OCR Text |
Show Viewpoints The A-23 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 30, 2017-January 2, 2018 editorial A year of change and upheaval, 2017 was one we’ll remember I letters to the editor Brown’s Canyon project should be halted Editor: Promontory’s build-out of 1,020 homes in Brown’s Canyon, a Green Belt area set aside for agricultural use and open space, represents out-of-control growth. Everyone who resides in or travels through Brown’s Canyon should attend the public hearing in Kamas on January 4th at 6 p.m. I believe in careful planning and controlled growth. Promontory’s Special Project Area is already planned for 285 homes in Brown’s Canyon. That is a significant number which will put pressure on traffic on Brown’s Canyon Road and Rte. 248 into Park City. With the completion of current housing developments in Summit and Wasatch Counties, an additional 735 homes to the already slated 285, represents uncontrolled growth in our county. Promontory is calling for multi-family housing of three and four stories, 190,000 square feet of commercial space, “middle class” homes worth $500K, and the installation of elaborate infrastructure (sewer pumping, water, fire station, manmade lake, etc.) on what The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Angelique McNaughton Ben Ramsey Carolyn Webber Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Nan Chalat Noaker Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor.........Kira Hoffelmeyer Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Office Manager ..................... Tiffany Piper Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow is pristine, untouched sagebrush and elk migration land. Picture Deer Mountain, Jordanelle, and Black Rock Condos built inside Brown’s Canyon along with the same amenities from Kimball Junction, and you’ll get a feeling for just how huge this project is. Most of Brown’s Canyon is zoned for one house per 40 acres. This allows for the co-existence of wildlife, agriculture, cattle, llamas, quarries, and rescued animals (Nuzzles & Co). To increase the density in such a significant portion of the canyon is against the agricultural traditions of eastern Summit County. Brown’s Canyon, along with the Swaner Nature Preserve, Round Valley, and Bonanza Flats deserves to be preserved. Save Brown’s Canyon! It contributes to the rural qualities of eastern Summit County. It provides bicyclists and athletes with a quiet stretch to train, and a respite from congestion for all travelers. Come make your voice heard before the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission at Kamas City Hall on Jan. 4th at 6 p.m. Lola Beatlebrox Peoa 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 t was, without a doubt, a year that won’t soon be forgotten in Park City. As our attention shifts to what 2018 has in store, thinking back on everything 2017 brought is almost astounding. We’ll recall it as a year that reshaped our town in myriad ways, both large and small. Perhaps we should have known we were in for a big year when, just weeks into 2017, two of the most newsworthy events in recent memory happened in quick succession. Park City struck a deal to purchase the long-desired Bonanza Flat acreage, which later culminated in the most notable victory in the history of City Hall’s open-space conservation program. A few days after, thousands of people marched on Main Street during the Sundance Film Festival in a demonstration whose size and intensity was unprecedented in town. The 11 months that followed were no less noteworthy. A brief rundown includes Park City pledging to create a major arts and cultural district in Bonanza Park, the sudden collapse of one of the largest transportation firms in Park City, the sale of Deer Valley Resort to a large corporate entity, the formation of a committee to explore whether Salt Lake City should pursue another Olympic Games, the Summit County Council implementing a rare property tax hike and a mayoral election between two of the city’s most prominent politicians, who each presented a distinct vision for the future. Just before the calendar was set to flip to 2018, one last bombshell fell as the city announced an agreement to buy half of the development rights of the Treasure land in Old Town, pending voter approval of a $24 million bond measure next fall. It was a shocker that served as a fitting capstone to the year. Looking at it as a whole, it’s difficult to comprehend all the ramifications of what we witnessed. Perhaps we’ll gain a more clear understanding in 2018 of what it all means for Park City, but the ripples are sure to extend well past the coming year. All the change, which came on the heels of other major shifts in our town over the last decade, has increased a sense of apprehension about the future among many residents. The worry is understandable. If the past year proved anything, though, it’s that there’s no turning back the clock. Park City continues to grow into a new era. It’s much different even today than when 2017 began, and who knows what it will look like in 15 or 20 years? The future of our town, however, isn’t cast in stone. It will take a conscious effort and determination to preserve the things that make Park City special. But there is no reason to think we can’t shape it into a place we’ll still recognize and be proud of two decades from now, regardless of the upheaval of the last 12 months and whatever follows in 2018 and beyond. guest editorial Our Schools Now is critical for our children MOE HICKEY former Park City Board of Education president As Our Schools Now amasses signatures to qualify an initiative for next year’s ballot, discussion is rampant within our community about investing more in teachers and students. Earlier this month, the Park Record editorial board endorsed the initiative being on the ballot, while a guest editorial appeared with a different opinion. I am pleased this initiative has spurred conversation on the importance of education and the impact of educated residents in our communities. In that guest editorial, many questions were posed that I would like to respond to. I fully support greater statewide investment in local schools and see this initiative as the only solution. First, understand what is being proposed. By increasing the state income and sales tax less than half of one percent (.45%), Utah schools would receive approximately $1000 per student. As Park City School District has roughly 4,700 students, our schools would collectively receive nearly $4.7 million each year to invest in each school’s teacher and student success plan. These plans would be created by school principals, teachers and parents and submitted to the local school board for approval. This provides flexibility to those that know our students best and proper management and oversight. In Utah, it’s hard to argue that we shouldn’t be improving education. For PCSD students, 51 percent are proficient in math, 53 percent proficient in science and 51 percent proficient in English. Many other measurements show similar results. Notably, the Our Schools Now initiative is not coming from education groups, but from business leaders across the state concerned that our children are not obtaining the skills they need to be competitive in the global economy. Community leaders such as Gail Miller, Scott Anderson and Lane Beattie have been advocates for greater investment in schools for years. As state level investments have not significantly increased, these leaders are giving parents and grandparents the opportunity to make a difference at the ballot box. The guest editorial suggested that, because the initiative also includes public higher education, it amounts to “political payoff”. As business leaders know, a high school diploma no longer ensures success. Since the end of the recession, 99 percent of new jobs in the United States have been awarded to applicants with a post-high school education. Given that, our state must offer high-quality, accessible and affordable options of higher learning with a focus on workforce development. Concerning to some is how the new funding would be invested. The Governor recently released a roadmap with research-based strategies to improve education in Utah, which focuses on ensuring early learning, supporting and strengthening educators, ensuring access and equity, and completing certificates and degrees. Taken together, the cost to implement each recommended strategy is more than $1.4 billion, annually. The need to improve outcomes in Utah is obvious while the ways to do so have been identified. After investing at the local level in counselors, mentors and coaches, schools in Roy decreased absenteeism rates and increased the graduation rate by 19 percent. Adequate funding would allow this success to be expanded to other schools. The most exciting element of Our Schools Now is that local education leaders will determine the most pressing needs of our students. For our kids, funds would allow for mental and behavioral health professionals and resources, additional aides and tutors for enhanced individual learning opportunities, and expanded early learning programs for students that start school below their peers. The needs of our students grow increasingly loud, but we have an opportunity to make a difference. Over the last two decades, state representatives have reduced education funding by billions of dollars. It’s long past time for the people of Utah to share their voice before another generation of Utah students miss out on high-quality learning. ADVERTISING Classifieds/Legals ............. Jennifer Lynch Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ......................... Lori Gull Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lisa Curley Olivia Bergmann Digital Products ..................... Mike Boyko Manager Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ...................... Nadia Dolzhenko Patrick Schulz Linda Sites For the record Photos by Kira Hoffelmeyer Asked at SlapFish What is your favorite New Year’s Eve tradition? Andrew Muse Park City Looking back at the previous year, have a tangible date to look back at the last year and set goals and whatnot. Derek Gherkins Park City This will be my first New Year’s Eve off work, so I’m looking for a kiss! Jillian White & Alison Reighard Salt Lake City & Park City Jillian: I don’t really have Allison: When there’s a one, but it usually in- full moon, to go snowvolves champagne. shoeing and bring some champagne and pop it. Miles & Danika Borcik Salt Lake City Miles: Mine is kissing my Danika: I like making meatlovely wife. That’s a new one balls. They’re pretty killer — they’re a sweet and sour recipe. that’s started. See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and Instagram.com/parkrecord |