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Show THE PARK RECORD Viewpoints. A-16 SAT/SUN/MON/TUES, JULY 7-10, 2007 EDITORIAL Small-town quality oflife depends on an active, committed citizenry Small town elected officials would probably be the first to admit that the hassles of public service often outweigh the rewards. So, as council members of Summit County's six incorporated towns and cities near the end of their four-year terms, it is no surprise that many are having a hard time deciding whether to re-up for another tour of duty. As we have reported, the state-mandated window for filing to run for municipal office is a bit earlier this year - it opened Monday and ends July 16. But in the hubbub of the Fourth of July holiday and the overall commotion of a busy summer, some citizens, particularly on the East Side of the county, may not have realized that the time to come to the aid of their community is now. It could be argued, especially in towns like Coalville, Kamas and Oakley where generations of the same families have made sure their neighbors have water, streetlights and not too many potholes, that civic duty is a genetic trait. But as those towns grow, and the job of running them gets harder and oftentimes more contentious, many of the old timers say they ready to hand over the reins. IRUNTHR0U6HAyAW>ANt) THEY SHOOT AT ME. THE CAMEL HERE ATTACKS HIS OWNER AND HE'S SENT TO PARK CITY TO BE "RESCUED" FROM A ZOOi Unfortunately, though, there seems to be a dearth of citizens willing to take their places. Unlike Park City, where local activism is a widely held mantra, the more rural towns on the east side are having an especially tough time finding willing candidates to sit on the town boards. Maybe some of the new residents haven't yet bonded with their new communities or maybe (hey are suffering from urban flight syndrome, one symptom of which is to pull the curtains shut and refuse to engage in local politics at all. Others fear their lack of political expertise is reason enough not to try. But in a few years, they may regret not taking a more active role in helping to guide the future of their new neighborhoods. With growth pressure bearing down on the East Side's rolling ranchlands the next several years will be critical for Henefer, Coalville, Oakley, Kamas and Francis. Whether today's residents still feel comfortable in their towns a decade from now will be determined by those who sign up to run for office this coming week. For more information about running for a seat on your town council call Summit County Clerk Kent Jones, 615-3203 THEM BOYS LOOK LIKE ILLEGALS. The Park Record Staff LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dangerous construction love Laura so much. The Dowie Family. Editor, As long-time residents of Summit Park, we are appalled at the dangerous construction projects permitted by Summit County recently. We know someone will be seriously injured or killed by these practices and that Summit County taxpayers will be stuck with the legal liabilities. Upper Evergreen Drive is the nearest danger zone to us. Instead of requiring builders to configure houses to the natural slope of this steep terrain, county regulators are allowing builders to carve out huge pits for building pads. In at least two cases, the pads are surrounded on one side by the road, with no shoulder for parking or pushing snow, and on three sides by sheer shale walls up to 35 feet high. Once exposed to snow melt, these shale walls will disintegrate. Unsuspecting new homeowners face a nightmare of removing snow and rock from between the shale walls and their homes, and of having chunks of rock rain down on their windows and their family members. Also, large fir trees are left on spits of land above the road, roots exposed and vulnerable to the first wind to topple them onto passersby below. And anyone walking or skiing through the woods above these homes could easily slide or fall over the 40-foot cliffs created by these excavated pits. Then there's the issue of aesthetics. These huge, ugly scars unnecessarily remove natural vegetation and reshape Summit Park mountainsides. In one case, the builder is taking precautions by shoring up the shale wall, but in the other case, nothing has been done to prevent falling rock. We know from sad experience that when one builder is allowed to "cut corners" to save money, no matter how egregiously unsafe or unsightly, others will do the same. We call on Summit County to do the right thing here and stop this kind of assault on our community. Scooter Libby's sentence Dear Mr. President, We disagree with the image you are putting out for younger people (it's hard to put this nicely). You support the death penalty and sending people to jail for all sorts of crimes and yet when someone working for you is tried and convicted of a crime, and sentenced to go to jail, you commute thier sentence and that is where the message being sent to the youth of our country, and the entire world, is wrong. Your message is if you are rich and powerful and break the law it does not matter and you will not go to jail, but if you are poor and you are convicted you will go to jail. The system is not fair and you have just proved it and you don't care. Thank you very much, Ian Weinman Zoe Weinman Owen Weinman Richard Weinman Michael Weinman Jami Weinman Rochelle Feinberg Palestine/Israel rebuttal Editor: I suspect that Lew Fine means well when he writes (letter 6-30/7-2) about the Israeli/Palestinian history, but he is sadly misinformed when he says the Israeli Government said to the Palestinians, "Don't leave...you have nothing to fear. Stay and remain full citizens of the state of Israel." In the interest of truth, let me quote the Diane and Dennis Green following: Park City David Ben-Gurion in a letter he wrote on 12-17-1938, (archives of the BenGurion Research Center, Ben-Gurion University) "We must expel Arabs and take their places." David Ben-Gurion, in his diary of July Dear family of Laura Pollard, 18, 1937, quoted in Michael Bar Zohar's, We knew how special Laura was. She "Ben-Gurion: the Armed Prophet", meant a lot to us and many others. She Prentice-Hall, 1967, p. 157) " We must do was more than just a friend, she enjoyed everything to insure life and made this world more special, Palestinians) never do return."they (the more beautiful, more loving ... a better Moshe Dayan: address to the world. Technion, Haifa, reported in Ha'aretz Having met Laura added value to our (Israeli daily newspaper), April 4, 1969 lives and knowing her was special to all of "Jewish villages were built in the place of my family. I feel sad about her loss, very Arab villages. You do not even know the sad. I am thinking of all of you too. We Remembering Laura names of these Arab villages, and I do not blame you because geography books no longer exist. Not only do the books not exist, the Arab villages are not there either. Nahlal arose in the place of Mahlul; Kibbutz Gvat in the place of Jibta; Kibbutz Sarud in the place of Huneifis; and Kfar Yehushus in the place of Tal al-Shuman. There is not a single place built in this country that did not have a former Arab population." Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, "How can we return the occupied territories? There is nobody to return them to." March 8,1969 Golda Meir, "There was no such thing as Palestinians; they never existed." June 15,1969. Though about 20 percent of Israel's population is comprised of Arabs with Israeli citizenship, they are by no means treated as equals. Education is segregated, health-care sub-standard, job opportunities very limited and movement severely restricted. They are also denied building permits as a matter of practice. Not quite the "full citizenship" Lew Fine quoted. Bill Melville Park City Light pollution Thanks from Sunrise Rotary PUBUSHER Andy Bemhard Editor Nan Chalat-Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Pat Parkinson Joe Lair Adia Waldburger Anna Bloom Dan Bischoff Frank Fisher Contributing writers Tom Clyde Ten Orr Jay Meehan Joan Jacobson Silvia Leavitt Linda Jager * Usa Nyren Steve Phillips Editor's assistant Trade Fails Classified advertising Bridget Morgan Christin Hicks Peppi Green Office manager Lacy Brundy Circulation manager Kristi Ruppert Accounting manager Valerie Deming Advertising director Wendy Halliday Advertising sales Teresa Chavez Annie Macdonald Lori Gull Steve Aldous Arwa'Juhdi """"*"" Nikki Norton To the Editor, Park City's annual 4th of July celebration is one of the best in the country! The Park City Sunrise Rotary Club is proud to be a part of this celebration and is dedicated to providing an affordable lunch to citizens after the parade. Many thanks to Bowles Development, Smith's Foods, Nicholas Foods and The Market at Park City who donated supplies for the luncheon. We would like to offer a particular thank you to Bowles Development their extremely bighearted donation that enabled the Sunrise Rotary Club to provide additional humanitarian service to various local, state-wide, national and international organizations. Our Sunrise Rotary Club members are a diverse group of dedicated professionals whose service and hard work along with friends and family during the 4th of July lunch is one example of community service that occurs during the year. They are to be commended for their commitment to pooling their talents to support the community. Photographers Scott Sine Sarah Ause Production director Matt Gordon Production Scott Schlenker Becky Larsen Laura Avdey Ann Marie Kloogh Tawnya Cazier Sarah Ely Casey Sewell Joshua Greenberg PRESS ROOM General Manager Bill Olsen Head Pressman Don Ferney Pressman Jimmy Elkins Pre-press Mike Hall Controller Valerie Waite Office Staff Sandy Trost Ethel Bradford Mail Room Marilyn Case Distribution Ray Scoggins Mike Fischer Antonio Contreras Fred Pigeon Cartoonist John Kilbourn Mike Luers Sunrise Rotary Club Chairman, 4th of July Luncheon Thank you!!! Editor: I'd like to discuss an issue that concerns me deeply: Light Pollution. Light Pollution is caused by the improper use of outdoor lighting, is light shining where it does no good. Light Pollution produces dangerous glare and harsh lighting creates dark shadows where Editor, the unwelcome may lurk. Light Pollution Habitat for Humanity for Summit & results in billions of dollars of electricity Wasatch Counties would like to extend a wasted annually and begets other pollu- heartfelt thank you to Jim Thompson and tions resulting from the generation of Talisker Mountain Incorporated for many electricity. things!! First of all, thanks so much for Light Pollution robs us of views of the your major effort with our 2nd Annual beautiful nighttime skies we'veenjoyed Building Balance Charity Golf throughout history. Light Pollution is Tournament at Tuhaye. Eric Hastings, waste that destroys the nighttime beauty John Murcko, Cory Jardine, and Mark of Summit County. Chitwood - all of Talisker/Tuhaye Club Summit County has developed very - workedJiard to make the event a major good light pollution control ordinances success! And Christa Graff of Graff designed to protect and preserve the Public Relations, Talisker's PR firm, nighttime environment. The ordinances helped to keep the event on track. clearly spell out what is and is not accept- Habitat recently broke ground on a piece able. Unfortunately, the county has not of property for a needy family. This been enforcing these ordinances. We never would have happened without the expect better from Summit County. We planning help and advice from Kevin expect the county to make every effort to Jardine and Sean TUite, also of Talisker! preserve the beauty of the nighttime envi- We appreciate all that you have done to ronment. We expect you as our elected help Habitat for Humanity Summit and official to take the lead in demanding that Wasatch Counties. U rock!! the county meet its obligations. Regards and thank you for your atten- Thank you, tion. Julie Bernhard Trindl Nebeker Director Habitat Summit & Wasatch Counties Habitiat says thanks Contenls of the The Park Record arc copyright © 2007, Diversified Suburban Newspapers. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the managing editor or publisher. The Park Record (USPS 378-730) (ISSN 07459483) is published twice weekly by Diversified Suburban Newspapers, 1670 Bonanza Dr., Park City. Utah. Periodicals Postage paid at Park City, Utah. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Park Record, Box 368S, Park City, Utah 84060. Entered as second class mntter. May 25, 1977 at the post office in Park City, Utah 84060, under the Act of March 3. 1897. Subscription rates are: 1 year, $37, 6 mos., $25 (inside Summit County); 1 year, $70, 6 mos. $45 (outside Summit County). Subscriptions are transferable; $5 cancellation fee. Phone (435) 649-9014 or fax (435) 649-4942. Published every Wednesday and Saturday. Home delivery subscriptions in Summit County include delivery of the Sunday edition of The Salt Lake Tribune. There are no other service options available. .PHOTOS BY SCOTT SINE • U l H I S r S C O r U Asked around Park City Do you think the United States has lost some of its good standing around the world? KimSobel "Yes. I really notice it when I travel around the world. Other countries are not as accepting as they have been in the past." Maika Taylor "I think it has. Especially with the [Iraq] war going on -- people look at it as something that is unnecessary." Jeremy Wilstein "No. We're still the bomb, think?" Lois Hooker "Yes. It concerns me a great deal. I'm proud of the United States, but I'm not proud of our current administration, and its political mud slinging." Levi Jackson "Yes. There have always been bears and" there always will be bears." |