt Lake City woman was going through security at Salt Lake City International Airport last week when her elementary school-age son was detained because of a pair of scissors in his pencil box.
They were blunt, 2-inch children's-type scissors used to cut paper but not good for much else.
The child had his bag thoroughly searched, but eventually got his scissors back and was allowed to go to the gate to catch his plane.
Meanwhile, his mother had in her purse a very sharp pair of 4-inch-long scissors. She went through security just fine, no questions asked.
This thing smells: Opponents of the Legacy Highway might want to borrow an idea from the Ottowa County, Mich., Planning Commission.
The commission designed a brochure hoping to promote farming and discourage home building in agricultural areas. The brochure includes a manure odor "scratch-and-sniff, to provide potential new home buyers with a tangible aspect of country life," said Ottowa County Planning Director Mark Knudsen in a news release.
Legacy Highway opponents might want to distribute their own brochure, with a "scratch-and-sniff" component that captures the essence of the "lake effect."
One-stop shopping? By their very nature, tobacco stores don't usually last long in the southern Utah town of Cedar City.
So we'll see how long Braun's Tobacco Shop, which opened in April, will last.
The owners have an interesting marketing idea. A sign on Main Street with an arrow pointing to the location of the tobacco store has a skull on top. The sign is shaped like a tombstone. The store itself is situated right behind the city cemetery.
prolly@sltrib.com
