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Show Bench Judgment He asks who really cares what Cannon and Bennett think. “I can put up with most anything, but that kind of attitude ... at least Park City, Price and Bingham are spots of sanity ... and Bingham’s gone now.” Silver Junction Mercantile owner David Uhlendorf, who’s lived in Park City for more than two decades, is illustrating his politics—again. It isn’t unusual for Uhlendorf to talk poli_ tics, but it has been years since he graphically illustrated his bent using the bench on his store’s front porch. Uhlendorf put tape down the back and across the seat of the church-pew-like wooden bench to delineate where Republicans and Democrats could sit. The Republican side is 10 inches wide, while Democrats get the rest of the bench. Index cards with arrows indicate that Bennett and Cannon are on the Republican side, while “normal people” are included with Democrats. “The last time | did a bench like this was about eight years ago, and someone threw a rock through my window,” Uhlendorf says. “Since then, | put tempered glass in there ... | was worried about someone getting hurt.” Crime Scene or Construction zone? Some Main Street merchants are nearing their wits’ end—pushed toward the edge by multiple construction projects surrounding their stores. But, more than they are bothered by the number of projects, the merchants feel the timing, lack of advance information and war-zone ambiance on Main Street are standing between them and their ability to profit from their businesses. 63 | 6661 ‘2 YIGWaLdaS| Republicans. Another of his former stores, in Midvale, had a photogenic bench and wire potato basket filled with antique handcranked meat grinders. The arrangement was featured in a Deseret News article. But, back to politics. | Uhlendorf explains the bench has come to symbolize “the idiocy” he says voters are putting up with now from Utah’s congressional delegation. He feels that “every time those two open their mouths, idiocy falls - out.” Uhlendorf adds that Sen. Bob Bennett’s recent, race-based remark about Gov. George W. Bush’s campaign showed what “extreme, religious, self-righteous, hypocritical pricks those guys are.” No Main St. He explains that his store, which Sniote “The last time | had a bench like this, someone threw a rock through my window.” front of it—one for Democrats, one for Hamburguesa, “The timing’s wrong,” said Kerry Hale, dates back at least 40 or 50 years. He says he once had a mercantile-type store in Sudbury, Mass., which had two benches in —David Uhlendoarf Cerveza, Si... who owns Quality Interiors and Gifts at 436 Uhlendorf said the tradition of The Bench "oa! but excuses” while the merchants feel they “talk until we’re blue in the face, but it makes no difference.” She says that one example of brushed-aside merchant input relates to comments voiced before the council vote to put parking meters on Main Street. Regarding the construction, Towle says merchants told the city to wait, after the project start-date was delayed. “But they want what's convenient for them to happen ... | feel like the city people are really sticking it to us.” has “zillions” of glass shelves, needs constant maintenance with a dust-rag to look presentable to customers. Alleging “very poor coordination,” Hale notes that Miner’s Park and its bow-about widened sidewalks are being built at the same time as a patio below a Chinese restaurant north of the park and a project behind his store on Swede Alley. City engineer Eric De Haan points out, however, that not all of the current projects are city projects. “Some people think there’s a central scheduling person at City Hall who sets these things up. That's not the case.” A near-breaking point came Aug. 23 when one lane of traffic was closed and a back-hoe dug asphalt out in preparation for building the east-side bowabout. David Schaffner, who owns Flat Rabbet Gallery at 421 Main St., called Mountain Times Weekly to report the phenomenal number of pieces of construction equipment at work just uphill from his store. Schaffner says that when the bow-about Bow-about No. 2 proceeds ... during lunch hour at Café Terigo’s outside dining area they’d be done by July.” He adds that meeting attendees were also under the impression that “the city would do only those two things [the pocket park and bow-abouts].” Instead, he says, the city decided to include with the park and bow-abouts the paving of the second Sandridge parking lot and the sidewalk/patio project in front of Dragon Garden restaurant. That caused a bid appeal from one of the two companies involved in the process—and delayed the projects’ start-date to July 1. Schaffner isn’t sure whether he’s angrier about the delay, the fact that people 7 involved with the Historic Main Street Business Alliance may have known about it and given a tacit approval, or the fact the projects have taken all summer to com- plete—thus impacting businesses. “Main Street looks like a crime scene with all that yellow tape,” he said. Sheila construction was discussed this spring, Towle, manag- er of Muskoka Lakes at 416 “everyone who | went to those © meetings was under the impression that Main St., feels e_ that the city _ gives mer- ‘chants “nothing Unless you’re cooking outside, open flames in a kitchen are not a good thing. O’Shucks’ kitchen had that unfortunate occurrence Aug. 19, underscoring the wisdom of fire suppressant systems that were installed in all Main Street buildings beginning in 1980. “It was a successful fire, if there is such a thing,” said city chief building inspector Ron Ivie. “Everything worked, as far as fire sys tems.” | The fire, which began behind the bar’s grill, caused an estimated $1,000 in damage. But the kitchen remains out of commission while insurance claims are filed and resolved, and repairs are made. Drinks and munchies are available, but we miss the garlic burgers. Got Anything to Say About Paid Parking? Mark your calendar for Sept. 9 if you have comments you'd care to share with city council and transportation department representatives about paid parking. The summer season for paid parking has just ended, the council plans a public hearing during its session, which begins at 6 p.m. Information on exact scheduling for the public hearing is available from city clerk Jan Scott at 615-5007 or transportation director Hope Bleecker at 615-5360. Although the city has received positive comments on its paid-parking program, negative feelings remain an undercurrent after two years of the program. Several possible changes to the controversial program have been written by the Citizens Advisory Committee on Parking, whose purpose is to “recommend improvements” to the current program. Some of the proposed changes likely to be discussed at the public hearing include year-round paid parking, and rate and permit changes. The council will vote on the future of paid parking that evening. ~All Photos taken by Kay Mcintosh |