| OCR Text |
Show MewjpdDnrmt: The Park Record Section A Thursday, July 6,1995 Page A14 Taking responsibility with fireworks resolves hot issues JLtJZTh 1 1 Editorial A small house fire last week, apparently caused by juveniles setting off fireworks, gives rise to two separate but important issues for discussion. The first issue involves safety and respect for laws governing the use of fireworks, while the second regards the use of wooden roofs on homes. Utah in July almost can be described as "fireworks month." The large public displays, as well as backyard exhibitions too numerous to count, are hallmarks of both the Fourth of July and Pioneer Day on the 24th. As fireworks lovers flock to buy the small explosives from the many roadside stands, fire marshals across the state busily send out warnings pertaining to their use and abuse. Largely because Utah can be dangerously dry in the summer, the state has quite restrictive rules. Problem is, a lot of people don't bother with adhering to them. Last week's fire was a case in point, as local fire officials counted up the violations that contributed to the incident. The suspects were apparently lighting bottle rockets, which are illegal in Utah. They were apparently not being supervised by adults while they were lighting the bottle rockets (also a violation), and they were lighting the fireworks prior to the allowed time period, yet a third violation. All violations arc misdemeanors. As with many laws that are intended to protect the public, they are overlooked-and too often. In Utah, the law states that fireworks may be ignited only three days before and after the 4th and 24th, including the holidays, of course. The law prohibits fireworks that explode, propel more than 10 feet in any direction or shoot sparks higher than 10 feet. Specific illegal fireworks include the aforementioned bottle rockets, firecrackers, and Roman candles. Those who think the law is too restrictive should note that each year, about 12,000 people nation-wide are injured in fireworks-related fireworks-related incidents. According to the Utah Safety Council, more than 40 percent of those injuries happen to children under 14 years of age, usually as burns to the eyes, face and hands. Regarding the wood roof issue and last week's fire, there's a good chance that had those illegal bottle rockets landed on an asphalt or metal roof, little if any damage would have occurred. And while those people who defend the use of shake shingle roofs might argue that the chance of fireworks hitting their house might be slim, there are other ignitables: chimney sparks, and the chance of range fires coming dangerously close to mountain neighborhoods. Thankfully this Fourth of July in Park City, there were no incidents relating to fire caused by pyrotechnics. And if the month remains as cool and wet as it began, the 24th may not endure any problems either as far as grass fires are concerned. But a respect for the law, and a respect for neighbors and their property will ensure that July's festivities remain incident-free. Quote of the Week "A major part of this city construction project is the sanitary sewer line that runs in upper Norfolk. This is probably the worst section of sanitary sewer in the state....we are lucky raw sewage isn't running downhill from it." -City Engineer Eric DeHaan, regarding the pending installation of a new storm drain and sanitary sewer line in Old Town I. -T It" M (W uir :r, 4?t?) tv . Vt i AV 1 - , J 1 1 kt.w.ift',.fo u - -wtf w-.. , . , .. -' , .. , .. Ron and Sena Flanders (and friends) added to the western flavor of the traditional Fourth of July Parade down Main Street. The opinions expressed in our guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the Park Record. STAFF mm Wmm Publisher Andy Bernhard Editok ..........................SenaFUndcra Staff Witers.... ............... ......Luke Smith, Diana Hingston Dave Macfarlane, Liu Antonuccl Nan Chalat-Noaker, Brian Fryer, Nate Ferguson CoNTRiiuTiNC WmTf$...................Tom Clyde, Rick B rough SuBsciriioNsFRONT DEiK............................Kim Harnm SuBScmrnoN Manager Rachelle Eickhoff Classified MANACfR....................................Traci McDonald Office Manager................ Kim Dudley Advertising Director .Tracy Harden Advertising SALES.............Holly Rudy, Courtney Wheaton Donna Bcrger, liia A. Schoficld Photographer & Darkroom M.....Mn.David Bertinelli Production Manager .......u.........M......MIclMel Beck Production Atichael Martz, Scott Aste, Daintrie Zega, Yvonne Ruth, Camille Ducharme Annette Woriton, Carin Stimolo, Alicia Larson Editoriai Production...... Kat James, Kathy Eckel Circulation .............................,.....................Dan Olsen CARTooNiiTMMilM.MMMMMicrMi6l Drspcr The Parte Record (USPS 0037-8730) 0037-8730) is published weekly by diversified Suburban Newspapers, 1670 Bonanza Dr., Park City, UT. Second Class Postage in Park City, UT. "POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Park Record, Box 3688, Park City, UT 84060. Entered as second class matter, May 25, 1977 at the post office in Park City, UT 84060, under the Act of March 3, 1897. Subscription rates are $20 inside Summit County, $40 outside Summit County, UT. Phone (801) 649-9014. Published every Thursday. XUti feWT vfcy A Lctfft Thtijq ukt I i mm m. i urn m it i i i i i i ii aim t. a-. . . r-r i a -&r Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down THUMBS DOWN to Tuesday night's pyrotechnic display at tne fark Lity bki Area which was not only later than usual getting started (making it hard on parents with small children), but was less spectacular than Parkites have come to expect. What happened to the finale? Dteeycfledl TTIliKiDiiiiglhHts..... by .MAKY MOIUUSON, I'.CIt.A. Plastic, plastic, everywhere! We are bombarded with consumer goods made of plastic. And, many people are wondering if any of it is at all recyclable, and if it is, why is PCRA not accepting it? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that Americans go through 2.5 million plastic soda bottles every hour, and that Americans throw away enough plastic soda bottles in a year to circle the earth four times. That's a lot of plastic! There are all types of plastic. Look around your home or office, and just about everything is made of some type of polymer. From the computer to your lunch container, o your luncn container, i plastic is a very versatile material, II tfj I W I ?i (( 1 1 1 1 Yl that would he verv ' t . and one that would be very difficult to live without, although looking at our solid waste stream, only nine percent of the average landfill is plastic. Regardless, many of the containers we buy are plastic. So, how do we properly dispose of it? First, any food or beverage container purchased in the grocery store, such as yogurt or soda containers have a number on the bottom of it. The numbers are from one through seven, with the chasing arrows encircling the number and letters in caps below. The number and the letter are useful in identifying what type of resin (plastic) it is. This is helpful for all recyclers, and especially the manufacturer. They need a particular material to make their products. Not just any plastic will do. In the Salt Lake Valley, the recycling brokers are accepting plastic soda and water bottles, PETE No. 1, milk jugs and water jugs, HDPE No. 2, and depending on the market, clear PS No. 6. This is not the white styrofoam. This brings up the question "If Salt Lake is taking plastic, why aren't we recycling it?" This question does not have an easy answer. If there is a word that sums it up, it is MONEY. It makes the recycling world go round. The more complicated answer is as follows: The centers that we run currently are void of three key elements to collecting plastic a roof electricity, and a full time manager. Imagine a bin at the center with a sign clearly marked "PETE No. 1 Plastic Only. Please Rinse, Remove Lids and Flatten." What would happen next is common to all drop-off centers and curbside collections. We would get all plastics, including plastics that have no market. Furthermore, those not flattening a material that is so voluminous would, cause daily overflows. We would have plastic everywhere! Therefore, this bin would need transporting to Salt Lake about every day. A very expensive undertaking indeed, because that entire bin would weigh about three pounds. Currently the market of plastic is good, but not good enough to offset the transportation costs. So what do a roof electricity and a manager have to do with collecting plastic? We are currently planning the purchase of a machine called a baler. This machine compresses the material together to add weight and subtracts the volume (air). Heavy machinery needs to stay out of the elements. Our sites have no protection from rain, gusty winds, and snow. This machine needs electricity to operate. There is no electricity at the centers. A manager would need to run the machine, and be able to sort through the material, picking out those nasty contaminants. For now, please continue to recycle plastic in Salt Lake. Remember, purchase only the plastic that can be recycled. If you have a favorite product that is not recyclable, write the manufacturer. It does work! Be assured, if everything goes as planned, we will be collecting plastic soon. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION 1 Year inside Summit County $20, outside Summit County $40 2 Years inside Summit County, $36, outside Summit County, $75 Mastercard or Visa No. Name Exp. Date: Mailing Address Payment must be received before subscription begins. Thank You |
