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Show VIEWPOINTS A-17 www.parkrecord.com Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, May 20-23, 2017 EDITORIAL Park City residents called on to embrace single-use bag ban T LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Help put Bonanza Flat fundraising over the finish line Editor: With under a month left to raise the money needed to save Bonanza Flat, fundraising is still going strong. At this point, the coalition of nonprofits, Park City, Summit County, Wasatch County and others have raised about $35.5 million. The widespread community support for this cause is awe-inspiring, but we’re still about $2.5 million away from our goal of $38 million. Support for Bonanza has come from preschoolers and middle schoolers, from artists and athletes, from our largest businesses and our smallest businesses. As we get close to the finish line, a number of events and opportunities provide ways for people to bring that line a little closer. The Park City Leadership Class 23 has $40,000 worth of auction items for sale at www.biddingforgood/savebonanzaflat The auction is live now, but closes on May 26. ALL proceeds go toward The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER Andy Bernhard Editor Nan Chalat Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Bubba Brown Angelique McNaughton Griffin Adams Contributing writers Tom Clyde Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Steve Phillips Tom Kelly Joe Lair Interns Jessica Curley Emily Billow Copy Editor Frances Moody ADVERTISING Classified advertising Jennifer Lynch Office manager Tiffany Rivera Circulation manager Lacy Brundy Accounting manager Jennifer Snow Advertising director Valerie Spung Advertising sales Lori Gull Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lisa Curley Digital Products Manager Mike Boyko Photographer Tanzi Propst Production director Ben Olson Production Nadia Dolzhenko Patrick Schulz Linda Sites Bonanza. Artists Hal Prewitt, Prewitt Gallery at 570 Main Street, and Gincy Plummer, Facebook.com/GincyCarringtonPlummerArtist, are both offering you the chance to buy art and save Bonanza Flat at the same time. The Craft Coalition, which is a group of local breweries, distilleries, and wine makers, continue to raise funds as we raise our glasses! Uinta’s “Bonanza Beer” is on tap at Flannigan’s, the No Name, and the Boneyard. For the final push, the Summit Land Conservancy’s Board is offering an $11,500 matching grant for donations to Bonanza at www.wesaveland.org, designate Bonanza Flat. Thank you! Cheryl Fox, Executive Director Summit Land Conservancy Resident says Park City needs to do some spring cleaning Editor: Do you remember Woodsy Owl? I’ve noticed -- and I’m sure you have as well -- an excessive amount of trash/litter along our trails, in our streams, around our neighborhoods, and beside our streets and walkways. As a frequent traveler, I am confident we live in one of the best spots in the country. But we need to work hard to keep it this way. I challenge everyone to do their bit to help out. Every individual can help by taking along a garbage bag on your next hike. Or simply follow the National Park Junior Park Ranger guideline: pick up 5-10 pieces of trash every time you go out. Every mer- LETTERS POLICY The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines. They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Letters must not contain libelous material. Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long or if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 6 individuals and/or businesses. Send your letter to: editor@parkrecord.com For the record he Park City Council, last week, took a bold proactive stand by voting to ban single-use plastic bags. The measure will go into effect at the end of June in stores within the city limits encompassing more that 12,000 feet. The new rule reinforces the council’s consistent emphasis on environmental sustainability, but will likely draw a barrage of complaints at local grocery store checkout stands. Nevertheless, it was the right decision. In fact, residents should be proud that their town is the first in the state to take action to reduce the growing environmental menace. Unfortunately, as written, the ban only applies to the town’s three local grocery stores and has the potential to put them at a competitive disadvantage, that is, unless local residents make a concerted effort to support them. Despite Park City’s vocal support for environmental causes, one local grocer told The Park Record that only eight percent of his customers use recyclable bags. And, once the ban is in place, he will be faced with an uncomfortable dilemma – whether to provide more costly paper bags at his chant and resident can help by storing their trash properly and making the effort to clean their properties. Every employer can help by sponsoring a cleanup day or adopting a highway. Who’s with me? Not sure who is going to pick up after us, and it isn’t going away by itself. So Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute. Make Woodsy proud! Curt Futch Park City FORK in the Road Fundraiser was a delicious success Editor: On behalf of EATS (Eat Awesome Things at School) Park City, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all the people who helped make our third annual FORK in the Road fundraiser a tremendous success! A huge thank you to Vail for awarding EATS the EPICPromise grant which enabled us to host this event. It was held on May 13th at the Legacy Lodge where Executive Chef Alex Malmborg and his team created masterpieces at six gourmet food stations that were enjoyed by over 200 supporters. A grateful nod to the local celebrity chefs who braved the stage for 50 Shades of Gourmet, an in-home dinner auction, and to Nicholas and Co. for providing the food for those lucky winners. Thank you to the UPS store for their generous support and delivery in printing professionally under short timelines. The local restaurants and businesses who donated auction items were in the hundreds -- which highlights the overwhelming community support for our programs. And, to our extraordinary event planner, Shannon Buist, and our team of volunteers -- thank you for all your hard work and dedication to making everything perfect. The proceeds from the evening will enhance and expand the EATS nutrition education programs and our efforts for advocating for healthier school food. It will help EATS move from a grass-roots start-up which own expense or charge customers who don’t bring their own recyclable bags. That could put Park City businesses at a competitive disadvantage – unless Parkites stand alongside the council and their local grocers -- and embrace the bag ban. We hope they will. It should not be a hardship. Grocery stores and local nonprofits like Recycle Utah have been handing out cloth and vinyl bags for years. Most households have a colorful collection of sturdy tote bags stuffed in closet corners and in their cars. Shoppers just need to get in the habit of using them. Summit County could also show its solidarity with the city by enacting a matching ordinance. That would discourage those who’d prefer to shop in Kimball Junction, just for the convenience of a single-use shopping bag. Our prediction is that it won’t be long before stores, in general, bow to public pressure and stop offering single-use bags altogether. Imagine this: no more tattered plastic bags tangled in the sagebrush or fence lines woven with trash. And Parkites will be able to say their town was a trendsetter. began four years ago into a thriving, sustainable organization. We will continue to expand cooking classes, school gardens and taste tests with the goal of impacting every Park City student. Ann Bloomquist, Executive Director EATS Park City Kids need to speak out on open lands like Bears Ears Editor: The Department of the Interior recently did three extraordinary things. First, they placed under “review” the proposed Bears Ears National Monument along with 27 other land and marine-based National Monuments. Depending on public sentiment, these monuments could be modified in size or repealed in their entirety. An unprecedented act no previous administration has ever before attempted. Second, the DOI launched the public comment period for this review on May 11th. In a bit of administrative trickery, comments on Bears Ears have to be submitted by May 26, while the comment period for the other 27 is open until July 10. You can submit your comments to both by going to www.regulations. gov and enter into the search bar “doi 2017 0002.” Click on “Review of Certain National Monuments Established Since 1996.” Read the docket material and then submit your comments and opinion. Finally, and most important, there is no minimum age as to who can submit comments (confirmed by DOI staff). Anyone under age 18 with an email account can submit one. Teachers, please let your students know of the opportunity being offered to them to participate in this important and historical event. The DOI prefers individual, selfstyled comments, not form letters. They can be as lengthy as you like, but make sure the first sentence summarizes your position clearly. While you’re at it, cut and paste that comment into an email and send it to your U.S. congressman and senators. Make them aware of your position as well. It’s up to all of us to speak out on this unprecedented action. When it comes to Bears Ears and the 27 other National Monuments at risk, the influence and the power of the collective can make a difference. Christopher Cherniak, P.E., Environmental Engineer Park City What happened to Park City’s Spring Cleanup? Editor: An annual “rite of passage” in our town -- the spring thaw reveals an abundance of trash around our town. Recycle Utah organizes their annual spring clean up. The event proceeds like a fine tuned watch. Trash is recovered before obscured again by summer vegetation. Town looks much better! This year, Saturday 5/13 there was a problem with the “fine tuning.”. Perhaps it was transitional issues associated with the new administration at Recycle Utah? I don’t know. But I do know that despite the confusion 12 enthusiastic people attended the event this past Saturday. The City provided staff, bags and orange vests and we did our best to help clean up this special town of ours. Such a good feeling to give some love back to Park City. Perhaps going forward the town’s Sustainability Department and Recycle Utah can help coordinate cleanup events including the PCHS Environmental Sciences Department? Our appreciation and thanks to those who participated and we look forward to future cleanup events. We can all make a difference to improve the quality of our town’s environment and aesthetics. David Nicholas Park City Photos by Tanzi Propst Asked at the Olympic Plaza What efforts are you making to use alternative modes of transportation? Makena Hawley Park City “Definitely, just pushing myself to get out on the bike more. It’s so easy to just get in the car, but it’s just as easy to get on the bike. Once you get in the habit of it, it really isn’t that hard.” Ashley Scarff Salt Lake City “I just got a bike for commuting purposes. I park out at Kimball and bike in every day to work. I cut out 14 miles of driving and feel great when I get to work.” Julia Collins Park City “I bike 11.2 miles one-way for my commute. I’ve made a commitment to once a week ride my bike or take the bus. Also, those shorter trips around Kimball...just walking rather than jumping in my car.” Alfred Knotts Park City “I use the bus a lot in town to go to meetings. Those short trips, we all go as a group from the office in City Hall. Gotta practice what we preach.” Josh Hobson Park City “I haven’t owned a car since 2003, so my bike is my mode of transport. When the weather’s bad, I’ll take the bus. I’m trying to get my friends to do it, too.” See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and instagram.com/parkrecord |