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Show 11 " laaMwaaaMMM rrorrv. Jackson with- f & V t V fK 4) A 4) A 4) "from ; Maclonn '11 L3 t to Miner! I S, s irivctplace A10 Sports 01 nnn ElEOH MS i ' i - 'it If'' 4 a oku T tt T i i V . "e.Si J.-;,. , ' I 'jf' lllli k S U M II v e iac'tey"sac't during a game 7 Sunday afternoon at the Park Sunday Sunday There really is a Mrs. Fields and Park City is her Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of business features profiling pro-filing Park City business with national na-tional and international ties. by HEIDI WEST Record staff writer If the contractor building daughter Jenessa's nursery hadn't been late, Debbi Fields just might have kept her headquarters for Mrs. Fields Cookies in California instead of moving them to Park City. Mrs. Fields employs about 90 Parkites and Salt Lake City residents and spends upwards of $4 to $5 million in Park City-based payroll and local purchases, according accor-ding to the dynamic cookie queen's husband, Randy Fields ("Mr. Debbi Fields," jokes Debbi). But this substantial contribution to the local economy might never have been if the Fields had not spent months here waiting for their California home to be finished. Debbi was pregnant with their second se-cond daughter, Jenessa, at the time. To avoid the dust of construction, the couple decided to vacation at their Park City condo. "The contractor called us while we were waiting to return," said Debbi, "and said 'don't come home, it's a mess and I've missed the deadline."' Jenessa was born in Utah, and ' during the three months the couple spent here, they decided "it was fabulous and we loved it," said Debbi. Deb-bi. "What we liked best was that it was a small community very committed com-mitted to family, to improvement and to the environment. We wanted to be part of it." The decision to move to Park City took place five years ago, and with it came the then four-year-old Mrs. Fields Cookies enterprise. "The company opened here in March of '82," said Randy, "and in the first 12' months the spending was about $500,000." In 1986, the figure has 1 iKjilStL. VMut-m nini "iHMiiiini.il mn'.nirnni rnwl-TrtwnlHMHtoiMjMMi L 1 - ' " I ii i JJrafi J c I A aampies conceiiiraies uii r City Ski Resort's plaza. Recent moderate temperatures are conducive to shorts and sunglasses. "I thought it was going to be a disaster from day one...Randy bet that I would not even do $50 my first day." Debbi Fields skyrocketed to 10 times that amount, and with it has skyrocketed the company's com-pany's earnings, number of stores and support staff, and Debbi's plans for her business. In her salmon-pink office on the first floor of the Main Street Marketplace Mall, Debbi and husband hus-band Randy engage in a non-stop banter as they cross-check their facts and figures. "That lipstick makes me barf," jokes Randy. "My next wife will have a much different color." "I know, but she'll be broke," retorts Debbi. The walls are adorned with framed fram-ed crayon and fingerpaint contributions contribu-tions from daughters Jessica, 7, Jenessa, 5, and Jennifer, 2, and a half-dozen or so stuffed bears are seated comfortably on the office couch and matching chairs. Papers clutter the huge desk of inlaid and carved oak, and a stack of boxes bearing samples of the new line of Caramel Macadamia Nut Royales speak appropriately of the familybusiness mix Debbi Fields' life holds. When she initiated Mrs. Fields nine years ago in Palo Alto, Calif., she literally gave cookies away to get started. "I thought it was going U r Dm iliCBCS Vol.107,No.46 3 Sections, 38 Pages Wednesday, December 31, For superintendent's job Two candidates by SENA TAYLOR Record staff writer The Park City Board of Education will take a closer look next week at two of its candidates for the position of superintendent. The candidates are Mildred J. Martin, director of curriculum and instruction in the Granite School District Office; and Ronald Mclntire, education consultant consul-tant from Kirkland, Wa. According to acting superintendent superinten-dent and school board member Gene Lambert, he said the board met last Friday and, "arrived at two preferred prefer-red candidates that we want to interview inter-view further next week." Two other candidates, however, have not been completely ruled out, although local candidate Michael Garbett was. The school board last week pared down a list of candidates to five, and later to four. "We want to get better acquainted with these two candidates and we want them to visit the schools and get acquainted with school personnel person-nel and procedures, as well as community com-munity leaders," Lambert said. "Then we're planning to meet in executive ex-ecutive session following the inter- Homeowners to buy water company? Summit Park homeowners are considering buying the now privately private-ly owned Summit Park Water Co. in lieu of shouldering yet another hefty rate hike, said Steve Clyde, attorney for the homeowners. The water company applied to the Utah Public Service Commission for an increase from $13.29 to $82.90 last year to repay debts to Summit Park Co., the parent land company that developed the area. They were granted an interim increase to $30.30 in July 1985, which "has been in effect ef-fect until now," said Clyde. A final hearing on the rate hike was scheduled for late last month, Debbi Fields' company moved to be a disaster on day one," she said. "Randy bet that I would not even do $50 my first day . " But Debbi is self-described "highly competitive" and refused to lose the bet with her husband. She walked the streets offering freebies so people could sample her product. "They would taste them and follow me back," she said. Mrs. Fields not only won the bet, she raked in a first-day's first-day's gross of $75. "It's still what I consider the true success of the organization," she laughs. From that first day in Palo Alto, the Mrs. Fields growth profile has been strictly unidirectional up, of course. "I grew 100 percent in my second se-cond year," she said. "I added two stores." . Kducslioa ..... KutcHainmcnt, ,,.Al'Z ir . views to discuss the selection further." fur-ther." The board is tentatively planning to conduct those interviews Jan. 6 and 7. Both Martin and Mclntire have extensive ex-tensive backgrounds in education administration. Martin's education career stems back to 1964 when she began as a teacher and later as an assistant principal, intern director and staff associate in the Utah high schools of Viewmont, Granger, Kearns and Cottonwood, as well as at Valley Junior High School amd Twin Peaks Elementary School. Her current position as director of curriculum and instruction is in the Granite School District. Martin received an education doctorate doc-torate degree in education administration ad-ministration in 1985 at the University Universi-ty of Utah. She receieved another education degree from the university universi-ty in 1976, did 56 hours in communications com-munications graduate work in 1973, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1964 and minored in physical education. Her professional positions include being an adjunct professor at Utah and the homeowners hired Clyde's finn-to help. Clyde "got competent actfify auditors" fo check the water company's books, and found that instead in-stead of a price hike, the company actually owed the customers a refund. re-fund. But, "the practical result of that would be to bankrupt the company," he said. "We suggested the homeowners might be willing to buy if they (and the water company) could agree on a price. ' ' Clyde and a water advisory group of homeowners in Summit Park independent in-dependent from the homeowners ' N ,.s. to Park City in March of 1982. Some years, the growth rate has been as high as 200 percent, and "historically it has grown at more than 50 percent per year," said Randy. Ran-dy. Now, because there are over 400 Mrs. Fields outlets world-wide, the percentage growth rate has slowed a little to between 30 and 35 percent. There are cookie stores across the United States and in five foreign countries Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada and England. "We opened more stores this year tl.m we've opened in the history of Mrs. Fields," said Debbi. She intends to continue expanding the cookie business internationally and in the United States in the upcoming up-coming years, but will also be branching bran-ching out into completely new .Al 1986 to be reviewed State University, being a clinical assistant professor of education at the University of Utah, and other involvements in-volvements at Utah Technical College. Col-lege. She has been involved in many professional activities and consulting con-sulting projects and has also directed workshops and has been involved in-volved in volunteer service such as Odyssey House, SPLORE, 4-H Club and Project PUSH. Mclntire is presently an education consultant for Teaching and Learning, Learn-ing, Inc., in Washington state. Prior to that position he was superintendent superinten-dent of schools in Wichita, Kan., from 1984 to 1986, was executive deputy superintendent of the Houston Independent School District from 1982 to '84, and was associate dean of the College of Education at the University of Texas in Houston from 1979 to '82. He was also superintendent of schools from 1976 to '79 at the Estacada School District in Oregon, and served as elementary principal in the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado from 1970 to '76. From 1967 to 1970 he was involved in other academic positions in California and association met with water company representatives and all agreed to ' push 'back the final hearing date with the state until March 1987. By then, said Clyde, the homeowners will "either get a purchase contract or go to hearing." The water advisory group is now circulating petitions among the 350 homeowners in Summit Park to begin creation of a special service district. Taxes collected through the district will be used to buy the water company's assets, should that be the final decision of the homeowners. But so far, despite what Clyde endeavors, many which use Park City Ci-ty as the testing ground. For instance, in-stance, both Jenessa's hand-made gifts and Spike's restaurant in the Main Street Mall are "specialty retail concepts" the Fields are trying try-ing here first to see how they fare. In addition, a whole new line of treats are in store first for Parkites, and then the world if our vote is yea. Mrs. Fields ice cream "exists only here" right now, said Debbi, but is scheduled for "rollout" "roll-out" next year (we liked it). Muffins and the macadamia nut candies are also to be added to the list of Mrs. Fields goodies, although Caramel Macadamia Royales are available at Bloomingdale's, Macy's and through the mail order division here if ' " I. Ik J M ' S .... Legals .,...,...... .111 .jtafittCX $4uMkAJMk.JUkiMii)hllLi 50? Nevada school districts. Mclntire received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western State College Col-lege in Colorado in 1964, and a masters from the same institution in 1965 with an emphasis in school administration. ad-ministration. He later received an education doctorate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1976 and did post-doctorate post-doctorate studies in 1976 at Stanford University. He has served fellowships with the Danforth School Administrators Fellowship Program and the National Na-tional Endowment for the Humanities, as well as receiving the "Distinguished Educator Award" from Oregon State University in 1978. He lists a number of community activities, has published several articles ar-ticles in education journals, and has conducted many workshops and has done fundraising for research and training programs. The other candidates the school board is considering include John S. Breese, an eight-year superintendent superinten-dent of schools in Ohio; and Robert James Pratt, superintendent of Lib-by Lib-by Public Schools in Libby, Mont. says is a wide discrepency in price between what homeowners have of-' of-' fered and the water company is willing will-ing to accept, it looks like purchasing purchas-ing will be the preferable option. Dr. Richard Hoffer, chair of the water advisory group, was quiet on details of any negotiations, but did applaud the results of the petition drive. "It's been really exciting to have the cooperation of the community," he said. Clyde said he hopes to have the petitions signed and the beginnings of a special service district by early January. home in Park City right now. Three more countries are potential poten-tial targets for Mrs. Fields products next year France, Germany and mainland China. Despite the world-wide network of stores, Debbi Fields still does not think of the company as big. "I think of it as individual stores with all their special needs and all their special customers," she said. "I never think of us as a chain. I feel like we're just the corner store." Fields keeps track of her stores through an IBM central computer located in Park City and linked to every Mrs. Fields in the world. Each outlet punches in its sales numbers every evening after closing, and Debbi can read the results by 6 a.m. Utah time. "The technology is probably pro-bably state of the art," she said. "It's really exciting." Debbi will also gather her cookie business "family" together in Park City starting in January, when all store managers are invited here. "That way, I get a chance to meet them, and they get a chance to see Park City." The staff at Mrs. Fields are drawn in large part from Park City residents. "There are so many people peo-ple out there who are talented that have come to Park City because they don't want the city life," said Debbi. "I also think in my heart of hearts that the quality of people that are coming into the community is getting better and better especially when there is more opportunity for them and not such a dependence on the resort community." The millions of dollars Mrs. Fields spends and the dozens of residents it supports in Park City is a substantial substan-tial contribution to the local economy, but it's not the only one Debbi claims to make. "I support Park City," she jokes, "I'm always shopping here." .m ill I |