OCR Text |
Show A-2 The Park Record The Park Record. Serving Summit County since 1880 The Park Record, Park City’s No. 1 source for local news, opinion and advertising, is available for home delivery in Summit, Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties. Single copies are also available at 116 locations throughout Park City, Heber City, Summit County and Salt Lake City. SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Summit County (home delivery): $56 per year (includes Sunday editions of The Salt Lake Tribune) Outside Summit County (home delivery available in Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties; all other addresses will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service): $80 per year To subscribe please call 435–649– 9014 or visit www.parkrecord.com and click the Subscribe link in the Reader Tools section of the toolbar at the bottom of the page. To report a missing paper, please call 801–204–6100. Same-day redelivery is possible if you call during the following hours: * Weekdays: 6:30–8 a.m. * Saturday: 7–8 a.m. * Sunday: 7–10:30 a.m. Continued from A-1 GOP rallies “We’ll contend there. We’ll win seats,” he said about the Statehouse campaigns. He said he has not spoken to anyone who is considering mounting a write-in campaign in the County Courthouse contests with the absence of any Republicans on the ballot. Eason, though, said the prospects have not been ruled out. “If someone decides to jump in as a write-in candidate, nothing surprises me anymore,” he said. The county caucuses are seen as the grass-roots level of politics as people gather with others from their neighborhoods to discuss a wide range of issues. The caucuses are crucial in years when there are challenges within a party for nominations, and those held in years of a presidential election have added intrigue with the White House at the top of the ticket. The Republicans filled in seats at individual tables based on the neighborhoods. The people at one of the tables touched on gun laws and the role of the National Rifle Association in the national discussion. The table quickly moved to public lands issues, such as the controversial Bears Ears National Monument in Southern Utah. One person said they did not have enough information to address the national monument while another said the national monument should remain intact. One of the prominent Republicans in attendance, Bruce Hough, spoke in an interview about the lack of GOP candidates in the County Courthouse campaigns. Hough, who lives in Park Meadows, was a Republican national committeeman for eight years ending in 2016 and was once the chair of the state Republican Party. “In Summit County, I would say we’re hanging on by a thread,” Hough acknowledged. “You can’t even have a competitive race because you have a ‘R’ next to your name.” He said there have been elected officials in Summit County who have changed their party affiliation from Republican to Democratic “so they could win their jobs.” Hough explained many people have moved to Summit County over the years from Democratic-leaning states like New York and California, influencing the political makeup of the county. Hough, as an example, said former County Attorney David Brickey performed well in the position. As a Republican, though, Brickey was unable to keep the office, he said. “But he had an ‘R’ next to his name. The numbers just don’t work in this county,” Hough said, adding, “Right now, Summit County is probably the most frustrating county.” The Summit County Republicans are scheduled to gather again on April 17 for the county GOP convention, scheduled at South Summit High School. To request a vacation hold or change of address, please call 435–649–9014 or email: circulation@parkrecord.com THE NEWSROOM To contact the newsroom, please call 435–649–9014 or email editor@parkrecord.com For questions about your bill, please call 435–649–9014 or email accounts@parkrecord.com The Park Record online is available at www.parkrecord.com and contains all of the news and feature stories in the latest edition plus breaking news updates. The Record’s website also hosts interactive entertainment, restaurant and lodging listings and multimedia features. Contents of The Park Record are Copyrighted 2015, Wasatch Mountain News Media Co. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the managing editor or publisher. The Park Record (USPS 378-730) (ISSN 0745-9483) is published twice weekly by Wasatch Mountain News Media Co., 1670 Bonanza Drive, Park City, UT 84060. Periodicals postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, 84199-9655 and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Park Record, P.O. Box 3688, Park City, UT84060. Entered as second-class matter, May 25, 1977, at the Post Office in Park City, Utah, 84060 under the Act of March 3, 1897. Subscription rates are: $56 within Summit county, $80 outside of Summit County, Utah. Subscriptions are transferable: $5 cancellation fee. Phone: 435–649–9014 Fax: 435–649–4942 Email: circulation@parkrecord.com Published every Wednesday and Saturday Democrats gather teeman. “Caucuses are to figure out who the hardcore Democrats are and build contacts within the organization.” As expected, the crowds were thinner than they were two years ago during the presidential race, even with several county, state and federal seats on the November ballot. Gone were the long lines of people stretched out the door and excitement from first-time caucus goers. But, Butler said the turnout was nor surprising. “It was definitely much lower than what we saw in 2016,” she said. “But, that is to be expected. I’m a realist and did not expect people to turnout in larger numbers when we don’t have a presidential vote.” While two seats on the Summit County Council and four department head positions are up for election, no one filed as a candidate to challenge the incumbents. Summit County Councilors Chris Robinson and Glenn Wright, along with Sheriff Justin Martinez, County Attorney Margaret Olson, and Auditor Michael Howard, all Democrats, attended Tuesday’s caucus even though their races are uncontested. “People like to have the opportunity to vote on something and where they have that opportunity we do see larger turnouts,” Butler said. “It might not have been significantly higher if those races were contested, but it probably would have had an effect.” Continued from A-1 For display advertising, please call a sales representative at 435–649– 9014 or email val@parkrecord.com To place a classified ad, please call 435–649–9014 or email classads@parkrecord.com Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, March 24-27, 2018 Continued from A-1 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Brantley Eason, the chair of the Summit County Republican Party, dressed for the occasion on Tuesday night as the GOP held a caucus gathering at Park City High School. The Republicans say they will enjoy successes in Statehouse campaigns in November even as the party does not compete in County Courthouse contests. Continued from A-1 Concert series seeks a home tertainment in 2008 with Chris Mautz, the coordinator for the Red Butte Garden summer concerts. “Deer Valley is such a well-known brand and (they) do such an amazing job with customer experience. I think they wanted to maximize the venue’s potential.” First Tracks, which owns O.P. Rockwell, The State Room and The State Room Presents brand, is one of the booking partners that brings artists to the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake City, Piccoli said. The production company has presented many Deer Valley concerts including ones featuring Jimmy Cliff and Michael Franti, the Steve Miller Band, John Fogerty and Brandi Carlile. “We are working on a series that we’ll announce in May,” Piccoli said. In the meantime, the company will work to complement the Utah Symphony’s Deer Valley Music Festival this summer. “The plan is to work to make each performance at the amphitheater consistent and familiar to the patrons,” Piccoli said. “It’s more important to have the right Direct Importer of the World’s Finest Rugs A t t h e H i s t o r i c Vi l l a T h e a t r e 3092 So. Highland Dr., Salt Lake City (801)484-6364 888.445.RUGS (7847) Mon.-Sat. 10 am to 6 pm place, regardless of who is putting on the shows.” The change does not affect the free Wednesday night Grand Valley Bank community concerts presented by Mountain Town Music, said Emily Summers, Deer Valley senior communications manager. The change does put some pressure on Park City Institute to continue its mission: “Entertaining, Education and Illuminating,” said the nonprofit’s board chairwoman Phyllis Robinson in the release. “Our summer concerts are part of the fabric of our community,” Robinson said. “They are also a significant amount of funding, largely through sponsorships and memberships, supporting all of our programs throughout the year, including the Main Stage at the Eccles Center, and, specifically, our Student Outreach programs. Ticket sales (earned income) only account for approximately one-third of our annual revenue.” Orr extended her thanks to the concert series’ title sponsor, St. Regis, and donors for the support of this year’s soon-to-beannounced performances. She also said City Hall has helped the Institute identify potential new venues. “They didn’t need one more thing on their plate this winter, but as soon as this happened, we started to try to figure things out,” Orr said. “They have been a tremendous help in evaluating the possibility of specific venues, and recently identified parcels that could serve as locations for a pop-up summer season.” Lawsuit seeks damages said Colin King, counsel from Dewsnup King Olsen Worel Havas & Mortensen, during a press conference at the County Courthouse Tuesday. “The county attorney and County Council has been strongly supportive of this. Our position, along with hundreds of other counties, is that we can and will do something about this.” The lawsuit claims Summit County has been forced to spend a significant amount of money to combat the opioid epidemic locally, similar to the argument that is being made in hundreds of other cases. For the last several years, Summit County has focused on ways to address mental health and substance abuse challenges through increased services and resources. As part of the litigation, the county plans to develop a comprehensive public health plan. “The impacts of opioid overdoses are hitting at the county level,” King said. “Counties are the ones that are enduring the brunt of the costs through the county-funded programs, including Sheriff’s Departments and treatment centers.” The suit alleges doctors did not create the misuse and abuse of opioids and were, in fact, misled themselves by Big Pharma. “The epidemic came about completely by the marketing of the defendants,” King said. “They wanted to market and sell more drugs, and they did it by misinformation campaigns that were leveled in large part to doctors.” John Parker, senior vice president of Healthcare Distribution Alliance, a national organization that represents pharmaceutical companies, said in an email statement provided to The Park Record Wright, a County Council member and former chair of the county Democratic Party, said the small candidate field elicited a mixed reaction from him. “Personally, I was very happy because I won’t have to spend my own money and time to campaign for re-election,” he said. “But, it isn’t really a good thing for the county because now we are not going to be talking about county issues during the election. I will still go out and hold public meetings and will campaign with the legislative candidates, but democracy needs some competition.” Butler said the contested races at the state and federal level are “certainly generating a lot of excitement” among the delegates going to Salt Lake City for the state convention. Parkite Eileen Gallagher, who filed to run for the Utah Senate seat Kevin Van Tassell currently holds, attended the caucus, along with Christopher Neville, who is vying for the seat Rep. Logan Wilde, R-Croydon, occupies, and Roberto M. Lopez, a candidate for Rep. Tim Quinn’s House seat. The candidates discussed climate change, Medicaid expansion, economics and gun rights, with several of their comments winning applause from the audience. The caucuses are the first step in the election process. The Summit County Democratic and Republican parties will next hold their respective conventions. The Democratic convention is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Park City High School. Peggy Stuart, a Summit Park resident, said she has been attending the caucuses in Summit County with her husband, Charles, since moving to Utah in 2010. “I do it because I think as citizens of this country we are responsible,” she said. “If we don’t pay attention with what is going on and take an active role, even if it is a small one, then what our forefathers built is going to crumble away.” the misuse of prescription opioids is a “complex public health challenge.” “It requires a collaborative and systemic response that engages all stakeholders,” he said. “Given our role, the idea that distributors are responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works and is regulated. Those bringing lawsuits would be better served addressing the root causes, rather than trying to redirect blame through litigation.” Healthcare Distribution Alliance represents 35 distributors, including AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson, three of the defendants named in the suit. The three legal firms representing the county are working on a contingency fee agreement and will only be paid if the county is awarded money in the lawsuit. The legal counsel will be working closely with the Summit County Health Department throughout the course of the suit to understand the statistical impacts of the opioid epidemic on the county. “We are looking at those kinds of specifics and data right now,” King said. “But, we didn’t want to wait. It wasn’t necessary. It was important, though, to get this on file and move this along as quickly as possible. Litigation is expensive and difficult and it takes a long time.” Summit County Council members unanimously approved a resolution earlier this month recognizing the damaging effects of opioid addiction. County Council Chair Kim Carson said in a press release that the overuse of opioids has significantly impacted residents. “We as a community are very concerned with the easy access to opioids and the devastating effects these drugs have on our families, friends and neighbors,” she said. “All of us have been affected by the prolific distribution of these drugs and the false assurances given as to their safety. We need resources to help educate our citizens on the dangers of opioid addiction and on alternatives to their use.” |