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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 28-30, 2006 The Park Record Weyher wants jury trial Voting machines praised Chief Democrat in Summit County appears in court as voters cast ballots in primaries By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff After pleading not guilty to charges that he assaulted a police officer and drove while intoxicated in the Snyderville Basin, embattled Summit County Democratic Party chairman Rob Weyher Tuesday requested a jury trial. Weyher is charged with misdemeanors for allegedly assaulting an officer, interfering with an arrest, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to signal and speeding. A trial for the man is scheduled Aug. 30 at 9 a.m. in Third District Court in Silver Summit. Meanwhile, the county's chief Democrat could be arraigned July 26 in Salt Lake County Justice Court on a separate charge that alleges Weyher offered to pay Salt Lake Democrat Josh Ewing to withdraw from the race to replace state Rep. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City, in House District 25. Attempting to bribe a candidate to leave a race is a class B misdemeanor. The primary contest pits Ewing against Salt Lake City resident Christine Johnson in a legislative district that includes portions of western Summit County. With voters casting primary ballots Tuesday in the House race and contests for Summit County assessor and clerk, Weyher predicted Johnson would defeat Ewing by 15 points. Weyher admitted that in May he offered to cover Ewing's campaign expenses if the candidate would end the bout with Johnson by withdrawing, But he intends to plead not guilty to the charge. "[Weyher] offered me what amounts to a bribe to get out of the race," Ewing recently told The Park Record. Despite the criminal charges and revelations that the construction magnate contributed more money to Republican candidates for Congress and the White House than he gave to Democrats, Weyher says he feels no pressure to resign. "I have pretty overwhelming support," Weyher said Tuesday, adding that most of the critics calling for his resignation are from Parkites. But Oakley Democrat Patrick Cone insists Weyher should step down until the charges are resolved. "You have to fall on your sword sometimes," Cone said. "There are some times when you have to look at the good of the organization and not necessarily your own welfare." Weyher's antics could harm Democrats running in primary and general elections, he added. "There is such a thing as bad publicity and that is what this is. It's not going away," said Cone, a member of the Summit County Democratic Party Central Committee and former Summit County commissioner. "You don't sit there and declare yourself a leader in the Democratic Party and then pick and choose which candidates and which parties you want to back." Jokes from Weyher that he no longer worries about misdemeanors against him further "disillusion" people's views of politicians, Cone said, adding, "as somebody who has been in public office, I think you should care about any charges that are brought against you." Though impeachment of a chairman is not addressed by Democratic Party bylaws, Pinebrook resident Mike Andrews says he is helping a group attempting to remove Weyher from office. "[Weyher] has very little support," Andrews said. Weyher's actions "demonstrate a total lack of political judgment," he added. "I think he is totally out of touch with reality," said Andrews, a former Park City School District official. Weyher countered, "[Andrews] has not been active in Summit County Democratic politics 11since I have been involved. "I'm sure glad none of my children were in the educational system in Park City when [Andrews] had anything to do with it, because he does not understand how the United States government works," Weyher said. "I do." Cone hadn't ruled out impeachment or the possibility county Democrats would force Weyher to resign. "If a majority of the people involved say [impeachment] is where we want to go, then, at that point, we'll see who wins I guess," Cone said. Knute Knudsen casts a vote in the primary election on Tuesday at City Hall using a touch-screen voting machine made by Diebold Election Systems. The machines made their widespread Utah debut on Tuesday and some people say that they were simple to use. GRAYSON WESVPARK • Continued from A-1 Statehouse mandated be used in Utah elections starting in 2006. Summit County Clerk Sue Follett said in the afternoon that voters were not complaining and that poll workers were performing well. Senior citizens, Follett said, were especially happy. "You get done and their eyes light up and they get a smile," Folleti said. The ballot on TUesday was light, with voters deciding party candidates for two Summit County contests and two Statehouse races and casting ballots for School Board members in North Summit. Turnout in the Park City polling stations in the morning appeared low. Dopp described the Diebold machines as a, "faithbased voting system," meaning that people must trust poll workers and the officials counting the results. That, she said, contrasts with a verifiable system, which she prefers. "I have no idea if the vote counts are going to be correct if we're not going to do an audit," Dopp said. After he voted at City Hall, Hans Fuegi, who lives in Deer Valley, said using the touch-screen machines was "simple." He liked that the machines provide chances to correct votes if a mistake is made. Mayors talk about green policies • Continued from A-1 power a Zamboni, an ice-rink re-surfacing machine, with wind energy. • That, perhaps, City Hall will install solar panels on the new Swede Alley garage to provide power to a town plaza that the government plans to build in Swede Alley. • The use of biodiesel, a cleaner fuel, in the city's transit fleet. Williams also spoke about the Environmental Protection Agency's long-running work in Park City, a result of the city's mining-era legacy, including the 2005 hauling of contaminated material from Empire Canyon. "For 20 years, we kind of played a shell game with EPA," Williams said. He discussed City Hall's land-conservation program, long a favorite topic for officials with the local government. Park City voters have twice approved $10 million bonds to purchase open space and the City Council may put another ballot measure to the voters in November. Williams remembered that people in Utah were perplexed with City Hall's open space program until it became accepted in many parts of the state. "When that first started, it was a communist plot," he said. A sorely needed respite RECORD "I think it's fairly easy. It's new. For all of us who have voted for 20 years, you have to read through the instructions," Fuegi said. He is confident that the votes will be counted accurately and likes that the machines record a paper trail for elections workers. Gerd Hoimsen-Aguilar, who lives in Park Meadows and voted at McPolin, agreed with others who were happy with the machines. "Once you put the card in, all you need to do is read instructions," Hoimsen-Aguilar said, adding, "I really don't see any mistakes. Of course there can be mistakes, but I don't know where they will be." At McPolin, Brian Anderson, who lives in Park Meadows, was pleased with the machines. He said poll workers provided good instructions and said voting on the touch-screen machines was simple. "I'm 100 percent confident. Between the electronic and the paper, it's better than dangling chads," Anderson said. He said voting systems used previously could be tampered with, meaning that, "if someone wanted to be crooked, they'll be crooked," regardless of the system. Anderson compared the Diebold machines to using the Internet. "This is like bidding on eBay," he said. Hotel developer sued for $2.1M Development Partners verbally agreed to extend the period until the decision was made. The County Commission was ready to vote in December when a Terrace Development Partners representative requested the action be delayed, the lawsuit states. Terrace Development later refused to pay Newport Potomac the $2.1 million because the deadline for approval from the County Commission had passed, the complaint adds. "Terrace Development prevented the [County Commission] from publicly announcing the approval ... in order to frustrate Newport Potomac's right to the balance due under the [contract]," Wrona claims in the lawsuit. Terrace Development breached the contract by submitting a plan "it knew would not be approved" to avoid paying Newport Potomac the balance, the complaint states, "On Dec. 21, 2005, the [County Commission] was prepared to issue a decision approving the development of the property as a 140-unit • Continued from A-1 the property in the amount of [$2.1 million]," states a 9-page complaint filed on behalf of Newport by Joe Wrona, an attorney in Park City. Mackinaw Realty agreed to pay the balance if the Summit County Commission allowed construction of a 140-unit hotel on the land, the complaint states. Commissioners reportedly granted Newport Potomac preliminary approval for the project in 2001, which Mackinaw Realty was required to "diligently pursue," court papers state. The $2.1 million balance could be reduced by $36,428 for each unit less than 140 approved by the County Commission, the lawsuit states, adding, "Mackinaw Realty subsequently assigned all its rights, obligations and interests pertaining to this transaction to Terrace Development." Though the contract set a deadline of Nov. 23, 2005, for commissioners to approve the final plan, Wrona claims Terrace condominium hotel," Wrona states in the complaint. A representative for Terrace Development Partners was not available for comment for this story. The firm has not answered the lawsuit Meanwhile, the lawsuit Terrace Development Partners filed against Summit County in April claims Summit County commissioners broke the law when they denied the application for a hotel with 326 rooms. With Summit County Commissioners Ken Woolstenhulme and Bob Richer facing re-election bids in November, the complaint claims it is "clear that the [County Commission] reached its tortured interpretation of the record to serve politically motivated goals." The lawsuit seeks approval for the hotel and more than $10 million in damages from Summit County in the property-rights dispute. Summit County has not answered the lawsuit. Parents warned of potential dangers • Continued from A-1 GRAYSON WEST/PARK RECORD Jared Kwong, of Provo, rests his battered feet Saturday after running 15 miles In the Wasatch Back Relay Race with Team Neways. The 175-mile race began In Logan and ran along the back of the Wasatch Mountains ending En Park City on Main Street. "There are laws that allow adults to view certain materials but those laws don't apply to kids," he said. "There's a line there and there are those who have crossed that line. We had a press conference on Monday and we had a speaker talk about how there are now people who go online and lure kids in by being their friends through playing video games with them and then taking advantage of them." Murphy said parents should be aware of how long children are online, whom they are speaking with and what they are viewing. Another way to protect them, he said, is by using the rating system currently in place for video games, which can also display graphic images. "The Attorney General first became interested because he plays the video games and his kids play them," he said. "The rating helps because a lot of par- ents just dont know and they rely on those ratings to tell what's inappropriate. Some of the video games primarily push sexual images and violence, and as a parent I don't think those are appropriate for kids. If adults want to watch it, that's one thing, but parents need to act as gate keepers for what their children see." At Monday's press conference, Shurtleff announced a new series of public service announcements for television and radio, one of which features Shurtleff playing video games with his children. The ads are intended to help parents understand the video game rating system and encourage parents to use them. The rating system, which has been around since 1994, includes a range from "Early childhood" to "Adults only." To find out more about the rating system go to www.esrb.org, and to sign-up for the registry visit www. ki dsregis try. 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