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Show A-8 The Park Record Meetings and agendas Wed/Thurs/Fri, May 2-4, 2018 Core saMples By Jay Meehan TO PUBLISH YOUR PUBLIC NOTICES AND AGENDAS, PLEASE EMAIL CLASSIFIEDS@PARKRECORD.COM Trump’s Nobel AGENDA SUMMIT COUNTY COUNCIL Wednesday, May 2, 2018 NOTICE is hereby given that the Summit County Council will meet in session Wednesday, May 2, 2018, at the Summit County Courthouse, 60 North Main Street, Coalville, UT 84017 (All times listed are general in nature, and are subject to change by the Council Chair) 12:55 PM Closed Session – Property acquisition (70 min) 7) Council Minutes dated April 11, 2018, and April 18, 2018 2:05 PM - Move to Council Chambers 5:00 PM Work Session, continued 3) Update regarding “Love Your Library Month”; Daniel Compton and Daisy Hodson (10 min) 4) 5:10 PM - Employee recognition for County Government Month; Krachel Greenwood (30 min) 2:15 PM Work Session 1) Pledge of Allegiance 2) 2:20 PM - Strategic plan discussion: status of current goals and takeaways from the March 12, 2018 strategic planning retreat; Janna Young and Anita Lewis (60 min) 3:20 PM Consideration of Approval 1) Presentation and possible approval of the Summit County Mental Health and Substance Abuse Area Plan; Aaron Newman and Dodi Wilson (30 min) 2) 3:50 PM – Discussion and possible approval of Ordinance No. 878, an Ordinance Establishing a Procedure for the Review and Approval of Personal Property Penalty Reductions and Waivers; Steve Martin (10 min) 3) 4:00 PM - Consideration and possible approval of Property Tax Redemption Agreement between Argentum Sky, LLC and Summit County, relating to parcels USC-ESB-1AM, USC-DEPOT-1AM, USC-ES-1AM, USC-SCL-1AM, USC-SPA-1AM, and USC-HOTEL-1AM; Kathryn Rockhill (20 min) 4) 4:20 PM - Discussion and determinations regarding objections to Ordinance 877 pursuant to UCA 17-27a205 and 17-27a-502; Pat Putt and Peter Barnes (20 min) 5) Council Comments 6) Manager Comments 5:40 PM Public Input 6:00 PM - Council members may attend a public meeting regarding the Draft Environmental Statement on the Echo Recreational Development Project, held at the North Summit High School auditorium, 111 East 100 South, Coalville, UT 84017 One or more members of the County Council may attend by electronic means, including telephonically or by Skype. Such members may fully participate in the proceedings as if physically present. The anchor location for purposes of the electronic meeting is the Council Chambers and Conference room, Summit County Courthouse, 60 N. Main, Coalville, Utah Individuals with questions, comments, or needing special accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding this meeting may contact Annette Singleton at (435) 336-3025, (435) 615-3025 or (435) 783-4351 ext. 3025 Posted: April 27, 2018 Bears Ears boosts museum COURTNEY TANNER The Salt Lake Tribune SALT LAKE CITY (Associated Press) — The museum here is nestled just off Highway 191, which unspools like a conveyor belt into the center of this rural desert town, where mostly juniper trees and sagebrush dot the dusty red landscape. Inside the doors of the small brick building, though, are a half-million ancient American Indian artifacts all uncovered from these seemingly empty hills. Painted pottery, rare and unmatched, fills the shelves. Arrow points once used for hunting are now perfectly aligned in neat rows for display. Woven baskets with intricate designs sit under glass cases with fingerprints left from curious kids who have peered in. It’s the largest collection of Puebloan antiquities in the Four Corners region. And in 2011, the state wanted to close it. It was during the depths of the recession when lawmakers decided this place — Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum — was “a financial burden.” It required nearly $440,000 of state funding annually to stay open at a time when they were frantically cutting costs. The depository, they said, must make more money or shut down. Its director elected for the first option, trimming staff and slashing budgets but still opening every day at 9 a.m. Now, seven years later, slowly, cautiously, but surely, the museum has started to revive. Like much in this secluded southeastern corner of the state, it’s gotten a second life with the national monument attention on nearby Bears Ears. The contested designation — issued by the Obama administration and rolled back, in part, by President Donald Trump — has drawn thousands of new tourists to the area. Most drive through Blanding to get to the monument. Many follow the signs along the way leading to Edge of the Cedars. “We’re kind of a hidden gem,” said Chris Hanson, the facility’s manager. “But suddenly the word’s getting out there. We’re in much better shape.” Since 2011, the museum’s revenue has more than doubled. It has cut its dependence on taxpayer funding by nearly $140,000. And, during the past four years, the number of annual visitors crowding in to see the thousand-year-old artifacts has risen by almost 4,000 — more than the population of this small community, the most populous in San Juan County. It’s just one example, but in this place, perhaps more than any other, the impact from Bears Ears has been clear and measurable and significant. An uptick in attendance The monument’s namesake buttes sit 30 miles away, a clear view from the museum’s upstairs windows. On the other side of the building, the parking lot is about half filled with minivans and trucks. That’s pretty good for a Friday afternoon in early April, Hanson shrugged. “We’re still easing into it.” Edge of the Cedars, though, saw a record-high 12,489 visitors in 2017, the first year after then-President Barack Obama designated the national monument. Just four years earlier, 8,950 people came. Its popularity, too, has tracked with some of the major events and political decisions surrounding Bears Ears. When Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visited the monument last May, for instance, the museum saw a spike of 2,026 tourists that month — the peak for the year. And shortly before President Donald Trump came to Utah to shrink the designation in early December, 1,198 people visited — three times what it had seen any previous November. Cedar City resident Jeff Hignite is one of those visitors. He heard about the museum while researching a hiking trip to Bears Ears about the same time the federal government announced the public comment period for the downsized monument’s boundaries. The 35-year-old brought his two sons to Edge of the Cedars during their spring break this month to learn the human history of the place they were visiting. “This is neat to look at,” said Mayson, 16, pointing at a photo of archaeologists standing next to petroglyphs. “It’s really cool how this stuff is original,” added Skylar, 14, next to a case of baskets. The museum was founded in 1976 so that artifacts found in the archaeologically rich San Juan County could stay in the area instead of being shipped off to big exhibits around the country. The pieces date from A.D. 600, when the Anasazi people thrived, to the 13th century, when they vanished from Cedar Mesa. ‘They’ve come a long way’ Today, there’s hardly a stoplight here, and steak and burgers are on the menu at just about every diner in town. Most all of the locals wear worn-out Wrangler jeans dusted with proof of a hard day’s ranching. Many share the same last name as the town’s founding pioneer family, the Lymans. Phil Lyman, perhaps the most prominent descendant, is currently a commissioner for the county. The residents barely outnumber cattle — and tourists can easily best both populations in a busy month. It’s a proud community and a stubborn one. And when Edge of the Cedars was on the brink, they fought the hardest for it to stay open. They had to. The museum, even on its slow days, offers a chance for outsiders to infuse money into the economy. “Any time we can get someone to stop in our region, they’ll use our resources. They’ll go to our grocery store or get fuel,” said Natalie Randall, San Juan County’s economic development director. That was the guiding idea behind building the museum in town. Last year, with the increase in visits to Bears Ears, the majority of visitors at Edge of the Cedars made subsequent purchases in Blanding, generating more than $600,000 for the area in jobs, goods and services. At the same time, the museum saw an extra $40,000 in revenue over the year before, pulling in $155,500 from entrance fees and gift-shop purchases. That’s more than double its earnings from 2010 — the number that lawmakers looked at when weighing whether to close the facility. “In the world of museums, that’s huge,” said Utah State Parks financial manager Scott Strong. “They’ve come a long way.” The state manages 44 parks, which collectively had 6.7 million visitors last year. Historically, heritage sites, like Edge of the Cedars, see the fewest tourists and the smallest revenues. Most depend on taxpayer funding to stay open. The Blanding depository will require about $300,000 from the state to operate this year. But each year since 2011, that subsidy has gotten smaller as the museum has become more steadily reliant on visitors. ‘A perfect jumping-off point’ Hanson has held the helm at Edge of the Cedars for a year and a half now, coming on at the museum as it came into the clear. He’s hiring staff to replace those who were cut during the recession. He’s securing grants to cover the cost of special heat-controlled storage to preserve artifacts. He’s planning events — like dark-sky parties and basket-weaving demos — to draw in more visitors. “This is a perfect jumping-off point to learn about these ancient cultures,” Hanson said, “to learn about how to respect and protect the cultural resources out there.” A billboard on the side of the highway that marks Blanding’s boundaries advertises this town as the “base camp to adventure.” Hanson calls the museum its “gateway.” Seven years ago, this place was No. 2 on the state’s list of facilities to shutter, coming in behind the Green River golf course. Now, he’s coordinating with the Bureau of Land Management for it to become one of four new visitor centers for the national monument at Bears Ears. “Show me someone with no ego and I’ll show you a big loser.” ~ Donald J. Trump “It is nature that causes all movement. Deluded by ego, the fool harbors the perception that says “I did it.” ~ Bhagavad-Gita Now that South Korean President Moon Jae-in jumped on board, it seems that the Trump Nobel Peace Prize bandwagon has indeed left the station. Hopefully the booze car will be open 24/7. Too bad Hunter Thompson couldn’t have hung around for this. I recall vividly tossing back a cup of Virg’s peyote tea and catching a shuttle flight down Main Street to “The Forge” saloon upon hearing that Henry Kissinger had received the same award back in ‘73. “Boy, they’ll never top this,” I mentioned at the time. It would seem that, every so often, the five members of the Norwegian Parliament charged with making the annual selection not only considerably lower the bar but remove it entirely. Not that Russian hacking would be a thumb on their scale or anything. But what if North Korean President Kim Jong-un were to keep repeating his recent “assurances” of abandoning his nuclear program in exchange for an official ending of the Korean War coupled with a non-aggression pact with the U.S.? I can just picture our esteemed leader standing in front of the mirror juggling the possibility of a Nobel Peace Prize against his overriding desire to smite that little squirt in Pyongyang. All while wondering, “How come he gets a parade and I don’t? Where’s the justice?” Wherever Kim and Trump choose to meet, whether in the Joint Sanctuary Area of the Korean DMZ, some “foodie” hangout in Indonesia recommended by Anthony Bourdain, or the Walk-In Cooler of the Timpanogos Tavern in Heber City, Utah, you just know Trump is going to be sporting a tie of more length and pigment than anything from Kim’s rack. Bourdain made the cut due to his recent episode of “Parts Unknown” from the heart of West Virginia coal country, or as he put it going in, “the heart of God, guns, Trump, and football — all of which I really don’t relate to in any way.” His exit interview was much more understanding It would seem that, every so often, the five members of the Norwegian Parliament charged with making the annual selection not only considerably lower the bar but remove it entirely.” of the mindset, however. He characterized it this way: “Here in the heart of every belief system I’ve ever mocked or fought against, I was welcomed with open arms by everyone. I found a place both heartbreaking and beautiful — a place that symbolizes and contains everything wrong and everything hopeful about America.” No “bout adout” it, it was some great TV. They weren’t afraid to get in his face and neither was he to return serve. Bourdain’s ending said it all: “Whatever your views, respect these people — what they do and what they’ve paid.” Amen! It’s easy for me to jump on board. Some of my best friends are Trump folks! Of course, some of my best friends also hate him! The fact that I identify more with the latter group, however, doesn’t make me love the former any less. John Prine, as usual, gets to the heart of the matter: “Cause you got gold, gold inside of you. Well I got some gold inside me too.” So here we are. Admittedly, there existed an uncomfortable layer of acknowledgment once Obama got his Peace Nobel, infinitesimal as it was. Due more than anything, I suppose, to the fact that my passion reaches its Nobel apex at the intersection of the Literature Prize and the fact that I am an Obama fan. Not to say I don’t keep in touch with the Medicine, Chemistry, Economics, and Physics laureates and the nuances of their collective work. It’s just that being somewhat of a “slow study,” my learning curve is less hyperbolic than I attempt to imply. The only upside I envision if Trump were to actually walk away with such an honor would be when the Scandinavian Royals-in-question attempted to mate a green laurel wreath with his prematurely orange headdress. Don’t you think that Donald might get just a bit fidgety up there in the same pantheon as Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Mother Teresa, and Elie Wiesel? You never know, Henry Kissinger might even stage a walkout. Jay Meehan is a culture junkie and has been an observer, participant, and chronicler of the Park City and Wasatch County social and political scenes for more than 40 years. red Card roberts By Amy Roberts Unleash the children Like everyone else in the state, I’m bracing myself for an onslaught of unsupervised, feral, free-roaming children — they’re poised to take over the streets of every town in Utah starting Tuesday. That’s when our “free-range parenting” law goes into effect, which essentially legalizes things like allowing your kids to play at a park or have a lemonade stand on the street corner; and generally permits parents to raise actual children instead of technology-addicted inanimate objects incapable of independent thought. It’s not often I agree with anything proposed by the Utah Legislature, much less applaud our lawmakers. But in this particular case, I believe they got it right. This new “free-range parenting” law essentially decriminalizes less-overbearing moms and dads, assuming their kids are not neglected at home. Under the law, neglect does not include “permitting a child, whose basic needs are met and who is of sufficient age and maturity to avoid harm or unreasonable risk of harm, to engage in independent activities.” The law does not compel parents to do anything differently, rather it hinders overly anxious busy-bodies from calling the police every time they see an unattended child riding a bike. In short, it gives parenting back to parents and childhood back to children. I realize we are not going back to the ‘60s (nor am I encouraging it). No one is suggesting we hand kids a few dollars and send them to the liquor store to buy their parents a bottle of vodka and some smokes. But it does seem like childhood should come with a few unsupervised skinned knees, and just enough freedom to have good stories to share as an adult. As it stands, I wonder how this current generation of kids will ever have a good drinking story that starts with, “That’s nothing! My parents used to let me...” I’m not exactly sure when the pendulum swung so far out of whack, landing with a heavy thunk towards worry-wart child raising. No doubt “helicopter” parenting is largely connected to technology in some regard. I’m not exactly sure when the pendulum swung so far out of whack, landing with a heavy thunk towards worry-wart child raising. No doubt ‘helicopter’ parenting is largely connected to technology in some regard.” Social media is a far more powerful tool than the back of a milk carton. But it has also warped our reality. It’s not that more kids are abducted now, but we are so inundated with the news when it does happen, we assume kidnapping numbers have skyrocketed, when in fact they haven’t changed in decades. And, thanks to that same technology and 24/7 news coverage, an abducted child is much more likely to be returned safely today than compared to even a decade ago. I don’t think the trend of helicopter parenting and the parallel rise of childhood anxiety, self-esteem issues and poor social skills are disassociated. Yes, I realize those of us without children make the best parents. But I don’t have to be a mother to understand that not allowing your children to make an independent decision is worse than restricting them to the four walls of their home unless accompanied by an adult. Constant supervision is detrimental and creates immature, anxious and depressed adults who lack of the confidence to make their own choices. It reminds me of something my dad used to tell me when he took me to the ice cream store and grew impatient when I struggled to pick a flavor. “Make a decision, kid. The road is paved with indecisive flat squirrels.” By that measure, I can’t help but wonder if this current generation will grow up to be roadkill. Maybe it’s the small-town safety we enjoy, or perhaps parents here never read the “How to Helicopter” guidebook, but for the most part, Park City kids already seem to have the free-range thing down. I often see kids taking the bus alone, or hanging out at the skate park unattended, or selling lemonade without an adult in sight. I’m glad to see it’s now legal. Amy Roberts is a freelance writer, longtime Park City resident and the proud owner of two rescued Dalmatians, Stanley and Willis. Follow her on Twitter @amycroberts. |