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Show Viewpoints The A-27 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 1-4, 2018 editorial We’ve traded pickaxes for ski poles, but miner spirit remains T letters to the editor McPolin cows are healthy for land Editor: I applaud the city’s decision of regenerative agriculture on city lands. The choice of holistic management of city lands results in richly healthy soil microbiomes, management of the riparian areas, living roots in the ground at all times, organic fertilizer delivered without fossil fuels and the herd effect, which stimulates healthy plant growth two ways. One, by concentrating hoof action intensively for short periods of time, organic matter and fertilizer are massaged into the ground without tilling or diesel fuel, which results in more topsoil which, among other benefits creates an impressive drought proofing of the land as water can perk into this soil easily and the organic matter serves to hold the moisture instead of it running through the soil. Two, healthy plants need to be grazed to stimulate both healthy root and green growth. This is the same as human bodies do better stimulating contraction and extension of our vital organs. Yes, we can live without it, but we improve with the stimulation. Too much stimulation is unhealthy, not enough stimulation is unhealthy, so we are looking for just right — be it our bodies The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Angelique McNaughton Ben Ramsey Carolyn Webber Alder Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor............ Chris Samuels 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 Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production .......................... Patrick Schulz or our grazing. This holistic approach gets it just right by grazing for a short period of time with a long rest/recovery time. The city has taken a progressive step to care deeply about the long term health of our lands and actively manage them. So many political decisions are for the short term, it is a breath of fresh air to see progress for the long term. Allison Florance Park City One question: What were they thinking? Editor: What Were They Thinking? As the construction on Kilby Road nears completion, the logic behind some of the design aspects of the project escapes my limited vision. Hopefully it is just me ... and it all really does make sense. First is the park and ride ... just across the street from Ecker Hill Middle School. OK, let’s plan to have non-school related people attracted to a locale across the street from our adolescent children. Let’s add to the traffic there and add to the overall risk ... right there at the school. Seriously, does this really make sense? Next is the numerous turning lanes with attendant concrete medians which meander in and out of the lanes of traffic. Before, the drive was pretty much a straight line. Now it is anything but. Imagine how many cars will hit those 5-foot concrete curbs in the dark, in the snow or even in the daytime. Imagine the bent rims and flat tires and the accidents. And how will snow 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 o most Americans, the September holiday marking the role workers have played in forging our country is known as Labor Day. In Park City, of course, we have a different name for it: Miners Day, in honor of the silver miners who first trekked to our town in the 1880s in hopes of striking it rich. While Parkites long ago traded in their pickaxes for ski poles, our city’s mining heritage echoes through our history even today. As we gather in Old Town on Monday for the annual Miners Day festivities, take a moment to reflect on the people who persevered through boom and bust — and a catastrophic fire — to lay the groundwork for what Park City would eventually become. Most importantly, we should also recognize that their tenacious spirit is still alive and well. Though Park City’s silver mines are now relics of a bygone era, the success of our thriving town continues to be built on the shoulders of folks who share something in common with the miners of old: a sense of pride in the everyday task of rolling up one’s sleeves and putting in a hard day’s work. Park City’s status as a world-class skiing destination, plows clear the road? Or will snow just pile up against those curbs, further narrowing the lanes? It might have been more logical, more cost efficient and less dangerous to have simply put a full time turning lane down the middle. And snow removal would have been as it always was, fast and efficient. The work appears to have been well constructed. Kudos to the construction crews for managing this project. But the design and overall plans? Those beg the question: What were they thinking? Jim Arnold Park City Parkites must show homeless compassion Editor: It’s time Parkites realize there are people who happen to be homeless in Park City — like in other neighborhoods around the country. The problem with Park City is some citizens, and police, are trying to push them out of the area to prove the problem does not exist here. We have a responsibility to do our part to lend a helping hand besides food and clothing from religious institutions. What happened to the request for a shelter on church property near the blue roof? Temporary housing and services are necessary to help people move forward. Others just need a nice place to lay their head for a short while instead of sleeping on the ground, or in their car. Keep in mind, many people who are homeless have jobs but don’t make enough to afford housing. Most people who are homeless in our country are women and children. These people need our help. Let them sleep in their car on your street for a night or two. Leave them alone if they are camping out in our mountains before winter. Most of all, we need to create shelter while they are here. You have nothing to fear. Karen Brooks Park City and all of the benefits that come with it, is not perpetually assured. It’s a direct result of the contributions of countless people: lifties, merchants, servers, bellhops, repairmen and everyone else who fills the dozens of other jobs that enable our tourism economy to flourish. At the same time, though, the rising cost of living continues to make it difficult for many of those workers to stake their claim to their own slice of Park City. City and county officials have allotted significant resources to affordable housing initiatives and other measures designed to promote socioeconomic diversity, but there remains much work to be done. Though the problem is complex and lacks easy answers, there must be a continued push in the coming years from the local governments, along with partners in the private and nonprofit sectors, to find solutions. The threat is real. If we fail, the vision of our mining-era forebears — that prosperity in this small town was attainable by the sweat of one’s brow — will be extinguished. Such a fate, however, is not inevitable. And on this Miners Day, we renew our commitment to ensuring this most important legacy of our town’s founders remains intact for generations to come. Cows have no place on city-owned farm Editor: We would like to thank Lauren Lockey and David Swartz for the guest editorial, “Parkites have a beef with McPolin cows.” As Park City residents, we were dismayed to learn that city-owned land is being used to raise cattle based on the spectacular fallacy that cattle are somehow good for the environment. As Lauren and David point out, using city land to graze cattle is decidedly at odds with other Park City environmental initiatives — and with a growing population of Park City vegans. Many people in this town and the larger world have realized that beef is an inefficient, inhumane source of protein that is detrimental to human health. We would enjoy seeing cows grazing at McPolin Farm, too — if we didn’t have to think about them standing in line at the slaughterhouse and clogging the arteries of Park City diners. Liz Hecht and Val Stephens Park City A bus ride could have saved vacation Editor: I am sorry that the Osleger Family felt their vacation to Park City was ruined after they received a towing and impound fee for parking illegally on Sterling Drive in upper Deer Valley (Letters to the editor, Aug. 29-31). To be clear, this is a private road and the total financial responsibility for maintenance and repair rests solely on the many property owners that abut Sterling Drive. The signage is very clear that not only is it a private road, that violators will be towed. The fact that there were “15-20 cars already parked there” is immaterial. While I understand the parking can be problematic in the Silver Lake area (especially with an event going on), Sterling For the record Asked along the Poison Creek Trail Amy Merchen Park City “I think the Ikon Pass sounds really cool because it’s connected to a lot of cool places, but I just don’t go to Deer Valley because I don’t ski. Maybe in the future, though.” Leanne Norman Salt Lake City “I bought the Epic school pass (for my kids). I think it’s an dvantage to get them started younger. With the school pass, it allows them to get on the slopes a lot earlier.” Drive was never constructed to act as overflow parking. I have no idea who the “over zealous” person was who reported these violations, as I was riding in the National Ability Center’s Summit Challenge that day (a shameless plug for a wonderful event) but there are many property owners that pay for the maintenance cost of the street. There was a very simple option that the Oslegers didn’t avail themselves of that could have prevented this situation: they could have taken the wonderful free bus up to Silver Lake (#4 Orange). Catherine Morra Park City Food trucks should be welcomed Editor: Centuries ago the English crown protected the British East India Company’s interests to the extent that the two were indistinguishable. This cozy relationship eventually caused many acts of rebellion, one of which was the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Large business has always sought government protection from competing small business and now we have this story playing out locally as Summit County and Park City maintain hostile attitudes toward allowing food trucks here in Expensive Restaurant Paradise. Various restaurant conglomerates and associations have not held back in voicing objections to the councils, and the councils are listening. But it is the 21st century, not the 17th, and we know much better the benefits of encouraging small business and staving off the monopoly impulses of large business. I encourage Parkites who value diversity and opportunity to tell their elected servants, in no uncertain terms, to do what’s necessary to welcome food trucks, and soon. Tom Horton Park City Photos by Chris Samuels Which season pass are you purchasing this year and why? Isaac Cortes Park City “I’m getting the Epic Pass. I really enjoy going to the mountain and snowboarding, especially Park City and the Canyons. If you get the Epic Pass you can go to both now.” Madi Edwards Salt Lake City “I had an Epic Pass last year, but didn’t use it much. We didn’t love the snow last year. We’ll probably either get the Epic Pass or we’ve also talked about Brighton.” Preston Vesco Kamas “I use the Epic Pass. It works good for the family. We all ski together and it’s our day to be together. It’s close and we like being in Park City. For the price, being local, it works for us.” Rod & Sallie Rinderknecht Park City Sallie: I have an Epic Local pass because I tend not to ski when there are a lot of people in town. Rod: I have the Epic veteran’s pass. It’s convenient; it meets all of our needs.” See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and Instagram.com/parkrecord |