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Show A-2 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 18-21, 2004 The Park Record District adds more teachers Riding the 'Jag'ged edge Larger than projected classes require more instructors at Trailside, Jeremy Ranch By JARED WH1TLEY ' Of the Record staff Park City School District will have some additional instructors soon. Based on the enrollment count made on Tuesday, Sept. 7, the district decided to add staff at two of its elementary schools: one parttime employee at Trailside and one full-time at Jeremy Ranch. "'Hie schtx>ls are now deciding how to apply that." said Superintendent Dave Adamson. Park Citys goal is to have an average class size of 23 students per teacher throughout the district. Each school meets this average, except Trailside and Jeremy each have an average of 23.6. according to the Sept. 7 count. As the positions were just barely authorized, school officials are still deciding how to assign it. Principal Martha Crook said. "There's so many little pieces when its a part-time position, we haven't decided how best it meets the needs of our whole school.1" Crook said on Tuesday, she'll send out a letter to Trailside parents on the subject, explaining the new position, which could end up as a reading tutor, an aide, or a parttime teacher. Many parents desire to see this new position assigned to Trailside's first-grade. Trailside's three firstgrade classes have an average of 26 students, according to the Sept. 7 count. More than 50 Trailside parents expressed concern about the first-grade class sizes in a letter to the Park City School Board sent on Aug. 26. "Park City states that it is a 'proactive' school system and leader in education. Twenty-fourplus students is just loo many students for a teacher to meet the needs of diverse classrooms today," the letter reads. "We don't want to cause waves," said parent Pati King-Dcbaun. "Thai's not what its about. It's about kids and their education." The letter compared Trailside to McPolin Elementary School, which had a third first-grade teacher added shortly before school started, bringing the class sizes there down to 19 each. McPolin has a larger-than-average Hispanic population, which "shouldn't matter" in deciding how many teachers the school has, KingDebaun said, as English as a second language staff are specifically assigned to address those needs. "Each and every child should have an equal opportunity at his or her first start in school regardless of race, ability, school location, or economic status," the letter reads Trailside first-grade teacher Kit Howard has 26 students in her class. She doesn't think 26 is too great of a challenge, but said, "I think smaller size would benefit the kids, but its okay." "1 would love to see our class size well at or below our 23-to-l ratio," Crook said. "I just would like to thank the School Board and superintendent for being responsive to our enrollment figures." While more than 50 signed the letter, only two first-grade parents have spoken directly to Crook. "That's the communication channel I would like parents to go through," she said. She also said, "There's a lot of ways for meeting the needs of our first graders." GRAYSON WEST /PARK RECORD Wayne and Kay Wagner from Benttendorf, Iowa, detail their 1970 E-Type OTS Jaguar Wednesday afternoon in the parking lot of The Yarrow. The Wasatch Mountain Jaguar Club hosted the Western States 2004 Jaguar gathering which ended Friday morning. Jaguar owners from the West Coast and Canada gathered to participate in the event. County to dole out $500K BFI blamed for driver's death • Continued from A-1 primary purpose must be "the advancement and preservation of history, natural history, art (including hut not limited to film), music. theater, or dance ... plant science through horticultural display botanical research and community education." Smaller entities like Arts-Kids, the Echo Community and Historical Organization, Park City Singers and the Alt" Engen Ski Museum Foundation have also received RAP Tax funding, as has the Utah Symphony and Opera, which is based outside of Summit County. Applications will be reviewed and organizations can present to the committee in November. Fey expects a grant recommendation to bo made to the County Commission in December. "We expect them to take a couple weeks," he said, adding that they have thefinalsay. Applications and instructions about how to complete them are available at the services link at www.summitcounty.org. "RAP Tax funds can be used for overhead." Fey said. "Overhead is the hardest thing to fundraise for." Requests from eastern and western Summit County will be consid- ered equally, he said, adding, "we don't want to forget that we are a county organization." Also this week. Fey paid homage to Oakley resident Brian Hess, who served on the committee since the beginning and passed away Sept. 7 in South Summit. "He will sorely be missed ... [Hess] was always positive. He was always upbeat," Fey said. Park City resident Joanna Chames replaced Hess as an ex-officio member but there are open seats on the cultural committee. Those interested in serving should contact Anita Lewis, County Commission administrator, at 615-3220. Dump hazardous waste free • Continued from A-1 ly bad to throw in your garbage." Material dumped in Summit County's landfill is not closely monitored, she adds. "It has to do with protecting our water sources ... it has to do with preserving our soil," Riepen said. Recycle Utah has hosted these events since 1999. but in the past disposing of hazardous material has cost residents and small businesses 50 cents per pound. Only one business in Summit County doesn't qualify. Triumph Gear Systems, one of the event's sponsors. Riepen said. Also. Summit County contributed $3,000 to provide hazardous material disposal at no charge. "It is an acknowledgement that there is a necessity to caplure this kind of material and not let it end up in the landfill," Riepen said, adding that since the event began. Recycle Utah has accepted roughly 49,000 pounds of hazardous material. Ideally, Recycle Utah would host two free Hazmat days each year, she said. "I had people drop things off here illegally," Riepen said. "There is a great need for a permanent facility but it needs to be where the people are." For between $20,000 and $40,000 Riepen claims Recycle Utah could collect hazardous material from residents each week. "When they move they need to get rid of this stuff," she said, adding that frightening items turn up at times. "When people move into a house the previous owner will have left 10 cans of god knows what." She recalls a man who once brought a bucket of mercury to the center. "The old miners' homes - they used to use liquid mercury in order to get just the last little part of silver out of the rocks they collected ... he said, 4I don't know what this ist but I know it's bad,'" Riepen said. A company will pack the material collected in Park City and deliver it to facilities throughout the nation, she adds. Other sponsors of the event include the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District, Summit County Health Department, Philips Services and Park City Municipal. Summit County Public Works accepts hazardous material yearround from residents at its Wanship facility at 1755 Hoytsville Road. Contact Public Works at 615-3970 for more information. Recycle Utah's telephone number is 649-9698. Rink will host a variety of uses • Continued from A-1 Union. "All local children should have the ability to learn to skate." She expects the ice rink to be popular once it opens and said that she wants the rink to be used in a variety of ways, such as for hockey, figure skating and for regular people who want to skate. She praises consultants working on the project and said she wants the ice rink to feature locker rooms, a concessions stand, a high-quality sound system and space for gatherings like birthday parties. "The way skiing is incorporated into our lives, skating can, too," she said. Grass fire snuffed in Willow Creek Friday afternoon, Park City Fire District personnel quelled a brush fire that started in a dumpsicr in the Willow Creek subdivision near Old Ranch Road. According to PCFD Battalion Chief Mark Billmire, it appeared that someone had put construction debris into a trash receptacle that then ignited. Gusty winds sent embers into the surrounding grass and a brush fire began to spread Do northward toward a handful of homes that are under construction. At 4:45 p.m., Billmire said the fire had spread over about two and a half acres but was extinguished and no structures were damaged. she has seen no written reports from the investigation. Valerie acknowledges it was The National Transport at ion Josh's responsibility to attach the Safety Board, Utah Department of bin, but claims BFI failed to provide Transportation and Summit County the strap to do so. Sheriffs Office investigated. "If the strap was nowhere in the Federal motor carrier regulations truck, the truck was unsafe to leave require these types of loads be the yard," she said. secured with a strap, chain, or other However, Kory Coleman. BFI device. Department o\~ district manager said drivers agree in Transportation spokesman Brent writing that they are responsible for Wilhite said, adding, "the driver of ensuring their trucks are safe before the truck is responsible to do that." starting their routes. He wouldn't "The day of the accident there comment specifically on the was no strap found anywhere ... in Huggard case. or around the vehicle." Valerie Even with failing brakes, an Huggard said. "Mysteriously on exhaust brake would have likely August 5, which is a month and four stopped the truck. Earl Huggard days after the wreck, there was a said. strap found in the compartment Valerie claims that a BFI safety under the passenger-side seal." worker was unable to confirm to her While it was parked at a Basin that a strap was in the truck or that impound yard during the investigathe exhaust brake was operational. tion, she claims many people exam"He tried to tell me [Josh] got his ined the wrecked truck. brakes too hot," she said, adding "The tow-yard was supposed to that a heavy bin could overwhelm have had that truck under a police the emergency brake. "I said, OK, impound, which meant no one was did his exhaust brake work? ... He could not answer me. I know it did- allowed in," Valerie said. "They let me look at it ... I know of at least 13 other people who viewed that HoWever, according to BFI offitruck." cials, investigations by state and fedBut if Huggard has evidence the eral agencies have determined that vehicle was tampered with she must the cause of the accident was driver provide it to investigators. Summit error, Summit County County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said. Commissioner Shauna Kerr said. "We conduct investigations that "They didn't find mechanical are without any prejudice ... no matproblems," Kerr said, adding that ter who that benefits and no matter who ihat condemns." Edmunds said. "We brought in the top professionals in the field to go lake a look at that." Evidence determined that BFI was not criminally negligent in the crash, he adds. "BFI had done everything that I hey were supposed to do to mainlain ihis vehicle, that's what our investigation found." Edmunds said, "If somebody snuck into that lot and they altered that vehicle in any way, shape, or form, that is a felony." Earl Huggard and another former BFI employee. TJ Lux, of Heber. claim they warned Dan Mills, BFI operations manager, about the dangers of traveling down White Pine Canyon Road with heavy loads. Josh Huggard left behind a wife and two children and his stepmother claims his death could have been prevented. "In December of 2003. Josh walked away with every safety award BFI could dish out." Valerie Huggard said. "Josh followed protocol. Josh did his job." BFI contracts with Summit County to pick up waste and recyclablcs in the area. The company's contract is scheduled for review in 2006. Kerr said The nationwide corporation's parent company is Allied Waste Industries. Inc. • Continued from A-1 n V - v - - - - • • - • •• -•• Curtainfellson Oly bribery scandal (AP) The only the two men convicted in the Salt Lake Olympic bribery scandal were released without penally Thursday after they cooperated with prosecutors in an unsuccessful attempt to nail two key officials in the city's bid to land the 2002 Winter Games. Salt Lake businessman David Simmons and U.S. Olympic official Alfredo La Mont received no jail time, no fines and no probation at their scnlencings lliursday. U.S. Magistrate David Nuffersaid he had no choice but to assess Simmons $25 in court fees, but joked that Simmons had the right to appeal. In his separate sentencing. La Mom was assessed $200 in court fees by U.S. District Judge Dee Benson. Both men have been on probation since they entered guilty pleas in 1999. Simmons pleaded guilty to tax fraud over disguised payments that reimbursed him for keeping John Kim. the son of former International Olympic Committee Vice President Kim Un-yong of South Korea. employed long enough to qualify for a green card. Simmons told the magistrate that at first, he was honored to hire the son of an IOC member and help Salt Lake's bid campaign. However, he said the relationship became a "sham" bul still continued to employ Kim so he could receive a green card. "I received no personal benefit from my actions, but was motivated by my desire to assist the bid committee," he said. "What 1 did was wrong." La Mont was an international relations director for the U.S. ()lympic Committee who moonlighted as a Salt Lake bid consultant when the city was trying to persuade the IOC to select the city for I he games. Hu pleaded guilty in 2000 to tax evasion and conspiracy lo evade taxes. Both men have paid the evaded taxes. Justice Department trial attorney Richard Wiedis said Thursday. 'Hie both testified against higherups Tom Welch and Dave Johnson, who had been indicted by a federal grand jury for plying IOC members with $i million in cash, gifts, medical care and favors. Welch and Johnson were acquitted by a judge who ruled the government hadn't shown enough proof lo convict them of anything. Simmons testified he hired John Kim as a favor lor Welch lo sway this father. Simmons hoped to use John Kim to sell satellite transmission time to Asian broadcasters and testified Kim "was working hard on our behalf." Kim never produced any business, however, and Simmons ended up continuing paying for him a no-show job. He was reimbursed by Welch "to the penny" for Kim's salary, he said. Bul Simmons listed Kim as an employee on lax forms and got a business deduction on top of his reimbursement from the Salt Lake bid committee. CEAGO V I N E G A R D E N S U S H I V V V FOOD FOR THOUGHT! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH THE BLIND DOG CULINARY & WINE SCHOOL ALONG WITH CEAGO VINEGARDEN PRESENTS A FABULOUS EVENING OF FOOD & WINE FEATURING JIM FETZER EVENING BEGINS @ 6PM PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS! OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 1 1AM T I L CLOSE "'OLD WINE AND AN OLD FRIEND ARE GOOD PROVISIONS'' -GEORGC MERBERT 1781 SIDEWINDER DRIVE, PROSPECTOR SQUARE, PARK CITY. UTAH 435-655-0800WWW.BLINDDOGGRILL.COM |