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Show I A-15 www.parkrecord.com WED/THURS/FRI, DECEMBER 2-4, 2009 An open letter to the new county manager (whoever you are) D ear new Summit County manager: At this writing, we don't know who you are, since your appointment wont be announced until later today. But we'd like to be among the first to welcome you to Summit County. You've picked a great place to work. Many of us who live here think that this is a piece of paradise, and we'd like to keep it that way. But, as you'll soon find out, "keeping it that way" is only one of the challenges you're about to face, as more and more other people want to enjoy it, too. As you may know, the 2006 countywide vote that created your position passed by only a 51-49 percent margin. To put it another way, more than 5,000 of the 10,744 voters in that election said they were quite happy with things the way they were. On the East Side, which happens to be the seat of county government, the proposal lost in every voting precinct. So you'll be walking into a County Courthouse with a bunch of employees who didn't want another boss. Your management skills are going to be put to the challenge there. The vote in that election is a symptom of a larger issue: the divide between the East Side, which is largely rural, and the West Side, which is a more cosmopolitan mix of a recreation-based economy, suburban homes and a growing retail base. Trying to balance the needs of our diverse county will be another challenge, to say the least. On the East Side, many property owners are chafing under the restrictions of a development code that, they feel, doesn't allow them to manage their property the way they see fit. Why shouldn't they be allowed to let their kids build homes on a corner of the family property, many longtime residents want to know. On the West Side, you'll be inheriting a long-festering dilemma at The Canyons, where a decade-old base development agreement was made contingent on the construction of a golf course. That golf course was supposed to be finished about seven years ago. The owners face a new set of deadlines that are due to expire next year. So that will be your baby now. The West Side is also dealing with traffic bottlenecks along State Road 248 and in the commercial areas at Kimball Junction. With more development on the drawing boards, those problems will need some creative solutions. From a fiscal standpoint, the county appears to be in good shape. It seems to have weathered the recession so far, at least - with only four layoffs out of a work force of about 300. Your challenge will be to keep it that way, while negotiating the existing fiefdoms belonging to elected officials who feel obligations to their own supporters. As you know, the Summit County Council has been agonizing over your selection for the better part of a year. We can't wait to see who they chose. A tea ba&fer's wish list 0JR/STMA5 f WANT MY (Ml® LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Open-door policy: wrong message Editor: I visited a small retailer the other night who had the front door propped open with a large stone. As I walked in, I couldn't help but notice the warm air pouring out and the cold air rushing in to take its place - the outside temperature was in the low 20s by evening. 1 politely asked the storekeeper why her door was propped open and she responded that it helps get people into the store to shop (the two of us were the only people there). I asked if she was aware of the Save Our Snow program, but she quickly responded that she was far more interested in making a sale than in protecting the environment - more than a little selfserving but also remotely understandable given today's economic climate. This isn't the first time I've noticed this "open-door policy", particularly on Main Street ... just the first time I've taken a moment to say something. I'd like to invite all Park City retailers, restaurateurs, and other shopkeepers to use more effective and environmentally-friendly ways to attract people to your store and get them in your door. Window displays, decorations, items on the sidewalk, invitations for hot chocolate or cider or a toddy all seem to me to be much warmer and friendlier ways to attract guests and patrons. The environmental challenges we face will require some massive solutions, but we all must also perform small acts of thoughtfulness as individuals if we expect to see change. One small measure would be to do away with an open-door policy this winter and save that for when the thermometer gets back up to 70. Paul Anderson Park City the city going to do to bring people to the street. Come on, everybody. Let's keep the action in Old Town. Connie Katz Park City Learn how much good a seal can do shares our air - can truly celebrate another year together. Watch for your Christmas Seals in the mail, or go to www.ChristmasSeals.org to learn how much good a seal can do. Sarah Clancy American Lung Association in Utah Gratitude from Thompson family Editor: For more than 100 years, one of the most effective weapons in the fight for healthy lungs and healthy air has been an American Lung Editor: Association Christmas Seal. The Thompson family would Every year, Utahns generously like to thank the wonderful Park Editor: I have been reading the paper donate to our Christmas Seals City community for all the support online regarding the Silly Market Campaign and use these seal to you have provided during this difbecause I am out of town at the decorate their holiday cards and ficult time. The memorial celebramoment. I own a store on lower packages. The Lung Association tion for Bill at the Miners Hospital Main - Coda Gallery. I was upset in Utah wants to thank all of our made us all realize how lucky we at what I read and this is why: The long-time and new supporters. are to be living in Park City. Silly Market has no impact on our Without them our work would not Thank you all. We know you business whatsoever and we have be possible. will continue to help us live life done the necessary work by studyThis holiday season Utah has fully every day as Bill would have ing the last six years. more reasons than ever to support wanted. Keep biking, skiing and But guess what: I love the mar- the Christmas Seal Campaign. just enjoying everything that life ket. I love looking out and seeing Locally, we face several challenges offers. the families, the dogs, the vendors that the Lung Association is deterSpecial thanks to Gateway Grill working so hard. I have gone mined to confront, such as poor air Catering, Jeanne Rettos Logan for many times, taken guests, bought quality and a severe cut in smok- her beautiful music and Greg things. Please, upper Main, you ing-cessation funding. Schirf for providing the Wasatch have to believe me that it has zero This year's Christmas Seals beer that Bill so loved. impact on my business but I do Campaign theme is "Celebrate support it. It is friendly, it is green, Another Year" and the American Whitney Thompson it is entertaining, it is unique and Lung Association in Utah is work- On behalf of Joan, getting better. It is a happening ing to ensure that all of us - from Carrie and Andre and I will really be disappointed if children with asthma to seniors City Hall doesn't help - what is with COPD and everyone who Let's keep the action in Old Town LETTERS POLICY ; •-( The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guide- . lines: They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No: letter will be published under a n ' assumed name. Letters must • not contain libelous material. ; Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long of if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited ; to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 10 individuals and/or businesses. SEND YOUR LETTER TO: ; EDITOR@PARKRECORD.COM \ §?The Park i Record Staff GUEST EDITORIAL Why you should support the Fair Boundaries Initiative By Kathy Lofft, Park City Now that the local elections are behind us, the most important civic action you can take is to support the Fair Boundaries Initiative. It advocates a November 2010 ballot measure that, if approved by voters, would result in creation of an 11-member independent redistricting commission. This commission would use existing resources and objective guidelines to make redistricting recommendations to our state legislature. If the legislature ignores those recommendations, it would be required to use the same guidelines used by the commission to establish its own redistricting plan. Gerrymandering adversely impacts both Park City and Summit County. The residents of Park City are part of a state House district that includes all of Daggett County (on the Colorado border) and much of Rich County (near the Wyoming border), but not most of the Snyderville Basin. Summit County - which has nearly enough residents to constitute a voting district by itself - is currently split four ways among its state House and Senate districts. As a result, three of its four legislators live well outside the county. I'd like to share my own perspective as someone who has faced and fought the effects of gerrymandering as a candidate for state office, a political newcomer challenging a longtime legislator and former House speaker. I believe there are two key reasons to support Fair Boundaries: J if 1. Ensure voter access to candi- print or other advertising. dates. One of the best ways to reach Gerrymandering creates unusually and influence voters is to canvass large areas, often with multiple popudoor-to-door. This is particularly true lation centers, to be targeted by sigif you are challenging a long-term nage, which increases costs. It also incumbent. However, in a large, geo- fractures media markets and makes it graphically dispersed district it is more difficult, and expensive, to reach extremely difficult to reach people voters using traditional advertising. through door-to-door canvassing or To reach people in the far corners other means. It is particularly hard, as of the district, my campaign spent an a challenger, to reach enough people inordinate amount of money on camto overcome the inherent advantage paign signs. (I am certain that today, most incumbents enjoy. you'll find someone near the I estimate my campaign knocked Colorado border using one of my on 5,000-6,000 doors last year, a signif- signs to advertise a yard sale!) I also icant achievement but not enough, ran in a district whose residents read ultimately, to more than a half win. To reach dozen different even this many The residents of Park City newspapers, iisvoters, we had. to are part of a state House district ten to at least as many local radio r start canvassing stations and in the summer that includes all of Daggett watch television border aTmost COndaif C°Unty (°n the Colorado > programs cart h r o u g h by several and much of Rich County (near ried Election Day. I local network took time from the Wyoming border), but not affiliates and my job to supcable/satellite most of the Snyderville Basin." providers. It cost port this sched**^^^^^m^m^ ule, but not a substantial every candidate at this level is able to amount of money to place ads with campaign full-time. A similar princi- the larger outlets even a single time. If ple applies to "meet the candidate" Td run in a smaller and more conevents. When you're campaigning in a tained district, I could have spent far gerrymandered district, it's often less money on signage and advertisimpossible to attend every event due ing. to the distance involved or timing Gerrymandering forces candidates conflicts between far-flung events. to spend significant time, resources 2. Reduce cost of campaigns. As a and money to find and reach potential candidate, there are many ways to get voters. It shortchanges the voters your message out. Chief among them themselves, many of whom end up are using campaign signs and running with no real opportunity to meet or t hear directly from the candidates. I believe gerrymandering disproportionately impacts political newcomers and those trying to challenge incumbent legislators. It magnifies the advantage enjoyed by incumbents and creates barriers beyond the already formidable obstacles a political newcomer faces. All this applies regardless of the party affiliation of the candidates in question. It holds true equally for early primary contests as well as general-election races. In other words, all candidates (and voters), regardless of party affiliation, can be adversely impacted by gerrymandering. Perhaps for this reason, signatures on the Fair Boundaries petition are now split almost equally between registered Republicans (approximately 31% of signers) and registered Democrats (approximately 20% of signers), with the remainder being largely unaffiliated. At least 95,000 signatures statewide (including 4,000 in Summit County) are needed to get the Fair Boundaries initiative on the November 2010 ballot. If you believe that the residents of Silver Springs share a greater commonality of interest with the residents of Park Meadows than they do with the residents of Manila (in Daggett County), then sign the Fair Boundaries petition today! To arrange to sign the petition, caUTania at (435) 640-1917. Kathy Lofft was the Democratic candidate for state legislative District 53 in 2008. PUBLJSHER Andy Bemhard Editor Nan Chalat-Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Pat Parkinson '•:<- y.-^f-H^ '%";"-:** ". J;':t- Contributing writers < •. i : . :'-...„.•., . v ; , ;• ' -^V - "'-'>" "i:\V••"'£"'* ,r:-': :: .. v - ' ''.[>'.;.i''\'i-'\ "*en WatJdns Andrew Kirk AlishaSelf •* Tom Clyde T e nOrr J a y Meehan Joan Jacobson LarryWarren Steve Phillips Copy editor David Hampshire > ADVERTISING Classified advertising Ashlee Thomas Office manager Circulation manager Accounting manager Advertising director Advertising sales Kandjlee Snyder Lacy Brundy Kale Fischer Valerie Demtng Lori Qull Jennifer Musial Erin Donnelly Pamela Graves Barbara Yarbenel Photographer Grayson Wesl J «- H v aV* £~' ^ t ^ Matt Gordon Scott Schlenker PradnctioD director Sarah Ely Prodjjction p a t Hamaker 0 |