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Show ttcD mi EEaflnttcmn0 The Park Record Section A Thursday, April 8, 19930 Page A17 IIetoeiFS Terrific transit system : Editor: : I would like to send a huge :: "thank you!" to the Park City Transit. Especially those drivers : who drive from Deer Valley's 1 Snow Park Lodge up the :! mountain to Silver Lake Village, :: where I worked. Having moved There Thanksgiving Day for the winter season, it's safe to say I ;;used the bus practically ;: everyday. I found it very reliable ;; and a great system. One driver ;.' went as far as stopping after 2 midnight to help me push a car I had rented out of the snow. Thank you to the Park City Transit for making my winter in Utah great! Sincerely, Eric S. Hoffman Harrisburg, PA The best service possible Editor: I am writing in response to "Transportation Problem" dated 318 by Dr. John Faughnan. I am a driver for one of these companies and I would like to offer a driver's point of view. Ninety-nine percent of the time I start my pick-ups at five minutes before the hour. In a perfect world, I will have 10 people ready to go at the Yarrow or Radisson, but that only happens once in a blue moon. More likely than not I will have eight people in six stops and half of those people are not ready when I get there. Even if I'm late, they still need three or four minutes to get ready. Personally I don't mind. I know how long it takes to get to the airport and that everyone will arrive in plenty of time. None of my passengers, in my nine years here, has ever missed their flight. The suggestion was made that we give a free ride if we are later than 20 minutes, but who should we charge? Perhaps the The changing mission of animal control (finest Editorial : by Shelley Weiss j: As the population of Park City, Snyderville and Summit County not only grows, but :;changes in nature, it is important that our I public entities reflect the needs, goals, and '. moral positions of this changing populace. ' Animal control has a core function in our jcounty. However, as the makeup of the ; county has changed, the mission of animal control has not. The time has come for the ' Board of County Commissioners to seriously look at the need for official citizen involvement in animal control. The time has come for an officially constituted citizen board to examine policy, set standards and review compliance within this department. All of our major public institutions have citizen policy guidance. The fire district, sewer, libraries, parks and recreation, planning and zoning; all of these functions address citizen concerns through boards or commissions. Solid waste, taxes, architectural controls, even signage, all receive public input on some kind of officiarbasis. Yet animal control has never been part of this public scrutiny. For the last several years, animal control has created a disturbing subtext to the public discussion. Park City passes ordinances, Friends of Animals does the heartbreaking rescue work, and our increasingly overworked officers bear the difficult brunt of conflicting public expectations. Everyone admits there's a problem. The confusion is in the nature of the problem. The discussion focuses on two main areas: 1. Is the mission of the department one of control; i.e. preventing damage to livestock and people by free-roaming dogs, as well as the efficient, cost-effective killing of unwanted animals? or, 2. Does the mission of the department include a "Humane society" component, whose primary objective is the adoption of unwanted animals, as well as education, spay and neuter programs, and other life-oriented functions? Although it may be argued that both of the above are desirable, the fact is that our current situation is in conflict with such a blend. Our department, by design, is primarily concerned with the "control" portion of the equation. That has historically been the primary need in Summit County. We have never allocated the resources or the administrative direction to change that focus. But the non-agricultural segment of the county has different expectations with regard to the treatment of animals. Only a body with official powers can be responsive to the public and give fair and appropriate direction to the officers on the line. Because we, as a society, are incredibly careless with the lives of our animals. Literally thousands of pets are put to death every year in this county. Not put to sleep put to death. Summit County has three animal control officers for a population of 15,000 and growing. These officers have neither the time, nor the facilities, to do otherwise. Our officers are doing their job. The question is, should the definition of the job be changed? My intent is not to answer that question. Rather, I strongly advocate that the County Commission set up' d 'process whereby the public may advise the Commission of its prevailing opinions. As one who works with both the officers and Friends of Animals, I am aware, first hand, of the frustration this group feels. It is a terrible responsibility we place on these people. Every day, they must decide which living beings must die, and which may have a few more days of life. I also know that many more opportunities for adoption exist than we currently utilize. Whether or not we believe, individually, that all of these animals have a "right" to live, we owe it to our collective conscience, and the people we hire to do our dirty work, to formulate a clear direction for animal control in this county. The Board of County Commissioners should, as soon as possible, hold hearings on the question of whether or not there should be an Animal Control Commission that would set broad policy and monitor compliance for the Animal Control Department of Summit County. Thus, even if due process is not afforded the animals, at least it will be to their collective owners. gentleman and his wife at my first stop who needed four or five minutes to put in the car seat; perhaps the little old lady who, on my second stop, needed four or five minutes so I could bring her heavy bags down to the van; or maybe the young lady on crutches who needed a few extra minutes. One thing I can bet my last dollar on is that the driver never slowed down for a split second while trying to get everyone loaded and on the van. Maybe the condominium resort company who recommended a shared ride van, should have made you aware of the PRIVATE limousine service for $125.00, but a SHARED RIDE for $15.00 does have a service level that cannot compare to a private car. Perhaps a good comparison would be the difference between having a private physician on your staff or calling your local doctor's office for an appointment... when was the last time you waited less than 40 minutes for an office call? Sincerely, Robert P. O'Brien A successful first winter Editor: On behalf of the staff at the Utah Winter Sports Park, I would like to thank the many volunteers and participants who helped make this first winter so successful. The Sports Park closed March 30 following the final Town Team jumping event. Since mid-December when the Bear Hollow facilities opened for the first time, the UWSP played host to a dozen different events, none of which would have been possible without the hard work of scores of eager, capable volunteers most of whom were Kirk City area residents. f In addition, over 1,000 men, women, and children have discovered ski jumping is a safe, fun, and, yes, thrilling recreational sport. Again, our thanks to so many Parkites who tried the jumps and then eagerly passed the word to others. The positive response to recreational ski jumping far exceeded our expectations, and we look forward to welcoming many more of you back next season. We appreciate also the patience and understanding of most visitors this winter with the incomplete facilities at the Park. The Utah Winter Sports Park will be opening again in July for elite athlete training on the K-90 and Freestyle Summer Jump. Construction should be complete at that time so we will look forward to seeing you back at a more accommodating Bear Hollow this summer! Sincerely, John F. Bower UWSP Ski Jump Director Displeased with the blotter Editor: Amen! to Beverly Gail's "Letter to the Editor" titled "Making Light of the Situation." I have agreed with her comments for some time about how you report "crime" in Park City, but I didn't take the time to write to say so. Thanks, Beverly, for telling it like it is. Cookies at Kmart Editor: The girls and leaders of Park City Brownie Troop 1138 would like to thank Mr. C. Madson and the Park City Kmart for their hospitality. Mr. Madson and his store generously let our Brownie Troop sell Girl Scout Cookies on Saturday, April 3 in the vestibule of the store. Our troop made its goal of cookie sales in only 4-12 hours. We appreciate Kmart's support of Girl Scouting and the youth of Park City. Sincerely, Sandie Mawhinnie, Leader Diana Martindale, Asst. Leader Cathie Ellis, Asst. Leader Sincerely, Betty Burge The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines: They should be submitted to the Park Record offices at 1670 Bonanza Drive or received in the mail (P.O. box 3688, Park City. UT 84060) no later than 5 p.m. on Monday before publication. They must be signed and include address and telephone number of author; No letter will be published under an assumed name. They must not contain libelous material. Writers are limited to one letter every 28 days. Letters must not be longer than 350 words and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long for the space available or if they contain statements we consider unnecessarily offensive or obscene. It doesn't hurt to ask by Jim Schefter If the Bush Administration cooked the books, as charged by Dan Rather and the Over Nebraska. Clinton campaign, when it reported a surge in It's a big, beautiful country down there. I economic growth during July, August, and spend a lot of time criss-crossing it in September of last year, what did the Clinton airplanes, away from the immediate influence Administration do when it reported that the of television, radio, newspapers, and real numbers were even higher? magazines that force feed us everything we Why does lumber, as in lumber for building need to know about life, liberty, and how the new houses, suddenly cost 60 percent more government spends our money. My too- than its previous all-time record high? Will frequent 1,720-mile commute gives me time making housing in Park City and everywhere to think about intriguing questions. I'm in the else more expensive help the economy or book if you know any answers: provide more jobs? Do logging restrictions in By what logic do the new-age economists in the Pacific Northwest have anything to do Washington label user fees for national park with this problem? visitors and new taxes on Social Security When Chelsea says that her mother and recipients as spending cuts! father really don t like the military, where Two weeks after Janet Reno told the Senate that she would run a Justice Department free of Guest Editorial does she get such an idea? Think about words like Yeltsin, Bosnia, World Trade Center, The Park currently Newspaper Glass Jars & Bottles Corrugated Cardboard White Office Paper Aluminum Cans Tin Cans Used Phone Books City Recycling Center accepts the following items: No magazines, glossy advertising, paper coupons, colored paper, or junk mail. Please remove from boxes, plastic, or paper bags. Rinse and remove caps, rings, and lead collars, labels are O.K. Flatten boxes, remove all packing material. No waxed or silicon coated cardboard, no paperboard (cereal and detergent boxes). All white copy, computer, business forms and stationery paper. No blueprint or carbon paper. No colored paper, file folders, or window envelopes. Drain and crush cans. Foil t.v. dinner trays and pie tins O.K., rinse all food remnants. Rinse cans of all food remnants. Labels are O.K. Please no paperback books or magazines. The Recycling Center is unable to accept plastic due to poor market conditions and high transportation trans-portation costs. However, you may take your plastics directly to Utah Recycling In Salt Lake City. Please do not bring your garbage to the Recycling Center. It Is not a dumpl The Recycling Center Is open all daylight hours, seven days a week. For Information, call 649-9698. politics, why did she break precedent by Egypt, and Iran.. Is the world really safe purging (firing) 90 U.S. attorneys, pointedly enough to cut our defense budget by another including those investigating the House bank 30 percent? and post office fiascoes and political Why don't free medical care, food stamps, corruption in California? Will the investi- rent subsidies, and other payments, like cash, gations continue under Clinton appointees, count in determining the poverty level? when he gets around to naming them or do a Why do some journalists and economists bunch of politicians get a free pass? keep calling the tax deduction for home Why are communists who wanted to restrict mortgage interest a "federal subsidy for the democracy in the United States called left- middle class?" Is it a subsidy when the wing, while communists wno want to restrict democracy in Russia are called right-wing! Why does it sound scarier to say that 37 million Americans have no medical insurance government lets you keep some of your own money? The White House estimates that the new energy tax will only cost the average middle instead of saving that 229 million Americans class family a few hundred dollars a year. do have medical insurance? When was the last time politicians guessed Why do Little Bill Orton and Pinnochio Bill right about the cost of a new tax? When did a Clinton think that spending your money to few hundred dollars get tagged with the word build a parking garage on the beach in Fort only! Lauderdale will help the economy? A new federal regulation dictates exactly Once the porkers in Congress pass the how clothing for medical personnel must be economic stimulus program, it will take the cleaned and laundered. What does this do to government 12-18 months to receive bids, improve medical care or reduce its cost? award contracts, and begin work on , Another new government regulation could emergency spending programs like compiling soon require cars to have a special anti-smog a fish atlas, building a swimming pool in canister to collect gasoline vapors. Safety Puerto Rico, and developing short-length engineers say the canister would be an highway demonstration systems in the South, explosive bomb. A judge will decide who's How does this plan provide new jobs in an right Who thinks up these regulations? economy that allegedly needs them now! Candidate Clinton's internal campaign Does it have anything to do with the next slogan was "It's the economy, stupid!" Congressional election in only 19 months? President Clinton's package of new taxes, The Center for Automotive Safety wants economic stimulus, and deficit reduction has the government to force Ford and General its major impact, if any, in 1996 and 1997. Is Motors to recall cars and trucks with peeling . there a disconnect here? , paint. What does a bad paint job have to do Do politicians think we're all stupid? Don't with safety? Is this a proper concern for the bother calling on this one I think I know federal government? the answer. V 7 |
