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Show I A-15 www.parkrecord.com WED/THURS/FRI, AUGUST 18-20, 2010 ChamTech application needs close scrutiny S ummit County officials and members of the public, especially in North Summit, should carefully vet the current proposal for a military-type training site submitted by ChamTech Enterprises. The project will be the subject of a public hearing tonight (Wednesday, Aug. 18) at 7 p.m. at Summit County Courthouse. The applicant wants to establish a 2,500-acre facility on rangeland northeast of Echo. Though the developers say there will be no aircraft or explosives, that may be small comfort for backcountry travelers who worry about whether they might inadvertently cross over onto land being used for sniper training. The Summit County site, apparently, was not ChamTech's first choice. A similar proposal from the same group was recently denied in Duchesne County after residents turned out in force to voice their concerns. Their worries revolved around safety for nearby residents and the potential for attracting fringe-type militia groups. ChamTech representatives told The Park Record that they plan to screen out paramilitary groups through extensive background checks and they have also tried to reassure county officials that they would ensure the safety of surrounding residents. Local officials also cited concerns about fire u safety - a concern that was brought into focus this week when a wildfire was ignited near the police shooting range near Parleys Summit. Though the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, one possibility is that it was started by an errant bullet. Officials charged with responsibility for wildland fires, livestock and wildlife should be called upon to weigh in on the ChamTech proposal before any decisions are made. But, in addition to evaluating the practical aspects of this proposal, residents and their elected officials should also look at the subjective implications of approving a private military training facility in our community. Coalville Mayor Duane Schmidt said it well when he commented that the economic impact might be positive but it could come at the cost of "tranquility for our friends and neighbors down in Henefer and Echo." ChamTech's application says activities on the property would focus on in-the-field military training, vehicle and sniper training, along with surveillance and counter-surveillance techniques. Given the current controversy surrounding private military contractors, Summit County residents should pay particularly close attention to this application, even though it would be located in a remote corner of the county. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Kindness prevailed at Arts Festival Local talent shone at Oakley show Hats off to officer of the year Editor: I want to thank your readers who reached out to us about the article on the unfortunate theft at Arts Festival. We were heartbroken that a con man posing as a volunteer could commit such an appalling act, but the letters of encouragement were great comfort. We rely on the gate money we receive at Arts Festival to allow the Kimball to be free and open to the public year round. It is our largest annual fundraiser. Stealing from us is robbing the community of our free school tours and free public exhibitions like the LEGO show. It is shameful and we want other nonprofits to be careful so it doesn't happen to them. That said, the innate kindness of people prevails. We were very moved by two specific people who stepped forward to become Kimball Benefactors to undo some of the wrong that was done to us. This is the kind of support and goodwill is what makes our community great. Thanks to our members, sponsors and funders like the Restaurant and RAP Tax who keep us thriving! Editor: The Park City Summit County Arts Council and the members of the planning committee want to thank our Park City and Summit County communities for supporting the first Oakley Arts & Artisans Show and Sale conducted on July 17. We were so proud to help show off Summit County talent in such a beautiful setting in Oakley. We had a total of 31 artists from Oakley, Kamas, Coalville and Park City. A variety of work made up the show: pottery, photography, wood carving, a children's book, glass art, jewelry, fabric art and oil, acrylic and watercolor painting. Between 250 and 275 people attended the event with a high percentage of folks from Oakley and Park City. The community support made this success possible, and we extend our appreciation as well as hope that you will join us again next year. We especially thank the Oakley City mayor and city council, Keith Walker of Road Island Diner, Larry Devy of Ken's Kash, and Ray Peterson for bringing his ice cream wagon. Editor: Congratulations to Christina Lynn Sally for being awarded Summit County Sheriff's Officer of the Year for 2010. The Elks Lodge #734 put on a great ceremony, and Sheriff Dave Edmunds gave a beautiful speech. Congratulations, baby. I'm so proud of you. Robin Rankin Marrouche Executive director Kimball Art Center Ted Keane Park City Harboring thistles is against the law Editor: This is to inform the citizens of Park City and Summit County of a noxious week problem within our community. Recently, while attending a tour of the Copper Moose Farm, I was given a brochure of noxious weeds in our area. Thistle was listed as the noxious weed of the month with an announcement that it was illegal to have this weed on your property. It seems that many people, including those in our government, are in violation of this Rhoda Stauffer On behalf of Steve Taylor, Katlileen ordinance because I have seen both Briley, Kathryn Scott, Jan Scotch and Canadian thistle just Massimino, Janet Thimmes, Jacalyn about everywhere as I ride my bike Rounday, Jayanne Sindt and Carole each day. My husband and I have been cutSaunders. ting off the blossoms and putting them in garbage containers as fast as we can to remove the seeds and prevent future thistles from growing, but we feel this is an exercise in futility. There is thistle everywhere, and we can't begin to remove enough to make much of a difference. We would be willing to organize thistle removal and spraying if any other people would be interested in helping with this endeavor. This would be a great project for any organizations looking for something that would be helpful to our community. You can reach me at the Christian Center or by calling (435) 615-1582. Lorraine Stuecken Park City School district showed sensitivity Editor: On behalf of the Jewish community of Park City, I want to thank the administration and Board of Education of the Park City School District for their great sensitivity to a recent scheduling challenge. Inadvertently, PCHS Homecoming weekend was scheduled on the weekend of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Members of the foot- Why do motorized-watercraft owners control Lake Powell? Writers on the Range Each summer I do penance at Lake Powell for the environmental sins of its visitors. This summer was no exception as I volunteered to work on a houseboat called the Trash Tracker. Our job: picking up debris in 108-degree heat along 100 miles or so of the 1,900-mile shoreline. Our team found the usual amount of beer and soda cans, diapers, toys, plywood, pillows, water bottles, fireworks and golf balls. In five days we picked up almost 50 full bags of trash, though in the oppressive heat we covered less ground than usual. But this summer we saw more toilet paper and human feces than we've ever seen before. Just ask Ranger Terry Bell, who had to dedicate some of her time this summer to go on "poop patrol" around the lake to prevent the spread of fecal chloroform bacteria. It seems that a lot of motorboaters and houseboat users haven't a clue about "Leave No Trace" ethics. And throughout the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which surrounds Lake Powell, recreational mayhem is only getting worse. The lakeshore has become a wasteland of weeds, tamarisk, exploded fireworks and fire rings full of broken glass and melted aluminum. So, after three summers of pick- ing up trash, I've come to a revelation: Forget about draining Lake I'm raising my canoe paddle. I want to be heard. I want a section of Lake Powell closed to the gas-guzzling, climate-warming motorboat crowd." Powell, or "Lake Foul" as the critics call it. Draining the lake is not happening anytime soon because of the legal water rights of downstream states and Mexico; then there's also the increasing signs of drought. The writer Ed Abbey wanted to blow up Glen Canyon Dam, but he couldn't get the job done. Back in 1981, EarthFirst! had fun by tossing a large black plastic wedge over Glen Canyon Dam to make it look like the dam was cracked and ready to spill. Nice gesture and a memorable picture, but ineffective. I'm tired of waiting the 1,000 years or so that it will take before the mighty Colorado River, which drains 243,000 square miles, finally silts up behind the dam and turns it into a huge waterfall. I want Glen Canyon back for paddlers and those who row boats - now. The speedboat and houseboat crowd have had the lake since it began to fill in 1963, and what have they done with it? They've trashed it. It's time to take Lake Powell back for the kayakers, the canoers, the rubber-raft folks and all the river people who know how to pick up their trash, how to use fire pans, and who certainly know how to poop into portable toilets once called groovers. (They were named after the first river-running toilets, which were .50 caliber surplus ammunition boxes. Sit on one and grooves will be yours.) I'm not kidding. With a shoreline logger than that of California, Oregon and Washington, why do motorized watercraft - including those insanely loud jet skis that buzz around in circles like angry hornets - control the lake? I'm raising my canoe paddle. I want to be heard. I want a section of Lake Powell closed to the gasguzzling, climate-warming motorboat crowd. I want a section just for ^paddlers, and I think the Escalante arm or the flooded Escalante River section would do just fine. A new industry could be created for shuttling paddlers and their boats into remote canyons. In honor of all the boatmen who drifted down through the marvels of Glen Canyon before the dam, it's Rabbi Joshua M Aaronson Temple Har Shalom Park City GUEST EDITORIAL By Andrew Gulliford ball team, the band, the cheer squad, as well as the student body and faculty would have been impacted. -''; When I brought this to the attention of the administration and school board, they responded sensitively and efficiently so thajt another date could be selected. *5 Special appreciation to Superintendent Ray Timothy, PCHS Principal Hilary Hays, PCHS Vice Principal Doug Payne, Coach Kai Smalley and the entire PCSD school board for their graciousness in this matter. Our entire community is well served by educators such as these who embrace diversity. There is no better education than modeling thoughtful decisions. ;« time to take back a portion of it. Here was a place so beautiful that John Wesley Powell wrote on Aug. 3,1869, "We have a curious ensemble of wonderful features - carved walls, royal arches, glens, alcove gulches, mounds and monuments." Now, the canyons are flooded and over 2,000 Ancestral Puebloan sites and ruins are underwater. We've lost what the eminent Western writer Wallace Stegner called "the incomparable." But solace can still be found amid those red rocks, blue skies, and green waters. For too long, environmentalists have shunned the lake. Instead, it's time to embrace it. The secrets of Glen Canyon are still there. At the heads of the 93 canyons that form the lake, there are hidden springs, tiny pools of water beneath original, narrow leaf cottonwood trees shimmering green against curved, arching sandstone walls. There is deep silence and a profound sense of geologic time. Glen Canyon has been lost, but its essence can still be found - not by draining the lake, but by allowing quiet paddles and quiet oars. Andrew Gulliford is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He is a professor of Southwest Studies and History at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. \ *? •"£• LETTERS POLICY The Park Record welcomes letters lo*{ the editor on any subject. We ask thaf^ the letters adhere to the following^ guidelines: They must include ths.-J home (street) address and telephone^* number of the author. No letter will beg published under an assumed name*} Letters must not contain Jibelou^ 1 * material. Letters should be no longer-^ than about 300 words (about 60(£* words for guest editorials) and;C should, if possible, be typed. We*^ reserve the right to edit letters if the^n are too long of if they contain state*-, ments that are unnecessarily offen-»J sive or obscene. Writers are limited^* to one letter every seven days^J Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 10 individuals and/or businesses. 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