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Show Viewpoints The A-13 Park Record. Wed/Thurs/Fri, July 11-13, 2018 editorial Impact of the Women’s Giving Fund felt throughout Park City I guest editorial Keep the noise to yourself when you’re outdoors, please MARJORIE “SLIM” WOODRUFF Writers on the Range I try to be diplomatic, I really do. When I was cleaning up graffiti deposited by an embarrassed-looking family, and the father muttered, “Writing your name on the rocks is an irresistible impulse,” I did not give into my own irresistible impulse and whap him alongside the head with my water bottle. I smiled and said something about how a national park belongs to everyone, and it is up to everyone to care for it properly. When someone drops a tissue on the trail, I do not snatch it up and stuff it into her ear. I say sweetly, “Oh, miss, you seem to have dropped something.” Then I stand there holding it out until she shamefacedly turns around to claim it. However, the other day I was hiking uphill at the end of a long day. I had (politely) mentioned to three other people that their loud external speakers were (a) disturbing nesting birds; (b) banned in a wilderness area; and (c) grossing me out. A young lady walked past with her device blaring and I snapped, “Turn it up! I don’t think they can hear it at ThreeMile Resthouse!” My husband patted my arm and murmured, “I think someone is getting a little bit tired.” I remember the halcyon days when someone talking on a cellphone was irritating. Now it is speakers. Loud speakers. Blaring out “boom boomda boom boomda” all the way down the trail. The “considerate” ones have it turned to a volume that you only notice as 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 Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Office Manager ..................... Tiffany Piper Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Classifieds/Legals ............. Jennifer Lynch Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Chris Roberts Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production .......................... Patrick Schulz you’re passing or following. But too many seem to revel in how many echoes they can produce off neighboring cliffs. What, I wonder, happens when a rap person meets a pop aficionado on the trail? Do they face off with a battle of the speakers? The noises certainly do not cancel each other out. I would love to nail the speakers with a squirt bottle as they pass, but, alas, they are weatherproof. I suppose one could accidentally bump into the irritant, knock the speaker loose from its moorings and inadvertently drop a large rock on it, but that might seem suspicious. Drones are noisy as well as intrusive. We were sitting on the edge of an isolated cliff watching the birds fly by when a racket resembling a chainsaw intruded. A drone hovered overhead. The birds egressed. Fearless Leader clambered up the hill to inform the miscreants that drones are prohibited in national parks. The man said, “Oh, I didn’t know that.” The young son piped up, “Yeah, you did, Dad. We saw that sign back there!” The kid obviously missed the memo to not snitch on dad. Mom, nonplussed, demanded, “Why?” Fearless Leader was up to the challenge. “We were just watching flocks of birds whirling around. They are gone now. The Park Service regards natural quiet as a quality they wish to retain. An artificial sound, such as a drone, does not fit into that narrative. Then, too, if the battery fails or the wind shears, the drone can crash into the cliffs, which leaves plastic debris and hazardous chemicals.” Mom huffed off while the hikers in our group expressed awe. “That was magnificent,” one said. “I was tearing up.” “Of course,” I added, “it would have been more satisfying to bring the thing down with a BB gun and stomp on it.” “Agreed, but this was equally effective.” It is a matter of differences in philosophy. Those of us who listen to the susurration of the wind or the gentle gawks of the ravens will never understand anyone who needs tunes badly enough to drag them along. Those for whom silence is oppressive do not understand why some of us value that selfsame silence. There are individuals who hike to an isolated cliff top to watch birds careen by and clouds drift through. There are others who seek that same isolation so they may break the law to obtain a nifty picture to post on Facebook. What is really difficult to understand is their desire to — no, their insistence on — loudly sharing their choice of music. Ear buds are cheap: Use them. Maybe that is the answer: I shall invest in a bag of cheap ear buds. The next time I have to listen to “Baby Boy,” I can whip them out. “Obviously you cannot afford a pair of these, so take mine.” Dear me, that does sound a bit snarky. Maybe someone is getting a little tired. t has become a favorite summertime tradition in Park City. On Monday, members of the Park City Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Fund gathered at Deer Valley Resort to award a $33,000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah. It was the fourth straight year that the fund has given a large check to a local nonprofit that assists women or children, and the event has become something many Parkites look forward to. It’s not hard to see why when you consider how important the money is to the nonprofits and the effect it ultimately has on the surrounding community. The first recipient, PC Tots, won the grant when it was in its planning stages and used the funding to get off the ground. Three years later, the organization is flourishing, providing affordable child care for more than 100 children and proving invaluable for dozens of working families in Park City. The other two recipients, the Summit County Children’s Justice Center and Peace House, boast similar success stories. The Children’s Justice Center, for instance, used the money for a medical room at the Park City Hospital for children who’ve been abused. Peace House is putting the grant toward transitional housing units at a new campus in Round Valley for survivors of domestic abuse. All three of this year’s grant nominees — Holy Cross Ministries and Arts-Kids were also in the running — were sure bets to continue the legacy of using the money to make a big difference. But it will be exciting in the coming months to see how the grant helps Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah further its mission in Summit County. Already, the nonprofit has changed the lives of hundreds of youngsters in the area through its mentoring program. But the number of people volunteering to be “bigs” is perpetually smaller than the waitlist of children hoping to get paired with a mentor. The organization aims to use the money to change that. The power of the Women’s Giving Fund is not limited to the impact of the money it doles out, however. The fund also generates significant awareness for both the grant recipients and the other nominees each year. In a community flush with incredible nonprofits, all competing for donors and volunteers, exposure from the fund can prove critical. It’s also exciting to watch the fund foster a spirit of giving. The ever-growing list of members — more than 1,300 now — is impressive, but they’ve inspired others to adopt charitable causes, as well. One example is the youth-oriented Girl’s Giving Fund, which is modeled after the Women’s Giving Fund and also raises money for nonprofits. And the best part? The fund’s efforts are unlikely to end anytime soon. Members have built an endowment of more than $1.5 million, meaning there’s a steady stream of grant money coming in the future. Our nonprofits, and the communities they serve, are grateful. letters to the editor Grant shows power of women and girls Editor: When the women and girls of Park City join together, they’re an unstoppable force — and the Park City Community Foundation’s Women’s Giving Fund makes it possible. With a mission of supporting women and children in need, WGF awards high-impact grants to local organizations that are making a difference. With 1,300+ members and an endowment of $1.5 million and growing, the Women’s Giving Fund is more than a circle of philanthropists. It’s an entire community of women helping women. On July 9th, the fourth recipient of the Woman’s Giving Fund $33,000 endowment was announced. Congratulations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, the 2018 grant recipient. ArtsKids and Holy Cross Ministries were the other non-profit finalists with goals to better serve the women and children in our community. In the past three years grants have been endowed to the following non-profits: • $30,000 grant to PC Tots, to provide affordable daycare for families in the greater Park City area. PC Tots now has two centers offering quality, early education and childcare to 102 children, for up to 11 hours a day, 5 days a week, every week of the year. • $30,000 grant to Children’s Justice Center, to fund a medical room in Park City for children who experience abuse. Abused children now have a safe and more welcoming environment for their initial visit to the Justice Center. • $30,000 grant to Peace House, to support their transitional housing program for victims of domestic violence. Currently under construction, the new facility will offer transitional and emergency housing, and expanded support services in a safe, secure, comfortable environment. Women and children in Summit County need our continued support. The more our endowment grows, the larger our future grants can be. We always welcome new members; so please consider joining Women’s Giving Fund. http://parkcitycf.org/givewgf/. Mary Leader Women’s Giving Fund grants committee Consider donating a kidney Editor: Tom Clyde’s column on his niece receiving a kidney from a stranger may have given a misleading impression regarding donors recovery. As a 63 year-old donor, I was hospitalized for 2 nights and my remaining kidney is doing just fine 7 years later. My donation to a stranger started a chain that enabled several people to receive kidneys. For those who can please consider kidney donation, the gift of life. Moira Wright Midway The Park record Pulse Here’s a sampling of the conversation readers are having on our Facebook page. To visit the page, go to Facebook.com/parkrecord/. Already felt like it was a lose, lose for all of us. This just hurts me in the pocketbook to the tune of, well probably thousands!” Jeff Hilderbrand, on article titled “Aluminum, steel tariffs cause breweries to worry” This is why I hate motorcycles!!! So sad I’m glad he’s alive and seeming to be doing better!” Em Leslie, on article titled “Fundraiser organized for South Summit teen injured in motorcycle crash” Get out the beer vote,” Arbara Ames, on article titled “Aluminum, steel tariffs cause breweries to worry” (We) drove from Colorado to Utah today. We happened to see two of the more prominent wildfires in the states. Please don’t be that guy who plays with fireworks and starts the next one.” Jeffrey Kluge, on article titled “Open burns and personal fireworks banned in Summit County” The Park Record attained permission to publish these comments. |