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Show VIEWPOINTS A-15 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, October 11-14, 2015 2014 Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 10-12, www.parkrecord.com EDITORIAL Under PCSD's new contact, it is the teachers who must learn LETTERS TO THE EDITOR An invaluable safety net for the uninsured Shout out for a great school year Editor: They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And that's certainly true where healthcare is concerned. Prevention and early treatment are always cheaper than emergency care. Unfortunately, many of the nation's uninsured have traditionally been unable to obtain healthcare until their illness or injury becomes so severe, they must go to an emergency room - which is always the most expensive access point for medical attention. Without a "medical home" to assist patients with managing chronic disease, uninsured patients can be faced with repeat visits to the emergency room to address acute episodes rather than working with healthcare professionals to manage the underlying problem. Further, if an uninsured patient cannot afford to pay for those services, the cost to the insured and businesses who offer insurance goes up. But our community is lucky to have the People's Health Clinic, which provides affordable, quality healthcare to the uninsured in Summit and Wasatch counties. The People's Health Clinic helps to bring down the cost of healthcare in our community by providing affordable access to doctors and specialists before medical problems get too severe. When uninsured patients use PHC for their primary care to treat an illness or injury before it becomes an emergency, it not only provides better healthcare for the individual, it also saves everyone money. Thank you to People's Health Clinic for being an important safety net for our community! Editor: I just wanted to send a quick shout out to all the students, parents and staff at Jeremy Ranch Elementary. It has been an exceptional year at the school. Thank you for all the support of the PTO that allowed for us to accomplish so much together throughout the year. And, oh my gosh, what a wonderful group of volunteers who not only made every event/project/program a success, but also made it lots of fun. What a year! And next year is sure to be even better! Oodles of thanks, Si Hutt, Park City Medical Center Administrator People's Health Clinic Board Member Nick Wright Park City Deeper Understanding is being achieved Editor: Many thanks to everyone who helped to make last week's Project for Deeper Understanding discussion on death with dignity such a great experience. The perspectives and information shared were rich and meaningful. Your commitment, willingness to take risk, and hard work paid off. And attendance was very strong…. probably the 3rd or 4th best attended forum of all we have done over the past eight years. Thank you so very much. Charles Robinson St. Luke's Episcopal Church The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER Andy Bernhard Editor Nan Chalat Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Adam Spencer Bubba Brown Angelique McNaughton Contributing writers Tom Clyde Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Steve Phillips Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy editor Alan Maguire ADVERTISING Classified advertising Jennifer Lynch Office manager Tiffany Rivera Circulation manager Lacy Brundy Accounting manager Jennifer Snow Advertising director Valerie Spung Advertising sales Lori Gull Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Sara Pearson Lisa Curley Photographer Christopher Reeves Production director Lisa Powell Production Ben Olson Nadia Dolzhenko April Hendrix Amy Macuga PTO President Let's vote on which laws to enforce Editor: Both Guest Editorials (June 3-5) completely miss the point of law regarding dogs and leashes - the law requires that dogs be on a leash, not just under some supposed mind control - both Shannon and Reagan must have either grown up in the 60's or be very rich - if you don't like a law, simply ignore it - they both seem to think that enforcing leash laws are not the responsibility of our police force - which particular laws should the police enforce - is speeding OK? A lot of people sure do it. Is that good? I'd like to see a list of laws which they would like to obey or disobey so we can all vote on them - until then, please refrain from your (just guessing) scofflaw behavior. Flashing lights in front of Fresh a hazard To the Editor: On Friday, May 29th while waiting for a bike rider to cross at the red flashing lights in front of Fresh Market, I was rear ended for the second time in two years. The accident required the towing of both cars and the policemen and firemen who arrived quickly couldn't have been more helpful and attentive. However, the flashing cross lights and the recent increased traffic including people trying to make a left turn leaving Fresh Market, should make the powers that be take a look at installing a traffic light or forbidding a left turn from Fresh Market. Wendy Lavitt Park City Some dog owners are better than others Editor: To all the wonderful dog owners I encountered on the trail from Swaner to PC Sunday, I want to give you a big THANK YOU! The 1st guy I encountered with an off-leash dog got off his bike, parked it, called his dog to him and held it till I passed. The next guy had a black poodle off leash and had it sit by his feet till I passed. Several people had their dogs leashed. There was only one dog, I think a retriever, that was probably a hundred yards away from its owners and wandered wherever while they appeared to be busy leashing up another dog. This is the way it should be. Just have a little consideration for others using our wonderful trail system and all the whining will go away. One comment about those who insist on walking through the crowds on Main Street, why would you bring your dog into such a crowded situation and force everyone to have to interact with your pet? Again, thank you. Bob Berube Park City The Park City School District and its teachers should be commended for agreeing to a salary package that encourages teachers to strive to become better educators. The agreement, which was ratified with overwhelming support by the Park City Education Association (which represents the teachers) and unanimously approved Tuesday by the Park City Board of Education, gives raises to teachers for tenure and pays them more for having a Master's Degree. But it also includes incentives for teachers who further their training, rewarding them for achievements such as completing research projects and earning National Board Certification or endorsements in their subjects. As education enters a period of rapid transformation around the nation to make sure our students are prepared to become contributing members of the 21st century workforce, it is important our teachers also evolve. They must seek the best education and the highest training, and we are proud that many of our teachers in Park City have done so. The community should be pleased the compensation package ensures those who demonstrate Treble Makers were a hit at Peace House Editor: We at Peace House are grateful for the donation Park City Treble Makers made to assist our mission. This talented a cappella choir drew a large and generous audience to its recent spring concert, "A Celebration of Song." Treble Makers honored Peace House with donations received at the otherwise free community concert. It is with the outpouring of support from the greater Park City community that Peace House is able to continue sheltering those fleeing domestic abuse and offer them ongoing assistance as they seek a future free from fear. Thank you, Treble Makers! Jane Patten, Executive Director Peace House Koch brothers are now trying their tactics here Editor: The Koch brothers have a new political presence in Utah, and have taken a stand against Governor Herbert's Healthy Utah Plan. This news got me wondering: why do they care? Why would billionaires possibly want to continue to deprive Utah's working poor families of simple access to health care? Is it simply greed for even greater profits? Will their investments in the health care industry suffer? Are they worried that a healthier public will fight harder against the Koch's air-fouling coal industries, or against groundwater fouling from fracking? Do the billionaires just need to keep people poor to have someone to look down on? They already look down on 99 percent, even down on the millionaires. The only logical reason that I can envision involves the quirky historical fact that health care coverage in the U.S. has been tied to employment. This has tied (chained) workers to their employers. The overseers, the big bosses, must like seeing their employees chained to their jobs. I hope our leaders will side with allowing Utah workers access to health care, and with it the freedom to choose where they work, over the "needs" of out-of-state billionaires. William E. Cosgrove, MD Pediatrician, Cottonwood Heights ‘No child should be left inside' Editor: When I think about why I moved to Park City, the answer is clear. Since my childhood, I've loved playing outdoors. The rural foothills of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts were the perfect environment to spend my childhood days running amuck with my brother and friends, building forts in the woods, fishing for trout in streams, and paddling canoes across lakes. We explored the world on our bicycles all by ourselves, and came home dirty with smiles on our faces. Today, tablets, TVs, computers, and smartphones are the new landscape. The average North American child spends 7-10 hours each day looking at a screen of some kind and only 7 minutes playing outside. The unstructured outdoor adventures I that commitment to our students will receive a proper reward. The package also guarantees our teachers will continue to be among the highest-paid in the state. While it is important for the district to maintain a sustainable budget -- and teacher salaries represent a large chunk of that budget -- this helps attract the best educators to our community. That is one of the most crucial elements in the district's ability to deliver a top-flight education. As long as the school district is able to fill its schools with passionate, qualified educators, we do not expect Park City's designation as a good steward of public education to falter. It is also important to note the salary negotiations ran smoothly, with both sides reporting the deal as a "winwin." This was in stark contrast to the previous round of talks that ended in 2013. That shows the district values its teachers, while teachers acknowledge the positives of working for a district that gives them the tools they need to succeed. And in the end, our community is much better for it. experienced growing up are vanishing, and with it, a connection to nature and all its beauty. Countless benefits are associated with "nature play" -- cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional development. It instills deep conservation values and helps our youth understand stewardship. That is exactly what Summit Land Conservancy hopes to do. With support from Vail EpicPromise and Holy Cross Ministries, the Conservancy launched the Kids Outdoors program which restores unstructured outdoor play to local youth in Park City. We offered students from McPolin Elementary's after-school program the opportunity to visit the open spaces we cherish in Park City; some for their very first time. They climbed the Round Valley tree fort and tiptoed across the frozen pond. Some had their first snowball fight and made mud pies with sprinkles at McPolin Farmlands. Children used imagination and curiosity to fuel playtime. With this years' success, we will offer this experience to other elementary schools next year. Our goal is to offer the joy and freedom of exploring wild places. Because the truth is, no child should be left inside. Caitlin Willard, Programs Coordinator Summit Land Conservancy Uber supporter is taking cheap shots at taxis Editor, In his first letter to the editor, Sam Rubin masquerades as a consumer who has just discovered Uber. He shares his wonderful experiences as a passenger in somebody's Uber car. Now we know from Sam's last letter that he isn't always telling the truth. Sam was using the letters column to simply promote his services, while taking cheap shots at Professional Taxi Services. In that first letter Sam boasted about the great savings he incurred on his fantasy ride, yet in his last letter he claims to make a lot of money driving for Uber. Which is it Sam, cheap fares, or great wages? You can't have it both ways. There are just too many costs incurred. He wants us all to believe that he has given almost 5,000 rides in 13 months. Is that 5,000 rides at half price? In your first year? That's 12 rides a day for each of the last 395 days. That doesn't sound like parttime to me. I hope Sam's insurance agent is following this story. Sorry Sam, I find your stories hard to believe. Jack Fenton Ski Town Express Applegate Hospice embodies compassion Editor: Like many people, I moved to Park City to start a new chapter in my life, drawn by family ties as well as the beauty and culture of this area. What I have discovered here is a rare find in life--a chance to volunteer my time with a group of caring professionals who dedicate their lives to helping others in the most vulnerable and sensitive times in life. This is the staff of Applegate Home Care & Hospice and this letter is to publicly thank them each for enriching my life. Their mission statement reads in part "...attention is given to the little things that provide a more compassionate and personal way for people to be helped through illness, injury and the end of life process..." and each and every person in this Applegate Hospice and Home Health Care lives every word of that statement. They have each taught me that real, sincere caring and hands-on support exists for their patients and family members in need of their services. They have shown me how they provide care on all levels--physical, emotional, mental and spiritual those in their care. I stand in awe of their level of commitment to each other and to the families they serve as they are there when needed--any time day or night. Most of all, they have shown me the strength of their caring to stand strong when many people go the other way, perhaps too uncomfortable to stay or unsure of what to do. While I have learned many skills with them, my heart and compassion has stretched beyond any limits I thought I had, and I am filled with deep gratitude for who and how they exist here in Park City--indeed a rare find. Jeanne Coleman Park City LETTERS POLICY The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines. They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an 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. 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