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Show A-2 The Park Record Wednesday, March 14, 2001 Schlopy is 2nd behind Maier ARE. Sweden Park City's Erik Schlopy picked up the second podium finish of his career Saturday, finishing just behind Herman Maier in the GS World Cup Finals in Sweden. Maier. who led the first run by .27 over GS world champion Michael Von Gruenigen of Switzerland, won the 41st race of his career and his record-tying 13th of the season (to equal Ingemar Stenmark's performance during the 1979 season). That also enabled Maier, who doesn't ski slalom except in combined events, to successfully defend the fourth of his four World Cup titles from last season as he pulled past Von Gruenigen in the final standings by 10 points. The winning time was 2:31.23 with Schlopy - starting fourth and finishing third in the first run -runnerup in 2:32.37. Benni Raich of Austria was third in 2:32.51. Von Gruenigen went down a half-dozen gates from the finish of his second run but got up and scrambled over the finish and still finished fourth (2:32.83). "It's great." said U.S. Head Coach Bill Egan. "He had a good first run and even though he didn't did-n't ski the top extremely well on his second run, he still had a good one. We're really excited for him." Schlopy is 15th for the season and his podium, which followed his second-place result behind Christoph Gruber of Austria in the Bormio GS before Christmas, boosted him past the elite 400- point level for the season. He stands third - behind Maier and Von Gruenigen - in GS, 20th in slalom. It's the first time a U.S. skier has been top-3 in GS since 1983 when Phil Mahre edged Stenmark for both the World Cup overall and GS titles (and points were given to just the top 15 skiers). "This is great. My goal had been for the season had been to be top 15 and now, to be second behind Hermann Maier and to be third overall in GS is very special," Schlopy said. "When I have one of these special days, my body knows it and I can go fast, I can be on the podium... "I still have some technique to work on, but I keep progressing, progress-ing, keep making improvements," improve-ments," he said. Town Bridge: design talks are starting Task force looking at several options from PCMR to build bridge over Park Avenue Park City Mountain Resort has three designs for the Town Bridge that the city will consider as talks kick off about the Old Town proposal. On Wednesday, a task force overseeing design of the Town Bridge will meet to talk about the different designs submitted by PCMR. "Any one of the three work for us," said Brian Strait, PCMR's vice president of mountain moun-tain operations, adding "What I'm hoping for is some guidance and direction to what the bridge looks like." He said initial feedback about the designs has been good. "So far, we're hearing a lot of positive comment," Strait said. Strait says some residents on Woodside Avenue who live near the proposed bridge were concerned con-cerned about how the bridge will look but were pleased the resort offered options. "This project will be visually very appealing," Strait said. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Park City Council's chambers at City Hall. A public hearing is on the agenda. Pat Putt, Park City's planning and zoning administrator, said the city wants a functional bridge that is not too big. "Our emphasis is for the bridge to be able to span Park Avenue without putting structures struc-tures in the right of way and a minimal amount of bridge structure," struc-ture," Putt said. The resort is seeking a conditional-use permit to build the bridge, which would span Park Avenue and allow skiers to ski uninhibited from PCMR's town runs to the Town Lift Plaza. Currently, there is no ski access from the town runs to the plaza. Most of the debate about the bridge occurred in the 1990s, when it was approved in concept. The city, though, now needs to OK a design. In 1997, the city approved a large-scale master plan for the area, which included the bridge. "(The decision) whether or not a bridge was going to happen was made four years ago," Putt said, adding that some Parkites might not realize that the bridge was conceptually approved. "With the changes that happened in Park City, there's probably a sizable part of the neighborhood and the city that don't know the project existed and was approved." Initially, the task force was to debate a proposal to build a pedestrian bridge over Main Street connecting the Town Lift Plaza with the Marriott Summit Watch but that discussion was scratched from the agenda. The Town Bridge would require closing part of Woodside Avenue and rebuilding 7th Street. The resort plans to install snowmaking on the ski run. Originally, the Sweeney family owned the land for the Town Bridge, but PCMR bought the parcel intending to build the bridge itself. But there was little talk about the bridge for some time until earlier this winter when PCMR announced it would try to build it in 2001. Resort officials have said the bridge would aid day skiers visiting PCMR during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Strait said PCMR wants to break ground on the bridge by June 1 and complete the project in the fall. There's been some concern by the city with the resort's timeline since a completion date would be approaching the opening of the Olympics. The city does not want a construction zone near Main Street greeting Games visitors. Accident claims the life of P.C. man Three others injured in S.R. 224 head-on collision; police suspect alcohol was involved by Tim Sullivan OF THE RECORD STAFF A Park City man was killed Friday night in a head-on collision colli-sion with another vehicle on S.R. 224 near Parkwest Village. Bernie Patino Fernandez was driving south in his Chevrolet Corsica at about 50 miles an hour when he swerved through the median and into the lane of oncoming traffic, said Sgt. Doug McCleve of the Utah Highway Patrol. The Corsica collided with an Isuzu Trooper heading north at about the same speed. The crash decimated the Corsica on the driver's dri-ver's side, fatally injuring Fernandez, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Fernandez's two passengers, Rafael and Silvia Biscarra, both of Park City, survived the crash, but received serious injuries, said McCleve. Rafael, 13, who was sitting in the front, was unconscious uncon-scious and sent to University Hospital in Salt Lake where he remains in critical condition. Silvia, 16, in the back seat, suffered suf-fered a broken pelvis and was taken by ambulance to L.D.S. Hospital in Salt Lake, where she is listed in serious condition. None of the Corsica's occupants occu-pants were wearing seat belts. The Isuzu Trooper's driver, Steven Colopy, 36, of Park City, was wearing a seat belt and was protected by an airbag. He received only minor injuries. Fernandez was not carrying any identification when the accident acci-dent occurred, which posed problems prob-lems for the Utah Highway patrol officers handling the case. However, police contacted local Latino advocate Shelley Weiss to help in identifying the body. Lt. Mike Bergin, who worked at the scene, said the UHP used a letter it found in the Corsica and the vehicle's license plate to locate Fernandez's family fami-ly in an apartment in the Aspen Villas complex. Weiss knew the family in the apartment and visited them in person to ask if they knew the victim. Bergin said Fernandez's brother-in-law identified him as being about 20 years old. "The good news was that, as horrible as it was, everybody did what they were supposed to do," said Weiss. While S.R 224 was wet Friday night, McCleve said state troopers troop-ers investigating the scene didn't think a slippery road surface contributed con-tributed to the accident. Police do, however, believe alcohol was involved. "It does appear that alcohol was a factor," said McCleve. Noting that troopers found open containers of beer in the Corsica. Police are still waiting on the results of toxicology tests on Fernandez's body. A funeral service for Bernie Patino Fernandez will be held Thursday, March 15 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church on S.R. 224. As of Tuesday, Rafael Biscarra, a student at Treasure Mountain Middle School, remained in critical condition. Sylvia Biscarra, a junior at Park City High School, was to be released from the hospital later this week. The children's parents, Antonio and Sylvia Biscarro are residents of the Ironhorse condominiums. Assistance for the family (including volunteers to drive the parents to the hospitals in Salt Lake) is being coordinated by Holy Cross Ministries, (435) 654-2589. 654-2589. Donations to help defray medical costs may be made at Zions Bank, 1100 Snow Creek Drive. A work in progress Construction crews are still busy at work on the overpass that connects 1-80 to U.S. 40. Work is scheduled to be completed sometime in late summer. The Utah Department of Transportation provides weekly updates on construction construc-tion projects around the state. For more information log onto www.dotstate.ut.us STEPHEN ZUSYPAflK RECORD Doilney responds to water suit Continued from A-1 Flitton, however, refutes Doilney 's charges. He said that to his knowledge, Summit's wells do not have any water quality problems. He said that even though the DDW two-thirds two-thirds rule has not been applied to Summit's wells, they were re-rated last September. Flitton said that since the new rating was given in a drought year, the ratings are comparable to having hav-ing one third of their capacity subtracted. sub-tracted. Flitton said the Rest Stop Well does not, as Doilney claims, have a capacity of 190 gpm. "That's absolutely incorrect," said Flitton. He said that the Rest Stop Well has been on line for 20 years and has always produced around 500 gpm. It was only when MIM and SCSC's Well 6 began pumping last June, said Flitton, that the Rest Stop Well's capacity began decreasing, causing Summit to file suit. Regarding the peer review, Flitton said even the Hansen review was a "blind" review. "That was a closed process," he said. "We donl know what county concurrency officer Todd Jarvis gave them." As for Doilney's claim that Summit was simultaneously negotiating negoti-ating with and suing MJM, Flitton said Summit has always been up front about its intent to litigate, especially since it had to file withing 30 days after Morgan's final decision deci-sion to approve the exchange. "We were up front all along," he said. Doilney said he believes the issue underlying the dispute is Summit's fear of the public-private partnership developing between MJM, SCSC and Mountain Regional. "We want to see a Basin-wide public water system," he said, adding that he believes Summit feels threatened by this prospect. He said county officials have "been great" about achieving this public water system goal, but Doilney added he is worried that the county will grant Summit too many concessions. He said MJM is prepared to go to court over Summit's lawsuit. Avalanche suffocates two men Continued from A-1 Wade and Barlow were uphill from the snowmobile. Because none of the men were carrying avalanche beacons, they had to guess the location of Wade and Barlow, and because they didnt have shovels, they couldnt dig with any degree of efficiency. Eventually, they noticed one victim's legs and the other's arm protruding from the debris, and though they didn't have shovels, were able to dig Wade and Barlow out. However, said Offret, when the two men recovered their friends from 30 to 40 inches beneath 'the debris, about 25 to' 30 minutes had passed since toe slide occurred- and the snow had set up. They were not breathing. Peacock tried to revive Wade and Barlow using CPR, but he was unsuccessful. The men were able to flag down a snowcat that belonged to a guiding service using the area. Its driver had a CB radio. He contacted Deer Valley, which in turn contacted the Summit County Sheriff. The Sheriff's Office called the county Search and Rescue team as well as the South Summit Ambulance, which were unable to save the vic tims. Wade and Barlow had been snowmobiling in the area, known as Moffit Bowl, before, said Offret. The concave bowl is shaped like an hourglass and lies at about 10,000 feet, with a north to northwest aspect. It contains pitches of varying steepness which average out to about 34 degrees, close to ideal for avalanches. Drew Hardesty of the Utah Avalanche Forecast Center said its investigation of the avalanche showed that the slide broke about 180 feet wide, 400 feet long and an averaged two to three feet deep. Hardesty said investigators believe the 'slide" was 'triggered -because, when Wade and Barlow were'trfihg to free their machines, they caused the shallow pocket of faceted snow beneath them to send a fracture up the slope to where the slab broke off. In addition, the slope had been loaded by eight to 10 inches of high-density high-density snow. "These deep slabs are really difficult diffi-cult to forecast," said Hardesty. The Moffit Bowl slide marked the second time in two weeks an avalanche has resulted in one or more fatalities, but even more staggering stag-gering is how often the county has had to deploy search and rescue efforts for non-fatal avalanches in that same time period. "Our guys have been out every weekend," said Offret. In recent weeks, he said, search and rescue, which is mostly comprised com-prised of volunteers, has been out as frequently as every day. Twice in the last month, he said, the county has responded to slides in which no one was buried, including a late February avalanche in White Pine Canyon which was triggered by skiers that left the area safely but who never contacted the sheriff to say no one was injured. "These'guys donate a lot of time," skid Offret. "At the endbf the ava-lanehe'seasbn.'we ava-lanehe'seasbn.'we have a lot of angry Search and Rescue families." Even though Search and Rescue is mostly volunteer, Offret said, the county still needs to put a price tag on each effort so it can be reimbursed reim-bursed by the state from money it gets through surcharges on hunting Saturday's rescue effort involved about 20 rescuers and eight police officers said Offret. It also put the rescuers in danger, because the area around the slide was still highly volatile to avalanche danger. Police arrest 2 students at TMMS Continued from A-1 students "directly at risk." However, this decision has several sev-eral parents very upset who believe they have a right to know when such acts occur in schools their children attend. "Park City is not immune to the senseless tragedies that occur around our nation. It is extremely extreme-ly important and valuable as parents par-ents to know when these things occur in any of our schools," said parent Linda Lukanowski. "We can then, as parents, use this information to continually remind our kids that telling is the only way they can prevent these shootings. Telling is the only thing that prevented us from being on CNN last week and telling can help prevent it in the future." According to district director of personnel Tom Van Gorder, it is up to principal or assistant principal prin-cipal discretion to inform all parents, par-ents, depending on the seriousness serious-ness and student risk involved. "We don't do anything here to hide information from parents," he said. "If there's a reason to let people know," we inform parents, he said. "Maybe we need to make sure in our crisis plan of when we need to address parents, when it's appropriate." Superintendent Nancy DeFord will be the hearing officer for these cases, which must be heard within 10 days of the violations; disciplinary consequences for the students, could add up to 180 days suspension for the students. "I'm not shocked," that this happened in the Park City School District, said DeFord, who was first informed of the incidents by a parent of Treasure Mountain Middle School students. According to DeFord, the parent par-ent congratulated her on how well the administrators at TMMS handled han-dled the situation. "She was really proud of the kids" who reported the activity of these students to school personnel, person-nel, said DeFord. "There are kids who aren't really aware of the impact of certain cer-tain statements," said Van Gorder. "Throughout history kids have said this stuff but in this day and age, we have kids that are doing very violent things." 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