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Show * M ^ SCENE, C-1 PARK CITY MINERS HOCKEY TEA/vA SHUTS OUT NUMBER ONE-RANKED EAST LEOPARDS, 2^0 WINE CONNOISSEURS WEIGH IN O N A WISH LIST FOR HOLIDAY FEASTS 'EDUCATION, A-17 BUSINESS, B-10 UNITED WAY IS OFFERING GRANTS FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS PARK CITY, UTAH The Park Record. W W W . R K R E C O R D . C O M VOL. 127 • NO. 82 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 1-4, 2007 Serving Summit County since 1880 Gifts provide for a 'real need' PA. A year for irreverence Primed to par Sundance filmmakers find the off-beat funny By ANNA BLOOM Of the Record staff The world may be a miserable place, but that doesn't mean filmmakers can't find the funny in it. Sundance Film Festival Director Geoffrey Gilmore says the 2008 festival slate is full of comedy of all kinds - dark, satirical, strange, perverse, deadpan. "I think it's fair to say that audiences are exhausted right now with the serious work," Gilmore told The Park Record. "That doesn*t mean that we don't have serious work in the festival, we do, but some people s take on the depressing world out there is to laugh at it - be irreverent. So that's what you're going to see this year at Sundance - a lot of irreverence." Among the comedies in the lineup are: "Choke," a sardonic story about a mother- Presents collected at Christian Center By PATRICK PARKINSON Of the Record staff and-son relationship, fear of aging, sexual addiction and "the dark side of historical theme parks;" "The Last Word," a romantic comedy about a writer who makes his living composing other people's suicide notes; and "I Always Wanted to Be A gangster (J'ai Toujours Reve D'Etre un Gangster)," an existential comedy about aspiring French criminals. The final selection of 121 feature films for 2008 came after programmers spent nearly a year sifting through a record number of submissions. Gilmore says these days, the process is year-round - he chose hisfirstfilm in March. All told, programmers had 3,624 films to choose from - 2,021 from the United States and 1,603 international feature-length films. SCOTT SINE/ftVWC RECORD COURTESY OF THE CHRISTIAN CENTER A large stack of gifts piled up at the Christian Center last year after a holiday gift drive in December. Presents are piling up around a tree and Santa Claus is expected early in Park City. "Santa Claus has been here in the past," said Tim Dahlin, director of the Christian Center of Park City. "And our front room was literally filled with bags and bags of toys." The center has teamed with Peace House officials to provide about 800 gifts St. Nick will give to needy kids Dec. 18. "It's good to work together so the left hand knows what the right hand is doing," Dahlin said. "We need people who are willing to take a name or take a family." He is asking people to bring wrapped gifts to the center at 1100 Iron Horse Drive for children up to age 14 before Dec. 14. "Its like Sub for Santa," Dahlin said, adding that the Christian Center consolidated several holiday gift drives into one. The donations can be made to individual children or entire families. "Park City is comprised of all economic levels and sometimes we forget about those who are deserving and need a little helping hand," Peace House office manager Jean Jensen said. Signing up to receive information about children that includes sex, age and size makes gift buying easier, Dahlin explained. With the Holiday Helpers program Peace House officials expect to collect about 300 gifts. "The purpose of the Holiday Helpers is to provide Christmas for women who are in the shelter," Jensen said, adding that the recipients have been victims of domestic violence. "There are also people who may not be able to come to the shelter." About 90 percent of Peace House clients are women with families, Jensen said. "Our focus is not Toys for Tots," she said, adding that people are encouraged to give coats, boots and other winter clothing. "Tennis shoes, in the winter, do not cut it." Groups like Valley -Mental Health, Head Start and school counselors help recommend who should Please see Kids, A-2 4 SECTIONS • 54 PAGES Agendas A-12 Automotive C-18 Business B-7 Classifieds C-12 Columns A-14 Crossword C-4 Editorial A-15 Education A-17 Events Calendar C-6 Letters to the Editor A-15 Legals C-17 Movies C-4 Professional Services C-7 Restaurant Guide C-9 Sports B-1 TV Listings Weather Mark J. Fischer wants to turn a huge tract of land In the NoMa district Into a parking lot and entertainment spot during Sundance. Please see Film, A-2 Ligety, Lanning light it up Sprawling old lumber yard seen as a hotspot By JAY HAMBURGER By PAUL ROBBINS Of the Record staff A major figure in the North of Main district plans to allow promoters to turn a sprawling old lumber yard into a bustling entertainment spot during the Sundance Film Festival in what is the most ambitious idea of its kind outside of Main Street, The idea, which City Hall has not yet approved, would spread the partying in. January well off Main Street, create hundreds of parking spaces at a time when parking is at a premium and lure more corporate interests to Park City during the film festival Mark J. Fischer and the New Yorkbased promoter he rented the space to Special to the Record have dubbed the arrangement 'The Yard,' and Park City officials are considering the request. Under the plans, more than 1,000 people are anticipated at the site each day, with parts of the space operating almost all the time, from 8 a.m. until 4 a.m. the next morning. "It^ just meant to be different. Itls not meant to take anything away from Main Street," Fischer says. "The vibrancy of Main Street is the center of Sundance activity," According to a submittal to City Hall, the plans for The Yard, situated on the abandoned Anderson Lumber yard, include: - -• Please see Promoters, A-2 When they were kids, from the time Mike Sussman was their coach with the Park City Farm Team, Ted Ligety spent a lot of time looking up at T.J. Lanning on race podiums. "I wasn't the hotshot as a kid. It was always T.K.," Ligety explained. Thursday, on a cloudy day as the Charles Schwab Birds of Prey races got underway at Beaver Creek, Colo., the two longtime teammates helped light-up another vocal World Cup throng. While Switzerland's Daniel Albrecht repeated his super combined victory from the 2007 World Championships, Ligety and Lanning were two of the three Americans in the top 10. Albrecht collected his first World Cup win in 2:00.26 while Frenchman Jean BaptisteGrange earned his first podium,finishingsecond (2:00.93) and Ondrej Bank of Slovenia also gained his first World Cup podium in third place (2:01.23). Bode Miller, a sometime Park City resident, was fourth in 2:01.28. Ligety, the Olympic combined gold medalist, seemingly was out of any semblance of contention after the DH. But, turning-in the second-fastest slalom run, he laser-beamed his way from being tied for 39th in downhill to eighth place overall. In the process, he zipped past Lanning, who had been an impressive 17th in the speed run. Please see Swiss, A-2 Talk of embattled Department of Justice is sidestepped New U.S. top cop speaks instead about guns and the mentally ill By PATRICK PARKINSON SCOTT S\HEJPARK RECORD U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey addresses 33 state attorneys general Thursday at Trie Canyons. Of the Record staff As debates rage about torture and "warrantless wiretapping," the first public comments from U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey on Thursday focused instead on instant background checks for gun buyers and keeping firearms away from the mentally ill. "During my time in office, I want to continue to emphasize the broad-based cooperation between state and federal law enforcement," Mukasey told 33 attorneys general at the winter meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General at The Canyons. "[Sharing] information, whether it is from one government agency to another or from all of us to our citizens, is a vital part of being prepared against all threats." Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff hopes to convince state lawmakers to cooperate with the federal government to report names of people banned from owning guns to the National Instant Criminal Background Check. "This is a vital tool for enforcing federal and state firearms eligibility laws, allowing federal firearms licensees to do instant background checks on gun purchasers," Mukasey said. "It provides access to nationwide databases, ensuring that one state's information about a warrant or other disqualifying information can be available when a prohibited person tries to buy a firearm in a different state." Cooperation between state and federal agencies resulted in more names reported to the database since the shootings at Virginia Tech, which left 33 dead in April, Mukasey said. "As the Virginia Tech tragedy made clear, it is vital [the database] have accurate and complete information on persons prohibited from possessing firearms because of mental health history," he said. Thirty-two states had contributed information to the gun register as of Nov. 1, Mukasey said. Still, convincing Utah's pro-gun Legislature to adopt tougher laws could be difficult. But those who judges deem mentally ill already cannot possess concealed firearms in Utah, Shurtleff explained. The violent crime rate in Utah remains low, but officers are concerned about a spike in the number of rapes. "[Violent] crime continues to present some of the greatest challenges for both state and federal officials," Mukasey said. "Our strategy includes funding for state and local law enforcement, enhanced prevention efforts and a crackdown on America's most violent offenders." State attorneys general spoke privately with Mukasey about how to curb illegal immigration in the United States, Shurtleff said. "[Mukasey] has already met with the Please see Crime, A-2 PCMR pitches in to benefit People's Health Clinic Fundraiser provides medical center one-third of its budget By TRACIE FAILS Of the Record staff Multi-million-dollar homes and a thriving upscale service industry may deservedly give Summit County a reputation of affluence, but the financial position that characterizes much of the county may not extend as deeply some might expect. Or at least it doesn't guarantee medical coverage. Summit County has the fastest growing percentage of residents without health insurance in Utah, according to the United Way of Summit County. The current portion of 12.3 percent already exceeds the state average. "That's surprising to many people, but the truth is the clinic serves all kinds of people," said Terry Moffit, community outreach "-Ruk Record Sfnnj Isuwj't Ctvuy tmtt ISSO ...C-10 B-2 wvvw. p a r kreco rd .c o m 9 4 9 3 7 00 00 1 director for the People's Health Clinic (PHC), a volunteer medical center that offers treatment to uninsured residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties. "Even some you wouldn't expect." The People's Health Clinic, located on Ironhorse Drive, provides general care and specialized treatment to anyone without insurance, including those in between carriers. Services range from general care to pediatrics, diabetes management and prenatal services. The volunteer clinic covers expenses partly with government and corporate grants, but its largest source of funding comes from private donations. The annual PHC Community Celebration provides about one-third of the clinic's annual operating budget. This year's event, featuring food and live music, will take place Monday, Dec. 3, at Park City Mountain Resort's Legacy Lodge from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are not required. "It's always been a light evening," Moffit Please see Ski day, A-2 VISITOR _ T GUIDE » SARAH AUS&PARK RECORD The People's Health Clinic provides medical treatment to residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties without health insurance. The clinic sees people of all backgrounds. he Park City Film Series presents "Deep Water" tonight, Saturday, Dec. 1 at 8 p^m. "Deep Water" is a documentary about the first solo* non-stop, around-the-world boat race and the psychological toll it took on its competitors. The screening will take place at the Santy Auditorium located at 1255 Park § Ave. Tickets are $7 witr^ discounts available for students and seniors. For more information, visit www.parkcityfilmseries.com. •" |