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Show VIEWPOINTS A-15 www.parkrecord.com Wed/Thurs/Fri, May 24-26, 2017 EDITORIAL Everyone must unite to prevent graduation-related tragedies T LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A season-pass price increase of Epic proportions Editor: I love Park City Mountain and until now have appreciated all the work its new owners have put on the mountain ever since they assumed ownership. What I don’t like as much, however, is how the company keeps on raising its prices, season after season, with seemingly little regard for the locals that constitute the true fabric of the community. Same thing for the local businesses and their employees that are part and parcel of the “experience” Vail Resorts is so good at selling. Should I also mention our destination visitors that may eventually get the feeling of being fleeced? I’m not saying ski resorts shouldn’t raise their rates, but they should do it more responsibly, in taking into account some basic yardsticks like the Consumer Price Index (CPI). To illustrate my point, the Epic Pass that was $769 in 2015/16 jumped to $809 last season (+5.20%) and is now pegged at $859 for next season (+6.18%). The Park City Local Pass (with blackout dates, among other restrictions) went from $579 in 2015/16 to $609 last season (+5.18%) and will be worth $639 next season (+4.93%). Kids were not “forgotten” either, with the Child Pass moving up from $289 in 2015/16 to $319 last season (+10.38%) and creeping up to $339 next season (+6.27%). In the meantime, the CPI increased re- LETTERS POLICY The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines. They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Letters must not contain libelous material. Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long or if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 6 individuals and/or businesses. Send your letter to: editor@parkrecord.com The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER Andy Bernhard Editor Nan Chalat Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Bubba Brown Angelique McNaughton Griffin Adams Contributing writers Tom Clyde Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Steve Phillips Tom Kelly Joe Lair Interns Jessica Curley Emily Billow Copy Editor Frances Moody ADVERTISING Classified advertising Jennifer Lynch Office manager Tiffany Rivera Circulation manager Lacy Brundy Accounting manager Jennifer Snow Advertising director Valerie Spung Advertising sales Lori Gull Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lisa Curley Digital Products Manager Mike Boyko Photographer Tanzi Propst Production director Ben Olson Production Nadia Dolzhenko Patrick Schulz Linda Sites spectively by 0.01% and 2.22% for the two years in question (these are April numbers, roughly when Vail Resorts releases its new pricing). If this crazy trend continues, many Parkites won’t be able to afford skiing in their own town and Vail Resorts will be on its way to slowly, but surely suffocating the goose that laid the golden eggs. JF Lanvers Park City With nod to former opponent, Beerman will run for mayor Editor: It is a great privilege to serve your town as an elected official. It is not a career, and should not be a popularity contest, but a chance to ‘take your turn’ to use your skills and passions to serve the place you call home, and the friends you call your community. A good Mayor embodies the values of the town, understands its hopes and fears, leads by example, and galvanizes a Council and Community to take action when needed. Mayor Jack Thomas is my friend, my one-time rival, a model of propriety, and a damn fine Mayor. His quiet and laid-back manner -- and collaborative approach to governance -- has been effective in a town reeling from too much of everything that makes us great. He will be missed. Serving with Mayor Thomas has helped me to better understand Park City. Four years ago, Jack and I ran against each other in a close race. Fortunately, we were able to quickly reconcile and focus on the needs of our community. Losing is painful, but it’s also a chance to learn, grow, and reevaluate. I have tried to make the most of that lesson, and am grateful for the continued support I have received from Park City residents. Mayor Thomas leaves his role with much accomplished, but great challenges looming. Fortunately, the community is poised to address these together. I have never seen such strong alignment between Park City residents, the Council, and even our regional partners, to take decisive action to protect our mountain town. The community has chosen the three critical priorities of Housing, Transportation, and Energy, to restore a healthy balance to our town. The Council, working as a team, has been focused and bold in addressing these priorities. We are making progress -- and with continued community support -- will keep our town small, authentic and a place that we recognize as our home. It is essential we not lose momentum. Park City should be a town where people work, play and live. A town where you don’t need a car, and spend your time in the great outdoors, not stuck in traffic. And a town that is in healthy balance with the natural environment. Park City would not be Park City, without our mountains, trees and open spaces. It is for these reasons I will again seek to serve as Park City’s Mayor. It is criti- his is an exciting time of year for everyone involved in public education. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the hard work students, teachers, parents and community members put in to shape the graduating classes of Summit County’s three high schools. And it’s a chance to offer the graduates one last bit of encouragement before they enter the real world. But the community’s responsibility for the well-being of the Class of 2017 isn’t over yet. Along with commencement ceremonies and teary goodbyes, the weeks surrounding Summit County’s graduations are also filled with student parties. To be sure, the graduates deserve to celebrate after a stressful year of classes and college applications, but the revelry can quickly turn risky. According to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, officers this time of year watch closely for high school gatherings where alcohol or drugs are present. But residents throughout the area, both students and adults, must also do their part. Parents should remind their children what to do if they are at a party with illegal substances. They need to be clear that even if their children don’t partake, failing to speak up makes them complicit if something goes wrong. Likewise, it’s crucial for the students themselves to eliminate the risk in the first place by not bringing booze or drugs to their celebrations. The moment they move their tassels from the right side of their caps to the left, graduates are bestowed with the responsibility of adulthood. Now is the time to prove they deserve it. The potential consequences of failing to do so are simply too great. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly one-third of all alcohol-related traffic deaths of people under 21 happen during graduation season. And Summit County residents, with the wounds still fresh from the overdose deaths of two 13-year-old Park City boys in September, need no reminder about how fast experimenting with drugs can turn deadly. Should students fail to heed the warnings, the community can still act. Neighbors or others with information about dangerous underage parties should tip off officers by calling the Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency line at 435-615-3600 or submitting an anonymous comment at summitcountysheriff.org. Late spring is a time for celebration. The students, and their community, should be remembering happy moments and looking forward to ones that lie ahead. By all accounts, the promise of Summit County’s Class of 2017 is boundless, so it would be nothing short of a tragedy if a preventable accident wipes away the future of even one graduate. It’s up to everybody, from students to their parents to their neighbors, to make sure that doesn’t happen. GUEST EDITORIAL Students are subjected to too much testing CARLY MCALEER Ecker Hill Middle School student “Sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent minds do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds” (Diane Ravitch). As schooling has progressed and new ways have been created to strengthen young individuals’ minds, more tests have been made to challenge their intellectual abilities. Being tested over and over again on the same thing is not going to help a person remember that information, doing something with it to change how people see things will make you remember it. Standardized testing is not a good way to help students learn and should not be forced unless it is part of their class. First of all, long testing periods take away valuable time. As stated on theatlantic.com, “Eighty-one percent believe their students spend too much time taking tests mandated by their state or district, according to the study by the Center on Education Policy, based at George Washington University.” During the course of a year at Ecker Hill Middle school, students are required to take 14 different tests throughout the year. The first nine tests each take 45 minutes to an hour to complete which take away approximately eight hours out of their school time. This is equivalent to one school day and an hour. Think about how much a student could learn in that time instead of taking a test. On top of that, students must take five 90-minute (give or take a few) tests. All these tests added together equal about 12 and one-half hours to complete. If students take longer to complete these tests, they take even more valuable time out of their day. In addition, standardized tests put loads of stress on students during testing weeks. Some students may already cal we maintain our focus and urgency on the community priorities. Park City residents are struggling with growing intensity and a town that looks less and less familiar. We should be a town with resorts, not a resort town. We must restore a balance and prioritize community building. My focus will be on resident-centric decision making. It is time we reclaim ‘our town’ for the residents. Andy Beerman Park City Teacher Appreciation Week was much appreciated Editor: Jeremy Ranch Elementary School would like to take the opportunity to recognize the tremendous support our faculty and staff received from our community during Educator Appreciation Week. Our entire staff of over 70 enjoyed wonderful meals each day. have things happening at home that generate more stress which create lots of anxiety for students during these testing weeks. As stated on brainconnection.brainhq.com, “Anecdotal report from educators, combined with a surge in prescriptions for such medications as Ritalin and Prozac, suggest that students are experiencing increased stress in the classroom. At the root of the problem, some researchers suggest, are schools that primarily rank students based on their test scores.” Standardized testing adds unneeded stress on students during the weeks testing takes place. No matter the reason, adding unneeded stress is not necessary to the progression of students in school and does not help them to perform better on tests. Subsequently, not all standardized tests are important and may be redundant. As stated on edweek.org, “Students across the nation are taking tests that are redundant, misaligned with college- and career-ready standards, and often don’t address students’ mastery of specific content.” Students take many similar tests throughout their school year that doesn’t help them through later schooling years Any tests given should be ones that help with a student’s mastery. By taking redundant tests, students are showing what they already know multiple times and not exhibiting what they should know. Opponents to this case state that standardized testing throughout the school year is beneficial to a student’s growth, but this is disagreeable. Too much standardized testing will dull a student’s desire to learn and therefore too much testing shouldn’t be permitted. Testing is a part of life no matter what you do, but taking tests that won’t move your forward or help to put you on the right path are a waste of time, energy, and stress. We have a limited amount of time in our day, how do you want to spend it? We were treated to snacks, drinks, and even massages! Not only that, but our school was decorated with thank you messages throughout the halls and on every door. Karla Olson deserves particular thanks, as she was the coordinator, supervisor, and executive of most events through the week. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Kneaders, Billy Blanco’s, Deer Valley and the EATS program, Freedom Chiropractors, and all of the parents who contributed their time, energy and food! Thank you Jeremy Ranch Elementary community for making us all feel so valued! Shawn Kuennen, Principal Park City Resident hopes everyone will support bag ban Editor: I completely support the plastic bag ban enacted by our City Council and hope the Summit County council goes along and makes it a county-wide ban. The negative effects of plastic bags are well documented and I am happy to see our community join in with the effort to minimize their use. Now it’s up to the people to help, and it’s so easy! My wife and I have had reusable bags for many, many years and here’s how we make it easy. We have 6 or 8 reusable bags and we simply keep a few in each of our 2 cars at all times. That way, no matter what store we are going to -- grocery, pet store, hardware -- we just grab the bag out of the car and take it in with us. Or if we are just getting a few items we (gasp!) actually just carry them out to the car with no bag. Once you get in the mindset of “I don’t need a bag,” when the cashier asks, it’s amazing how automatic it becomes. So, c’mon everybody, join in. Buy a few good quality reusable bags and start using them, you’ll soon see how easy it is. Mike Steven Park City |