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Show A-18 Viewooints, THE PARK RECORD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2001 1 EDITORIAL It's best to let the system work WHATEVER YW SAY FRED- OLD BUDDYADPAU There is good reason to leave judgment in the hands of the law rather than lynch mobs - impartial juries and bureaucratic processes, though slow and cumbersome, allow cooler heads to prevail in emotional times. Those ponderous wheels are now turning behind closed doors at the Park City School District where, because of the nature of any issue relating to parents and their children, emotions are most apt to boil. Last week it was announced that the popular high school band leader, Bill Huhnke, had been involuntarily reassigned to the district's elementary schools. Since then, many high school and middle school band students and their families have taken up Huhnke's cause, claiming that he has been mistreated by the district. Huhnke, though, has declined to comment. And that is probably a wise course of action. Park City School District patrons are weary veterans of schoolground battlefields battle-fields where children become pawns in their parents', or teachers', disagreements with district administration. Typically, the fights are unprofessional, personal and are often based on partial or misinformation. And, if the past is any indication, no one wins on this battlefield. In this case, school district administrators administra-tors are being appropriately discreet about a personnel issue. If Huhnke believes he has been unfairly treated by his employer, he has a number of administrative and legal options. The Park City School District, under Superintendent Nancy DeFord's administration, adminis-tration, has seen an unprecedented era of stability. The district has weathered teacher contract con-tract negotiations and controversial school realignment debates without descending into divisive personality conflicts. Hopefully the band parents and their children chil-dren can find a way to demonstrate their loyalty to Huhnke without jeopardizing the private nature of personnel disputes. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR JOHN KILBOURNPtRK RECORD Misplaced blame Editor: It has long been the policy of the Park City Board of Education to refrain from responding in public about personal andor personnel issues involving our staff or students. stu-dents. There are ethical and legal reasons for such restraint. Moreover, there is an extensive due process structure in place to protect our staff and students, which can be hindered by media debate and public disclosure. dis-closure. We strive to adhere to this civic process and to respect the privacy and dignity dig-nity of all involved. Unfortunately, the lack of civility and disrespect of last Saturday's editorial cartoon (Park Record, Oct. 27) begs for a response and an explanation expla-nation of our process. Most private employees in Utah are considered "employees at will" which means that they can be terminated without cause or explanation on the part of their employer. Public employees, such as the employees of Park City School District, enjoy much more extensive employment protection based upon contracts and policies,, poli-cies,, which include written due process procedures, union participation and an appeals procedure when necessary. This structure is governed by public policies, all of which have been openly posted and include public input. This process is intensive, inten-sive, laborious and bureaucratic, which is no doubt at times frustrating for citizens with immediate grievances. However, it protects our employees from any malicious, mali-cious, capricious or arbitrary actions. No single individual, whether they are a harried har-ried administrator, a hysterical parent, or a zealous board member, can singularly impact an employee's status. Speaking as an individual who has been both a hysterical hysteri-cal parent and an elected official, I can personally per-sonally assure you of the lack of such individual indi-vidual power within the system! Despite this inability for any one person to have the power to impact employee status, sta-tus, there seems to be the need, in times of stress and confusion, to assign blame to an individual. Ironically, our practice of public non-response, designed to protect dignity, privacy and process, leaves these individuals individu-als open to unfair rumor, innuendo and blame. I hope that this explanation of our process will discourage such blame and encourage community civility and respect. Kathryn Adair, Vice President Park City Board of Education New leadership with Dana Williams Editor On Nov. 6, 2001, we will decide on new leadership for our community. Looking for the mayor that can keep the quiet, persis- . tent pulse of Park City working to benefit all the residents is the reason why I will be ; voting for Dana Williams. He is the one that takes into consideration the interests of every group and every citizen, and can 1 bring them together to accomplish what we : all want, what we all need to keep our town cohesive and moving forward. Dana's civic participation and accomplishments confirm con-firm that he is passionate about the pros- perity of his home, his town, our home, our , town. Our community. ' Ruth Melntsma The leader for her future Editor The next mayor of Park City will face challenges never before seen. I have a one-' one-' year-old daughter and I am concerned that she have the same open spaces I have had, to explore and find her spirit. I am concerned con-cerned that she will have safe streets to walk when heading for the bus stop. She should be able to attend school with children chil-dren from diverse backgrounds and learn the tolerance this community should embrace. I want her to have faith in her "community and those that represent her. I .'will vote for Dana Williams as the next ! mayor of Park City for these reasons, and ' those listed below: Dana is first a citizen. He is one who 'showed up ind represented those of us who could not speak. Dana is a local. He is a local in every meaning of the word - from a farmer in Coalville, to the Park City Rotary Citizen of the Year our community does not stop at the Park City municipal border. Dana is an activist for the important issues of our community. Dana has dedicated his personal time to preserve our sense of place, our open lands, our recreation opportunities, our diversity and, most of all, our community. Dana is you and me. Sit down and talk to him and he will take the time to hear what you are saying. He wants to know your concerns and will do what it takes to make the community a better place to live and work. Dana has made a difference. Dana represents rep-resents a community where one citizen can make a difference, and his commitment is contagious! Dana Williams is a role model for my daughter's generation. He represents the integrity and determination that my father always tried to teach me, and now I want to teach my daughter. Dana is already a local leader, and becoming our Mayor of Park City follows the most natural progression. Please join me on Nov. 6 to ring in a new leader, the right leader. It's Time.t)ana Williams for Mayor. Thank you. Jennifer Guetschow Fred's the right man Editor: As an outgoing City Council member, I'm well aware of the many issues facing Park City today. I also know that every member of the City Council relies on Fred's guidance, his insight, his knowledge of the city's issues and his expert judgment. Water, open space and an unpredictable post-Olympic climate are all key factors in determining the future of our wonderful City - and with Fred Jones as mayor, our town can feel confident in facing any uncertainty. Marilyn and I know Fred will bring a wealth of intelligent leadership to the role of mayor. Fred's the right man for job. Roger and Marilyn Harlan Commitment to community Editor: Park City voters, you have an important election coming up next week. We are writing writ-ing as non-voting supporters of Fred Jones. We want you to know more about him, from his daughters' perspective. Our dad has instilled a code of ethics in his daughters that, as adults, we have taken to mean "responsibility." Responsibility for the communities in which we live and play, a sense of duty that goes beyond the everyday interactions with friends and family. Action that extends to community service, participation in the structuring and maintenance of a way of life that represents repre-sents the whole rather than the few, that recognizes differences and honors diversity. diversi-ty. Action that promotes equal access, economic eco-nomic sustainability and the representation of all community voices. Fred Jones has taught his daughters to be responsible community members, but more importantly for you, HE is a responsible respon-sible community member. Fred Jones knows his numbers, to be sure. He understands, fully, fiscal responsibility responsi-bility and the liabilities associated with public office. He also, and more importantly, important-ly, understands people. Money isn't everything every-thing and without a happy constituency, you have nothing. Acknowledging the commitment, physically and emotionally, that is required of someone aspiring to "manage" a city, he can be entrusted to do the job fully, and with the utmost integrity. He's done it before and he can, very well, do it again if given the opportunity. As a father, grandfather and now,' a public servant, Fred Jones is, in our most humble (and biased opinions) YOUR MAN. Frequent visitors and ardent supporters of our dad, Fred Jones, Deo Jcnes-Schuler Kate Jones-Willson Dana stands up for what he believes Editor Dana Williams has earned my vote in the upcoming mayoral election for standing up for what I believe in and, more importantly, standing up for what he believes in. Dana's passion for the issues, his earnest efforts to build consensus, and a willingness to get out front and lead is what distinguishes him. I believe Dana has a broad base of support in our community for a sole reason: he best represents the wishes of a diverse cross-section of our community. I hope we have a larger voter turnout for the elections than the historic one we had for the primary in October and I hope we elect Dana Williams as our mayor. Sincerely, Brian McNeil Main St. merchants support Dana Editor As long-time residents of Park City', we have watched our city, our business, and our daughter grow. And we have watched Dana Williams work for many years: on local issues like open space and affordable housing, hous-ing, on improving opportunities for our children, chil-dren, and in various professions. As a former for-mer owner of a Main Street business, Dana has the background to understand many of the concerns unique to small businesses, and not just the ones on Main Street. He has a great track record of listening to concerns, and working to better our community He also has the skills to take on tough issues, and craft a solution that is fair for all sides. We think this experience and these skills are what our post-Olympic Mayor is going to need. So we are voting for Dana for Mayor. Mike and Barb LJndbloom Back to basics philosophy Editor While on vacation last week, I was walking walk-ing down Main Street in Las Vegas, New Mexico. In the front window of the community commu-nity center, I saw this poster from the members mem-bers of the Syracuse Cultural Workers community: com-munity: "Turn off your TV, leave your house, know your neighbors, greet people, look up when you're walking, sit on your porch, plant flowers, use your library, play together, togeth-er, buy from local merchants, share what you have, help a lost dog, take children to the park, honor elders, support neighborhood neighbor-hood schools, fix it even if you didn't break it, have potlucks, garden together, pick up litter, read stories aloud, dance in the street, talk to the mail carrier, listen to the birds, put up a swing, help carry something heavy, barter for your goods, start a tradition, ask a question. Hire young people for odd jobs, organize a block party, bake extra and share, ask for help when you need it, open your shades, sing together, share your skills, take back the night, turn up the music, turn down the music, listen before you react to anger, mediate a conflict, seek to understand, under-stand, learn from new and uncomfortable angles, know that no one is silent though many are not heard - work to change this! " These are the actions I wish everyone in Park City would take. This is the philosophy that Dana Williams will bring to Gty Hall. That is why I am voting for Dana for Mayor. Christopher Wickiand P.S. I would add: "Use your turn signal, observe the speed limit, park legally." Call me a dreamer. Civics iesson and a vote for Fred Editor This is my open letter to Dana Williams. Like Tom Woodard, I attended an open house for Dana Williams out of curiosity. I came away disturbed by what I heard. I realized real-ized that Dana Williams had a questionable sense of propriety and a limited knowledge of how our town government works. I discussed dis-cussed my thoughts with people who had been at this meeting and they agreed with me. Perhaps a review of how our town functions func-tions may be helpful. Therefore, I thought I would research the role of mayor, so I looked it up: ' "The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the city, officially represents the city on public and ceremonial occasions, executes and authenticates legal instrumentsdocuments instrumentsdocu-ments of the city and exercises all other duties and such powers as are conferred by ordinance." Reading Park City's official definition of the mayor's role only strengthened my support sup-port for Fred Jones. He is the only person qualified to assume the above responsibilities. responsibili-ties. Secondly, I'm tired of hearing people say, "Well, a vote for Dana is a vote for GUEST EDITORIAL Why I support Fred Jones by BRADLEY A. OLCH Mayor of Park City To the people of Park City: It has been an honor and privilege for me to serve as your Mayor for the past 12 years. Approaching the election on Nov. 6, in which you will choose my successor, I want to share my thoughts about why I support Fred Jones to be the next Mayor of Park City. I have known Fred for over 20 years. He is a man of rare integrity and intelligence, someone I have come to depend upon and trust. Fred has an amazing financial and business busi-ness background, something that every voter should consider when casting their votes. Park City has a budget exceeding $30 million, mil-lion, and Fred is the only candidate who really real-ly understands the complexity of this budget, and more importantly, has the background and knowledge to ask the right questions. In the early 90s, I was negotiating the purchase of the Osguthorpe.Farm. I turned to Fred and asked him to do a financial evaluation. eval-uation. Fred was a private citizen at the time, prior to his eight-year Park Gty Planning Commission term. The evaluation he provided, provid-ed, gave the Gty Council and myself the confidence con-fidence to successfully negotiate the purchase pur-chase of the farm which we all recognize as an outstanding open space legacy for our community. Anyone who has served with Fred knows how hard working, articulate, honest, and publicly spirited he is. These are traits often talked about in candidates, but few, in my opinion, really embody and apply them to the public's good. Park Gty needs more than just a cheerleader. We need someone who is balanced, experienced, and has the quiet perseverance per-severance to get the job done. As this election season comes to a con- elusion, I ask you to realize that the Mayor's race is far from over, it is not a given. It will not be decided until each and every one of you goes to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6 and marks your ballot Looking back to my first Mayor's race, 12 years ago, I was way behind in all the KPCW polls right up to election day, but you, my many friends and supporters support-ers came out and made a difference. Now, 12 years later, as an admirer and supporter of Fred Jones, I ask you once again to go to the polls and make a difference by voting for Fred. While all elections are crucial, these trying times call for level-headed and dedicated dedi-cated leadership. I'd like to see Park Gty have a Mayor I can fully believe in; a Mayor who has demonstrated by his hard work and dedication that he is the right man for the job, and the right choice for Park Gty's i future. Again, I urge you, my many friends . and supporters, to vote for Fred Jones. The Par Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject We ask thai the letters adhere to the following fol-lowing guideSnesiThey must include the address and telephone number of author. No letter wiH be pub-Bshed pub-Bshed under an assumed name. They must not contain toebus material. Writers are Smited to cmJefla every 28 ofrys. Letters must not be longer lhan 350 words (guest ecfltoria 550 woro) and should Itpos-sible, Itpos-sible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters K they are too long or If they contain statements we considef unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Fred. . . " That is not the way to make a decision deci-sion when you are in the voting booth. Fred has served on City Council for 1 12 years. If we do not elect him as our mayor, we may not have Fred for another four years. Finally, we need a mayor who will be our steady anchor. The composition of City Council changes every two years. More reason rea-son for Fred to be at the helm of our wonderful won-derful city. Rosemary Sweeney, Old Town senior citizen Park City Historical Society ' Board Member A spirited occasion Editor The 8th annual "Halloween at the Glenwood" on Sunday, Oct 28, was a great success in every way. The weather couldn't haye been better and the Glenwood Cemetery, with its trees of colored leaves or none at all, provided the perfect background back-ground for the rising spirits. Nearly 500 men, women and children listened to our nine spirits as they told their stories of life and death in early Park City. The generous donations" will, help the Glenwood Cemetery Association continue its program of improvements within the historic cemetery. ceme-tery. A special thanks to Park City Television and especially The Park Record for the excellent coverage and to all of the Parkites and friends who supported us by attending this annual event. Sincerely, Hal Compton, president Glenwood Cemetery Association Editor's note: Due to limited space, we were unable to publish all of the letters we received this week. The remaining letters will appear in Saturday's edition. The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER Editor Staff writers Contributing writers Editor's assistant Classified advertising Office manager Circulation manager Accounting manager Advertising director Advertising sales Web development Editorial production Photographers Production director Production Distribution Cartoonist Andy Bernhard Nan Chalat-Noaker Jay Hamburger Tim Sullivan Jason Reads Patrick Connors Shane McCammon Nicole Slaven Tom Clyde RickBrough Teri Orr Gary Weiss Jay Meehan Karri Dell Hays Courtney Herzinger Ian McNeil Wendy Dunn Patti Christensen Cathy Vanderweghe Stephanie Borders Valerie Doming Gayle Seaman Anne Cummings Wendy Halliday Leslie Schag Shanelle Russell Wade N. Hall Tricia Hintze Inkama Thomas Kat James Stephen Zusy Scott Sine Matt Gordon Kristi Ruppert -tricia M. Graham Rory Lewis Michael Ascani Sarah Walker Karen Yetter John Kilbourn Contents of the The Park Record are copyright 2001, Diversified Suburban Newspapers. All rights reserved No portion may be reproduced in any form without written consent of me managing editor edi-tor or publisher. The Park Record (USPS 378-730) (ISSN 0745-9483) 0745-9483) is published twice weekly by Diversified Suburban Newspapers, 1670 Bonanza Dr Park City, Utah. Periodicals Postage paid at Park City, Utah. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Park Record, Box 3688, Park City, Utah 84060. Entered as second dass matter. May 25 1977 at the post office in Park City, Utah 84060, under the Act of March 3, 1897. Subscription rates are $32 inside Summit County, $60 outside Summit County, Utah. Subscriptions are transfcrrable: $5 cancellation fee. Phone (435) 649-9014 or fax W494Z Published every Wednesctajand |