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Show Viewpoints The A-25 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, January 13-16, 2018 editorial Though not the perfect choice, Romney would serve admirably M guest editorial Parkite says for many, clean air is matter of life and breath STEVE LEWIS Park City It’s inversion time again. The toxic soup of ozone, nitrous oxide, and particulates we breathe on the Wasatch Front is much more than an ugly eyesore. Breathing it can be deadly, especially if you live or work near the freeway, or other sources of concentrated toxins. After 45-plus years of full-time work, just two months before I’d planned to retire, I was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (a.k.a. IPF). What IPF means to me is that I’m now hooked to an oxygen tank 24-7. Without a lung transplant, I have a year or two left to live, while my lungs gradually fill with fibrosis, and cease to function. “Idiopathic” means my pulmonologist can’t be sure what caused it. But I think I know. I spent most of my working life in a building under the I-15 5th South onramp. While I was an active road biker, and runner, and never smoked, with that extra exposure, added to the background of toxins we all breathe, it became a sentence to an early, and ugly death. If just breathing this polluted air ruined my The Park Record Staff s . o n f m f t d e f e n o , p e d o e a r e n ” l n - 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 Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor.........Kira Hoffelmeyer Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Office Manager ....................Tiffany Rivera Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Classifieds/Legals ............. Jennifer Lynch Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ......................... Lori Gull Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lisa Curley Olivia Bergmann Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production .......................... Patrick Schulz Linda Sites lungs, it has certainly happened to others, and will to many more. If you live here, you and your children are at risk for the same life threatening respiratory diseases. Higher risks than you know. Large concentrations of population define our “advanced civilization.” The rapid improvement in living standards over the last century was made possible by abundant, low cost fossil fuel. But we are paying a hidden cost in our health. I’m paying it now, as are the many thousands of Utahns who have unnecessary respiratory illnesses. The cost of our health care is huge. And nothing can buy back the years of lives cut short. Ignorance is no longer a valid excuse. Nor is the presumption that our future prosperity depends upon fossil fuels. Every dollar we spend monitoring, and mitigating the health impacts of air pollution is a hidden subsidy to the fossil fuel sources of pollution. Whatever the cost of breathing healthy air, it is time to stop socializing it, and shift it back to the sources of pollution. Air pollution will not fix itself. Our legislators apparently still don’t get it. Just two years ago they passed a law that no Utah air quality regulation could be more restrictive than the EPA’s. Worse still, recent studies say that EPA standards are not yet tough enough to ensure healthy air. The Wasatch Front, Cache Valley, and Uintah Basin are natural pollution traps. Geography and weather cause inversions. Population and its emissions fill them with pollution. We can’t move our mountains, change the weather, or stop Utah’s population from growing. The only option is reducing polluting emissions, as aggressively as we can. It’s time to stand up and scream until your lungs hurt, and our legislators finally put on their big-boy & girl pants, and pass the toughest anti-pollution regulations they can write. There are over three million sources of pollution in Utah, including you and me. There is no magic bullet, but there are hundreds of effective ways to help. Every bike or transit ride, every new solar panel, wind turbine, and e-car makes a difference. Force all industrial polluters to use state-of-the-art technology to limit emissions. Building codes must require efficient energy use, and add tax rewards for owners who retrofit older buildings. It’s just the start of a long list. This isn’t a theory, and it’s not somebody else’s problem. Trust me, it’s a matter of life and breath for all of us. For the record ore than 15 years after shepherding the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics to success, Mitt Romney may be preparing to take up another important post in Utah — this time, in the U.S. Senate. His name is the most prominent of those rumored to be considering a campaign to replace Orrin Hatch, who announced his retirement early this month. If Romney chooses to enter the race — and most political observers expect he will — he would likely waltz to a win. And that would be a triumph for Utah residents. Of the politicians who could realistically win the seat, Romney is best prepared to serve the people. He would be a dignified statesman in Washington, and despite his long history in the public eye, his presence would be a breath of fresh air, as it became clear in recent years that the time had come for Hatch to move on. It should be noted that Romney wouldn’t be the perfect choice, nor the preferred one of many Parkites. There’s another challenger, in fact, whose values align more closely with those of Park City. Jenny Wilson, a member of the Salt Lake County Council, has harnessed a bipartisan approach, acted on efforts like ethics reform and open space preservation, and has significant experience in the nonprofit sector. She would be a fantastic pick. Alas, she’s running with the wrong political party attached to her name to win broad support in Utah. Romney would serve honorably in her place. He’s no progressive and wouldn’t vote like one, but he would bring a reasonably centrist and even-handed approach to the office. That’s a particularly important trait considering Mike Lee has spent the last seven years prioritizing his far-right ideology over the best interests of his constituents and, worse, Hatch’s transformation into a lapdog for President Trump. In contrast, electing someone who would both reach across the aisle and stand up to the president would send a clear message. As one of the most vocal Republican critics of Trump since the early days of the 2016 election, Romney has proven he’s willing to put country over party and serve as a voice of reason when the president violates American values. Speaking out against Trump from within his own party would be critical at a time when most Republicans have abdicated their responsibility to be a check on the executive branch. Come November, Parkites should still vote their conscience, whether that’s for a Democrat like Wilson with little chance of winning or for someone else. But, they should also recognize that a Romney triumph would be a victory for Utah. Maybe not a total one for those who’d like to see a Utah senator put forward a progressive agenda, but certainly for those who understand that, at a time like this, serving Utahns with dignity is just as important. guest editorial Effects of Woodward will impact neighbors DONNA RILEY Jeremy Ranch I attended the Snyderville Planning Commission meeting held January 9th at the Summit County Library. While my interest in this meeting was specifically to learn about the low income housing proposed for future build on Rasmussen Road, the first item to be discussed on the agenda was the Woodward Park. Admittedly, I had not followed the details of this proposed Conditional Use Permit (CUP) until tonight when I learned the depth of this mis-represented CUP. I learned in this meeting that, in fact, this is not a CUP, but rather a full blown recreational facility. The Woodward group, (owned by Powdr Corp), likened the Woodward facility to the Marc, Basin Rec and other commercial recreational facilities in the greater Park City area. They were mentioning these various facilities in comparison to the size and height of their proposed buildings. Nonetheless, it became clear almost immediately the Woodward facility is a huge recreation facility. The impact to residents of the surrounding area is immense. Ambient light will highly impact our night sky for many in Pinebrook as well as Jeremy Ranch. Make no mistake, this is a ski resort. The proposal includes a chair lift!!! The noise, along with the copious number of people, not only using the facility, but spectators gathering on residential roads and streets to watch outdoor events is a major concern. Traffic is a concern. Yes, UDOT is creating a round-a-bout to facilitate traffic from the I-80 exit, to include Kilby/Lookout Rds, but take note of the horrendous traffic at the Tanger round-a-bout during holidays and summer events in Park City. Traffic is a very real future nightmare. The majority of residents purchased homes in the Pinebrook and Jeremy Ranch area specifically for the benefits of the night sky, presence of wildlife and to be a bit removed from the PC crowds. The proposed Woodward facility would severely impact every aspect of these benefits. Ask yourself why Woodward wasn’t built at the base of PCMR as initially proposed. Powdr Corp’s original development rights for the Gorgoza location (1999-ish), expired, the five year extension expired. This was because they intended to put this facility at the base of PCMR. Then the dreaded backdated lease debacle occurred which opened the door for Vail to take PCMR. How can Powdr Corp be trusted to keep their word on all the promises they “propose”? There are also a number of “special variances” needed to build in the Gorgoza location. As stated prior, this is a full blown ski resort, complete with chair lift, snow blowers, large lights, much noise, etc. Are “special variances” worth disturbing the quality of life of many residents? Don’t get me started on the impact to the wildlife in the Gorgoza area. Woodward sounds like a fantastic recreational facility for kids in Park City, and surrounding areas. Get 100 percent buy in from the community by locating this facility in an area that with no impact to residents. The area around Home Depot, or anywhere along Old Hwy 40 maybe? letters to the editor Marriott says thanks to responders Editor: We would like to publicly commend the members of the Park City Fire Department, Park City Police Department, Park City Emergency Management, Park City Building Department and Summit County Health Department who were on duty Wednesday, January 10, 2018, for their assistance and professionalism during a rather stressful situation. These units arrived at the Marriott Park City promptly after a call for help was placed and began to work with our team to direct guests to safety, while assessing the origin of a strong chemical odor within the hotel. They went above and beyond by securing three city buses to park in the back of the hotel, where our guests could keep warm. Once the source was identified as a canister of bear spray, these response teams were very efficient in clearing the scene and allowing our guests to return to the building. While we did not get the names of all those who were at the scene Wednesday night, we hope this letter of gratitude reaches the emergency responders present to recognize their compassion and composure. Each individual demonstrated training and competence that calmed the staff and guests’ nerves, and most importantly, knowledge that helped keep the situation under control. With much appreciation, Luis Olivas General manager, Marriott Park City Photos by Kira Hoffelmeyer Asked at the Park City Library What’s your favorite local tip for the Sundance Film Festival? , ” , n d n k s t c s Brinnah Schmidt Park City Please wear snow boots! e y t Derick Loyola Park City I like to get outta Dodge. But if you’re staying, make dinner reservations way in advance and get in good with the restaurants. Greg Eisenbarth Park City Take part in the festival or leave town. Linda Tolman Park City I would say give yourself a lot of time to get anywhere and/or take the bus. Rebecca Markosian Oakley Parking is always an issue, so if you have friends in town, make arrangements and utilize the bus system. See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and Instagram.com/parkrecord |