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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, October 1-4, 2005 The Park Record A-16 MORE DOCS ON M A I N STREET Introducing By Tom Clyde ARK CITY • Al Qaeda thwarted on Main Street REALTY CROUP K, here's a little test based on last week's They do a good job of making sure nobody makes a news. Let's set the scene: You are walking* left turn through Prospector in the morning to dodge down Main Street on a beautiful fall evening. The the school traffic jam and stopping speeders on Deer fall colors are glowing in the late afternoon light. It's Valley Drive. But the bomb squad? If we are going the shoulder season in a resort town and not much is to start calling out the bomb squad over every grohappening. Pretty much everybody on the street is a cery bag left on a bus or forgotten backpack at a soclocal. Your walk is slowed as you stop to talk to peo- cer field, things are really out of control. ple you know along the way. It's about 6:30 on a Not since the great'Olympic Diaper Bag Incident Tuesday night. Everybody has gone home from have we had to close the street to investigate a suswork, but it's a little early to be out on the town. picious package. In that case, it was probably called Even with the chaos in Swede Alley, there are park- for, given the general security tension of the ing spaces all over. A few cyclists are riding down the Olympics. Still, the most dangerous thing found by street, but otherwise, things are calm as can be. the robot bomb recovery unit was some curdled milk and strained peas. Frightening enough, but not As you walk along, you notice an object in the gutter across the street that seems out of place. On a exactly bomb-squad material even then. Sometimes closer look, it appears to be a laptop computer case, a forgotten diaper bag is just a forgotten diaper bag. The police department said that "based on the sort of underneath a Dodge truck parked at the curb. whole totality of the information we had there, the The first thing you think is: (a) What a bummer, having your computer fall prudent thing to do is not risk the public safety or out of the truck, and [safety] of our personnel." What the not noticing it before driving away. • • Maybe the unidentified caller whole totality of.the information was, we (b) I ought to pick who reported the package is a well- don't know and they it up and see if I can figure out who it known al Qaeda operative with a reputa-aren't saying. It's entirely possible that belongs to, because I tion for setting off car bombs in resort some mullah had put bet its full of important stuff. towns on Tuesday nights during the out a fatwa on the owner of that Dodge (c) Holy smoke, shoulder season when nobody would be truck. Maybe the Bullwinkle, it's probaunidentified caller bly a bomb. Run for there to notice/' ^ ^ P ^ I ^ B ^ ^ B ^ ^ who reported the your life! ^^^^^^m^^^^^^^^m* package is a wellHaving made the known al Qaeda operative with a reputation for setright decision, you pick the package up and: (a) Take it with you so you can put a "lost and ting off car bombs in resort towns on Tuesday nights during the shoulder season when nobody would be found" notice on the radio station the next day. (b) Take it into the adjacent store and leave it there to notice. More likely, there could be a nasty with the person at the counter, assuming that the domestic situation where threats .had been made person who lost the computer would come back and, after running a license plate check on the truck, there were extenuating circumstances that elevated there looking for it. (c) Take it to the police department and* let them the .risk. If so, everybody would look a little more reasonable if they explained those circumstances, deal with finding the owner. (d) Call the cops to report that there is almost cer- and the public could evaluate the risk level based on the "whole totality of the information." Or not. tainly a bomb ready to blow up on Main Street. But in the absence of some pretty compelling Now let's assume you were working at the police department on a sleepy Tuesday evening, and got a explanation of why this wasn't just the garden-varicall reporting an unattended laptop computer bag ety, lost backpack/computer bag, it all looks rather lying in the gutter underneath a Dodge pickup blown out of proportion. Ironically, some of the parked on Main Street. The caller, for whatever rea- police were at a bomb training class at that very son, had deemed the package too suspicious to pick moment. God only knows what the response might up. The reasonable reaction from the police depart- have been had they been studying vice crimes that evening. As Paul Simon wrote, "paranoia strikes ment would be: (a) Tell the caller to pick it up and put a "lost and deep at the heartland. I think it's all overdone." Next time I spot what appears to be a lost backfound" notice on the radio. (b) Tel! the caller to get professional help with the pack or computer case sitting on the side of the road paranoia problems, and perhaps lay off the dope it will be different. Somehow, I'll try to muster the courage to pick it up. With trembling hands, I'll open because it's making him weird. (c) Have an officer drive by and pick it up, so the it to see if there is any identification of the owner police department can put a "lost and found" notice inside (but only after soaking it in the bathtub first). While I suppose it's possible that I will be blown to on the radio. (d) Close Main Street for three and a half hours smithereens by a radiological bomb in the process, while getting the bomb squad up from Salt Lake to it's a risk I'm willing to take. You've got to live this open the laptop computer bag to discover... a laptop life close to the edge. Besides, this isn't Baghdad. computer and a bunch of cords that had fallen out of Tom Clyde is a former city attorney and author of the open door of a parked vehicle. "More Dogs on Main Street. "He has been a columnist I don't want to be too hard on Park City's finest. for The Park Record for 19 years. O Dedicated to 100% Client Satisfaction. Robin Mazzonc Sales Associate (435)901-1414 rmazzone@mwutah.corn Mike Mazzone Principal Broker, ABR (435)901-0300 mjm@mwutah.com An experienced group of Park City REALTORS dedicating their business to 100% client satisfaction. If you are thinking of selling, Park City is experiencing one oi the greatest seller's market's in history. Call now or go to: www.parkcityhousevalues.com to get a no obligation analysis of your home's value. Also, receive a free home inspection or home warranty if you list your home. Please call (435)^901-0300 for details. GAZE at the GLORY (§olckm cHitsck JHHD D zforl Dinner Special E E R V A L L E Y There's never been a better time to come to the Hirsch to view the glorious fall colors, and to sample our equally glorious cuisine. Because from now until we close on Oct. 2, while you're enjoying the spectacular changing of the seasons, you can also enjoy our spectacular Dinner Special - two entrees for the price of one!* -for 1 Dinner Entree Special good through Saturday, Oct. I. iOO'j. Closed for season starnnq Sunday, Oct. 2 A 20% gratuity mil he added to the hill bavd on the original balance, Plane call for raerujtiom. P.O. Box S 5 9 , Park C i t y . U T 8 4 0 6 0 • (800) 2 5 2 - U 7 3 (4 1 5) M l > ~ 7770 • www.GnldiMu-rHirsi-lilnn.rom SUNDAY IN THE PARK By Teri Orr • You say toe-may-toe, I say, thanks I t started with the tomatoes. They were a gift threw the contents in the pot and kept redecorating. from someone with a far more plentiful, fruitful I took down the last vestiges of summer. The little garden than my own. They were plump and red and vase made to look like a lady's head so the flowers becoming overripe. I needed to use them right come out of her hat. The pillows on the couch that away... all six of them. Fora family, six is a fine num- are light and green and pink and Hawaiian and ohber of tomatoes but for a woman living alone, with no so-springy. They were packed away and I dug out the entertaining plans in her immediate future, six, very chenille sage green ones, along with the dark, patchripe, tomatoes were quite a lot. I decided upon a work-velvet throw. homemade sauce. So I drove to the market and And yes, I had already opened a nice little Chianti to bought basil and garlic and onions, then I passed the help set the mood. meat counter and saw some great looking Italian Back in the kitchen I remembered I had bought sausages, then the baguette of bread. And while I was some block parmesan cheese at the market awhile there, I passed down the seasonal aisle and saw some back. I dug it out of the fridge and started grating.crazy Halloween candles and tossed those in the cart. There was something very meditative about the Which made think I should revisit the produce mechanics of reducing that big block of cheese to department and grab a couple of decorative pump- flakes on the cutting board. Before I knew it, Bonnie kins and a few goofy-looking squash. I returned Raitt and I had grated the entire block. home ready to create. When the moment came to drain the pasta and For those of you with families still at home, rest pour over the sauce, I looked at all I had created. If assured I have had my cooking days. Dinner parties 72 hungry people had shown up at my door at that for dozens. Nightly, semi-balanced meals for my fam- exact moment, I think I could have fed them all. I ily. Holiday dinners even now, with groaning tables. laughed at myself and then searched around for the But at this stage of my life, my dinners are often fabulous hand-painted plate I bought in Spain this eaten out, quickly summer to serve up heated or delivered in my feast. Spaghetti is cartons. Real cooking If 72 huntjry people had shown up Italian, I know. Why for one is generally at my door at that exact moment I think I too much effort. But the day was just right sense in my strange could have fed them all." for such an endeavor. little head. But I Crisp and sunny but found it and the meal no wind. And the ^^^^^^mmmmm^^^^m^ ^ ^ ^ ^ a i l H ^ ^ looked ever so preearly evening golden sentable. I took it glow magnifies the golden aspens, ash and turning over to the dining room table that other than holimaples this time of year. It felt just right to be fussing day functions, serves most days to collect mail and in the kitchen. messages. Tonight, it had a green striped pumpkin Although I have become a junkie of National in the center surrounded by bright red and gold Public Radio at all hours of the day and night, I leaves and towering above were the faces on the remembered the machine in the kitchen also played Halloween candles. music of my choice. So I chose. All of the new Bonnie Outside the sun had set and the neighborhood was Raitt, pieces of the new Nickel Creek, some older quieting down in the twilight. The beautiful active Pink Martini from Portland. Perfect music to saut6 girls in the cul de sac had left their outdoor pursuits by. and were in for the night. Ditto the busy little boys While things were all a-simmer, I looked at the across the street. And the birds in my yard'were still pumpkins and the squash I had unbagged. It was time dining al fresco while the naughty neighborhood cat to take the sweet candles of summer down and look that stalks them was nowhere to be seen. This is the for the witch and the vampire and the mummy ones time of the year I remember things I thought I had that were somewhere in the buffet. Which led to the forgotten. There is space for that. discovery of the forgotten black bat figurine and the When I finished my meal I brought out the baggies black cat and the funny little witchy women with and sacked away pasta and sauce for more harried pointy shoes. Then I remembered the wizard in the days ahead. The long bath, filled with bubbles and garage so I went out there and dug around and found candles, was followed by cracking the cover of a new the mantle piece with his purple velvet robe and crys- Elizabeth Berg book -- hardly literature, but always a tal ball that lights up. The outdoor, sparkiy spider good read. By the time I turned off the light I felt I web was there along with the lanterns with the cut- had had a very full day of switching seasons and out pumpkin faces. The trees in my yard are in vari- remembering reasons to be grateful. So thanks, Tim, ous stages of turning vibrant colors so I pinched some for the tomatoes. I will enjoy their bounty a few more leaves to bring some of that color indoors. times in the next few days and I will remember your Back in the kitchen, I realized the sauce that was simple gift that caused me to both pause and act, on coming along nicely would need more than bread... what was the final September Sunday in the Park... it would need pasta and I found in the cupboard a bag Teri rtrr K fl former editor of The Park Record and of gourmet noodlly things that looked just' right. I director of the Park City Performing Arts Center. I i |