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Show dirndl n iltt (Bne by Tom Clyde Park Record Thursday, October 1, 1987 Page A13 'W 5 ' JV Common philosophy needed . 11 A , Hi It is not very often that Mary Lehmer and I agree on anything, and when it does happen, I think we both walk away kind of wondering about things, and pause to reconsider our positions. A couple of weeks ago, Mary contributed an "As I See It" column to the paper explaining ex-plaining that she felt the non-partisan election system in Park City had not succeeded as she and the others who supported the change had hoped, and called for a return to good old partisan politics in the local elections. I have to admit it. I agree with at least the first half of Mrs. Lehmer's position, if not the whole thing. Having spent about five years as an insider at City Hall, working with the City Council as closely as any city employee, I felt the torment of the election process every other year. The system doesn't work. Under the current system, anybody who wants to can sign up for the primary election. About the only requirement require-ment is that you are breathing. There is no convention to screen out the lunatic fringe, no smoke-filled room to find somebody who will make a good compromise candidate. can-didate. It is a process so democratic that it borders on anarchy. So, with the only restriction on entering the race being signing up, we could have everybody in town running, and some years we have. This year there are 10, which is a lot for only three seats on the City Council. We weed them down by having a primary, and then in November, we cut the field down to the final three. The public has spoken, in our great self-governing system. The problem is that the public doesn't really speak. The public mumbles. In the same election, candidates who have never met before will end up sitting side by side at council meetings. Atilla the Hun and St. Francis of Asissi can be elected in the same election. And then the public wonders why it's nearly impossible to get a decision made. In a town this small, we all have opportunity of knowing know-ing the candidates personally, and if we don't, one of our friends will. I like this candidate because he seems like a solid person with good business sense. I voted for that candidate because she was nice to me in the Post Office even before she was running for office. We vote for that one because he or she lives in our neighborhood, or has children the ages of ours, or works in the same kind of business we work in. It's all very personal here, we really real-ly get to know the candidates as people, but not as politicians. politi-cians. We never get to have them affiliated with a common com-mon set of goals. The winners are often the folks who smile the most and say the least. When they step into office, we are shocked to learn that all these genuinely nice people , who are willing to make considerable self sacrifice to serve the community, communi-ty, have completely different and irreconcilable veiws of the world. One wants a General Motors assembly plant built in Park Meadows. One wants Disneyland in Prospector. Pro-spector. Another wants to bulldoze anything built after 1963, or maybe before 1980. These philosophical differences dif-ferences take a while to work out, and they surface in strange ways. Remember the real estate sign battle of 1983? That whole issue, which paralyzed the city council for almost two years, was the symbol of the fight between bet-ween two reasonable, but inconsistant views of Park City's future. Mrs. Lehmer suggests that the problem with the current cur-rent system is that it can be captured by special interest groups too easily, and suggests the alternative is to get back to a straight partisan election, where the Democrats, Republicans, Socialists and Libertarians each nominate a slate of like-minded candidates. The voters then are supposed to vote for a party, and its view of the world, rather than for individual candidates. I don't agree with that completely, since I view political parties as nothing but special interst groups that are assembled around the idea of power for power's own sake. I'll take the special interest groups who are assembled around some more honorable motive like protection of their own economic interests. The folks who are into power for power's sake, scare me. Local issues really don't have much to do with national politics. Still, it might be better to elect Larry, Daryl and Daryl to the council, assuming they vote the same way, than to elect a group that has nothing in common and will never be able to agree on anything. We need to make some changes in the election system here, but I would rather see local parties formed, seperate from the state and county political organization. organiza-tion. We need a party that favors development of non-tourism non-tourism industry, another that takes a no growth position, posi-tion, another that is in favor of rapid development of the tourism industry on a year round basis, another to advance ad-vance the cause of becoming a suburb of Salt Lake City and one to counter that position. We need a party that favors annexation all the way to Parley's Summit and clear out to Kamas, and one that favors disconnecting Park Meadows. We need some mechanism for getting candidates who are of a like mind to get together and let the voter know about the alliances and common agendas. agen-das. The issue is more than voting for three individuals you like. We are voting for three people who make up a voting majority of the Council if they can work together, and three people who can absolutely block any progress, whatever your own definition of progress is, if they can't. Maybe the challenge should go to the candidates to break the tradition of individuality, and speak out. Maybe the candidates should be forced to say, "If you vote for me, you should also share a common philosophy on several issues." Otherwise, we will get another council coun-cil who won't be able to agree on leaving the building even when the flames are licking at their backsides. Sunmmmiimtt ttn Sunmranmmtf DepufmtJfgerKlDS test Jackson Hole News The debate over whether AIDS test results should be . kept confidential "hit a grey area" last week, reports the Jackson Hole News. Teton County Undersheriff Terry Bart said the question ques-tion came up because a man being arrested allegedly bit a deputy in the thigh and drew blood. Although the man, arrested for interfering with a police officer and furnishing fur-nishing alcohol to juveniles, apparently did not fall into any of the high-risk categories for the disease, the sheriff nonetheless requested the test. "It's just standard procedure that when deputies come in contact with body fluids of a suspect, we ask for a test," said Bart. But, health officials at St. John's Hospital where the test was taken refused to release the results even to the sheriff. According to Bart, the hospital said it would be a breach of patient confidentiality to release the information. infor-mation. St. John's Hospital administrator Dale Morgan admitted admit-ted the case "was a first for the emergency room," and noted the hospital would discuss the situation in its next staff meeting. "We will try to develop a policy which would address a situation like this in the future," he said. tion and Lynn Hoppe, 45, the pilot of the plane. The cause of the crash is unknown. The plane, a single-engine single-engine 1976 Cessna 210, was flying at night and made an atypical turn toward the high mountains east of Boise, said an eyewitness. It crashed about 500 feet above the Sun Valley floor on Cowcatcher Ridge. The accident is under investigation by a National Transportation and Safety Board team from Seattle. It will be six to eight weeks before the results are available. The witness, Ron Johnston, noted the unusual turn east and stopped to watch. The plane disappeared in a mountain draw, then came out climbing steeply. It sud-dently sud-dently stopped in its climb, rolled to the side and headed downward. The plane crashed and burst into flames, said Johnson. He reported the accident and went to help. But, by the time he got there, he said "there wasn't much left of it." TAHOE WORLD fffthp wv Boy is electrocuted A seven-year-old boy was electrocuted when he climbed climb-ed up a substation and caused a high-voltage arc between bet-ween two power lines. His body was found prone and in flames. "The body was completely burned," said Dean Biggs, assistant Hailey police chief. "Death was instantaneous." Pat Clement, 7, and his brother Joey, 5, climbed under the substation gate the evening of Sept. 21, said Joey. The younger boy had watched as his brother climbed an estimated eight feet up. When the lines arced, Joey ran to his home, located next to the substation, to tell his father. According to Idaho Power representative Larry Taylor, a power outage from the accident occurred at 6:47 p.m. The incident was reported to the Hailey police at 6:52 p.m. Clement neighbor Rick Van Wagoner said he walked outside to see if anything was wrong at the substation when his lights flickered that evening. "The first thing I saw was a red glow, and I thought something blew up," he said, "then I saw a man climb to the top of a fence and just as he got to the top he said, 'Oh, my God, somebody get an ambulance.' I spun around and dialed 91 1 . " Joey Clement's fingers were burned in the accident. He was treated at the Blaine County Hospital and released releas-ed immediately. Plane crashes, burns In a related tragedy, a news team and pilot flying from Boise to cover the electrocution of seven-year-old Pat Clement the night of Sept. 21 died in a fiery collision at a mountain ridge east of Hailey. Killed were Mary Shore, 29, a reporter for KTVB in Boise, Dan Sullivan, 25, a photographer for the same sta- Tahoe man is stabbed to death A 20-year-old California man is being held without bail in connection with a mysterious stabbing death of Kings Beach resident, Alan Aaron "Jon" Castle. Castle, 34, was found dead at 2:20 p.m. Sept. 17 in a hotel room in the Fairfield area of California. He had received multiple stab wounds to the abdomen, chest, neck and on the back, said Deputy Coroner Investigator, Donald Kendall. There was evidence of a violent struggle strug-gle in the room, he added. Arrested in connection with the murder is Suisun City resident, Donald Alexander Watson. Although officers would not release details, Lt. Lew Lancaster of the Fairfield Department of Public Safety, said "during the course of the investigation information was developed indicating Watson was involved in or had knowledge of the crime." Watson was located the morning after Castle's body was found and taken to the Department of Public Safety for questioning. He was subsequently booked on suspicion suspi-cion of murder. Tony Brown of Carnelian Bay, a friend of the victim, said Castle was known to many as "Nails" because he was so tough. "He was generally a real nice man a friend to everyone who knew him," said Brown. "He was a real easy-going guy who would drop everything he was doing to help you." Huge pot farm found The largest indoor marijuana garden ever found in northern California was discovered west of Lake Tahoe in the mountain town of Truckee Sept. 22. The 1,684 plants found on each floor of a three-story barn were estimated to be worth $4 million wholesale. The barn was insulated and heat and humidity can-trolled. can-trolled. A generator powered an elaborate watering and fertilizing system to the plants, which ranged from seedlings to four-foot budding adults. The same generator powered a small elevator between floors. The Nevada County Sheriff's Office has been conducting conduc-ting the investigation of the barn for "a long time." They were initially tipped off by neighbors who, among other "strange happenings" noticed five 55-gallon drums were hauled into the barn each day. mil tm ' ' 'Vik 5 It 9 m y -y MM'' ' it'- 7 K.fff mJjjl, Jfr J '':' wmK'w'v ','.- FOR- CITY- COUNCIL Stronger year-round tourism base Cost-effective bus system Realistic priorities and goals for a community recreational facility I want to bring common sense and an open mind to Park City's decision-making Please call me with your questions: 649-1033 Primary Election: Tuesday October 6 (&e Gee? Oltob, HIGHLAND ESTATES Country Log Home on .75 acre panoramic views of mountains and meadows. Westerly exposure for sunshine, lots of decking and large hot tub area. 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room fireplace. Priced at $95,000. Call Today! Kathleen Nolte 649 8895 1 - .-. RESORT AREA LOCATION! Mountain views! Two blocks from Park City Ski Resort. Attractive one bedroom, living room with woodburning fireplace, kitchen, deck, ski storage locker. Jacuzzi and laundry room in complex. Sleeps 4 adults. Good rental potential-only $52,500. Call Now! Susan Bogie Owner Agent 649-7374 SILVER SPRINGS LOCATION! Contemporary ranch style home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, family room with brick fireplace, separate dining room, all interior oak trim, master suite has separate tiled shower, jetted tub, dbl. sink vanity and large closet. Complete landscaping with auto sprinklers. Finished oversize dbl. garage with electric opener. $135,000 Dean Berrett 649 6169 649 3497 or v j v X jSS REID J K I A L I S I A I I Park City, UT 84060 19IO Prospector Avenue 649-3000 or at our office location at the Resort Center -i iW a 1 1 ii Jtim 'irknhi hi .i .- -.- ... , HMki |