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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, October 10-12, 2018 The Park Record W AY WE WERE A Parkite’s letter makes a long journey MAHALA RUDDELL Park City Museum research coordinator By October 1919, World War I had officially been over for nearly a year and life, at least in the United States, was getting back to normal. For Park City merchant Hyrum Weisburg, however, a surprising reminder of the war was about to show up on his doorstep. Hyrum Weisburg had immigrated to the United States in 1907 and, shortly thereafter, settled in Utah. In 1909 he and his wife filed a Declaration of Intention with the Salt Lake City courts, the first step in the naturalization process. At the time, the path to US citizenship was two-fold. The first step was the Declaration, in which immigrants stated their intention to renounce allegiance to their prior country of citizenship. The second step came several years later when the individual returned to court, usually with witnesses, to present evidence of their active and engaged membership in the community. If all went well, the judge granted the applicants citizenship. The Weisburg family was naturalized in 1916. In 1917, they moved to Park City and in August of that year, Hyrum opened a gentlemen’s clothing store at 325 Main St. Golden Eagle, as it was called, quickly became popular with Parkites and just six months later, Hyrum expanded the store. Hyrum and his wife Rose were both from Galicia, a region in Eastern Europe then under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When war broke out, the region saw heavy fighting between Austria-Hungary, a Central Power, and the Russian Empire, part of the Allies. While many Americans are familiar with the trench warfare common on the Western Front, the characteristics of the Eastern Front were different. Power tended to shift more often and with more troop movement than in the west. In the early months of the war, Russia quickly gained control of the region, but only a short time later in 1915, Germany and Austria-Hungary had pushed Russian forces back. The shifts created chaos. Worried about his family, Hyrum sent a letter to his mother in 1914. As later reported in the Park Record, “the town in which [his family] lived had been completely destroyed by the ravages of war, and apparently the family scattered in all directions.” The letter was never answered. Two years later in 1916, Hyrum wrote four other letters and mailed them addressed to a rabbi in the hopes that he could locate his family. Those, too, were never acknowledged. In October 1919, all five letters reappeared in his post box right here in Park City. They’d never made it to their destinations. Happily, while his letters had traversed Europe and the United States over the course of five years, Hyrum had heard, though indi- Green Tips Paper towels and hand dryers: pros and cons MEGAN NICK Recycle Utah PARK CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM WILMA LARREMORE COLLECTION The Golden Eagle Clothing store, pictured here in March 1917, was located at 325 Main St. rectly, that his mother and “other loved ones” were alive. Hyrum, Rose, and their children only lived in Park City until 1920. Due to health problems and hoping to be closer to their relatives who lived here in the States, Hyrum sold his share of the Golden Eagle to his friend Morris Wolf and moved with his family to New York City. A-11 The question we’ve all been wondering, are paper towels or hand dryers better for the environment? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that clear. Paper towels and hand dryers both have their fair share of pros and cons. Paper towels are the clear winner for drying time and eliminating germs. But when it comes to the environment, the United States alone uses 6,500,000 tons of paper towels each year. To understand how wasteful this is, think about it like this: 17 trees and 20,000 gallons of water are used to produce just one ton of paper towels. This translates into over 11 million trees and 130 billion gallons of water per year, just on paper towels, yikes! Newer hand dryers, on the other hand, have a minimal impact on the environment compared to paper towels. They use fewer resources, avoid deforestation, and minimize carbon emissions. The downside, hand dryers take 45 seconds to completely dry hands and have been found to blow bathroom bacteria back on to your hands. But many studies have also shown that we are exposed to much worse bacteria from our cell phones, office desks, door knobs and restaurant menus. So bathroom bacteria may be the least of our worries. So how do you choose? Environmentalists, go for the hand dryer. But if the germ fear prevails, think about washing your hands, with soap, for the recommended time of at least 20 seconds. This way, you can be germ free and only use one paper towel, not two or four. Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – ww.recycleutah.org. On November 6, 2018 voters will have the opportunity to vote on three amendments to Utah’s State Constitution, one nonbinding opinion question, and three statewide initiatives. Go to VOTE.UTAH.GOV to find more information about these ballot questions, including an impartial analysis, arguments for and against the question, and fiscal analysis. You can read the full legal text of the three constitutional amendments and the nonbinding opinion question below. To read the full legal text of the initiatives, please visit VOTE.UTAH.GOV. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT A PROPOSAL TO AMEND UTAH CONSTITUTION -- ACTIVE MILITARY PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION 2017 General Session Utah Constitution Sections Affected: AMENDS: ARTICLE XIII, SECTION 3 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses voting in favor thereof: Section 1. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3, to read: Article XIII, Section 3. [Property tax exemptions.] (1) The following are exempt from property tax: (a) property owned by the State; (b) property owned by a public library; (c) property owned by a school district; (d) property owned by a political subdivision of the State, other than a school district, and located within the political subdivision; (e) property owned by a political subdivision of the State, other than a school district, and located outside the political subdivision unless the Legislature by statute authorizes the property tax on that property; (f) property owned by a nonprofit entity used exclusively for religious, charitable, or educational purposes; (g) places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit; (h) farm equipment and farm machinery as defined by statute; (i) water rights, reservoirs, pumping plants, ditches, canals, pipes, flumes, power plants, and transmission lines to the extent owned and used by an individual or corporation to irrigate land that is: (i) within the State; and (ii) owned by the individual or corporation, or by an individual member of the corporation; and (j) (i) if owned by a nonprofit entity and used within the State to irrigate land, provide domestic water, as defined by statute, or provide water to a public water supplier: (A) water rights; and (B) reservoirs, pumping plants, ditches, canals, pipes, flumes, and, as defined by statute, other water infrastructure; (ii) land occupied by a reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe that is exempt under Subsection (1)(j)(i)(B) if the land is owned by the nonprofit entity that owns the reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe; and (iii) land immediately adjacent to a reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe that is exempt under Subsection (1)(j)(i)(B) if the land is: (A) owned by the nonprofit entity that owns the adjacent reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe; and (B) reasonably necessary for the maintenance or for otherwise supporting the operation of the reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe. (2) (a) The Legislature may by statute exempt the following from property tax: (i) tangible personal property constituting inventory present in the State on January 1 and held for sale in the ordinary course of business; (ii) tangible personal property present in the State on January 1 and held for sale or processing and shipped to a final destination outside the State within 12 months; (iii) subject to Subsection (2)(b), property to the extent used to generate and deliver electrical power for pumping water to irrigate lands in the State; (iv) up to 45% of the fair market value of residential property, as defined by statute; (v) household furnishings, furniture, and equipment used exclusively by the owner of that property in maintaining the owner’s home; and (vi) tangible personal property that, if subject to property tax, would generate an inconsequential amount of revenue. 74 (b) The exemption under Subsection (2)(a)(iii) shall accrue to the benefit of the users of pumped water as provided by statute. (3) The following may be exempted from property tax as provided by statute: (a) property owned by a disabled person who, during military training or a military conflict, was disabled in the line of duty in the military service of the United States or the State; (b) property owned by the unmarried surviving spouse or the minor orphan of a person who: (i) is described in Subsection (3)(a); or (ii) during military training or a military conflict, was killed in action or died in the line of duty in the military service of the United States or the State; and (c) real property owned by a person in the military or the person’s spouse, or both, and used as the person’s primary residence, if the person serves under an order to federal active duty out of state for at least 200 days in a [calendar year or 200 consecutive days] continuous 365-day period. (4) The Legislature may by statute provide for the remission or abatement of the taxes of the poor. Section 2. Submittal to voters. The lieutenant governor is directed to submit this proposed amendment to the voters of the state at the next regular general election in the manner provided by law. Section 3. Contingent effective date. If the amendment proposed by this joint resolution is approved by a majority of those voting on it at the next regular general election, the amendment shall take effect on January 1, 2019. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT B PROPOSAL TO AMEND UTAH CONSTITUTION — PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS 2018 General Session Utah Constitution Sections Affected: AMENDS: ARTICLE XIII, SECTION 3 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses voting in favor thereof: Section 1. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article XIII, Section 3, to read: Article XIII, Section 3. [Property tax exemptions.] (1) The following are exempt from property tax: (a) property owned by the State; (b) property owned by a public library; (c) property owned by a school district; (d) property owned by a political subdivision of the State, other than a school district, and located within the political subdivision; (e) property owned by a political subdivision of the State, other than a school district, and located outside the political subdivision unless the Legislature by statute authorizes the property tax on that property; (f) property owned by a nonprofit entity used exclusively for religious, charitable, or educational purposes; (g) places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit; (h) farm equipment and farm machinery as defined by statute; (i) water rights, reservoirs, pumping plants, ditches, canals, pipes, flumes, power plants, and transmission lines to the extent owned and used by an individual or corporation to irrigate land that is: (i) within the State; and (ii) owned by the individual or corporation, or by an individual member of the corporation; and (j) (i) if owned by a nonprofit entity and used within the State to irrigate land, provide domestic water, as defined by statute, or provide water to a public water supplier: (A) water rights; and (B) reservoirs, pumping plants, ditches, canals, pipes, flumes, and, as defined by statute, other water infrastructure; (ii) land occupied by a reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe that is exempt under Subsection (1)(j)(i)(B) if the land is owned by the nonprofit entity that owns the reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe; and (iii) land immediately adjacent to a reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe that is exempt under Subsection (1)(j)(i)(B) if the land is: (A) owned by the nonprofit entity that owns the adjacent reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe; and (B) reasonably necessary for the maintenance or for otherwise supporting the operation of the reservoir, ditch, canal, or pipe. (2) (a) The Legislature may by statute exempt the following from property tax: (i) tangible personal property constituting inventory present in the State on January 1 and held for sale in the ordinary course of business; (ii) tangible personal property present in the State on January 1 and held for sale or processing and shipped to a final destination outside the State within 12 months; (iii) subject to Subsection (2)(b), property to the extent used to generate and deliver electrical power for pumping water to irrigate lands in the State; (iv) up to 45% of the fair market value of residential property, as defined by statute; (v) household furnishings, furniture, and equipment used exclusively by the owner of that property in maintaining the owner’s home; and (vi) tangible personal property that, if subject to property tax, would generate an inconsequential amount of revenue. (b) The exemption under Subsection (2)(a)(iii) shall accrue to the benefit of the users of pumped water as provided by statute. (3) The following may be exempted from property tax as provided by statute: (a) property owned by a disabled person who, during military training or a military conflict, was disabled in the line of duty in the military service of the United States or the State; (b) property owned by the unmarried surviving spouse or the minor orphan of a person who: (i) is described in Subsection (3)(a); or (ii) during military training or a military conflict, was killed in action or died in the line of duty in the military service of the United States or the State; [and] (c) real property owned by a person in the military or the person’s spouse, or both, and used as the person’s primary residence, if the person serves under an order to federal active duty out of state for at least 200 days in a calendar year or 200 consecutive days[.]; and (d) real property that the State or a local government entity, as defined by statute, leases from a private owner. (4) The Legislature may by statute provide for the remission or abatement of the taxes of the poor. Section 2. Submittal to voters. The lieutenant governor is directed to submit this proposed amendment to the voters of the state at the next regular general election in the manner provided by law. Section 3. Contingent effective date. If the amendment proposed by this joint resolution is approved by a majority of those voting on it at the next regular general election, the amendment shall take effect on January 1,2019. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT C PROPOSAL TO AMEND UTAH CONSTITUTION — SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE 2018 General Session Utah Constitution Sections Affected: AMENDS: ARTICLE VI, SECTION 2 ARTICLE VI, SECTION 16 ARTICLE VII, SECTION 7 ARTICLE XIII, SECTION 5 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each of the two houses voting in favor thereof: Section 1. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 2, to read: Article VI, Section 2. [Time and location of annual general sessions -- Location of sessions convened by the Governor or Legislature -Sessions convened by the Legislature.] (1) Annual general sessions of the Legislature shall be held at the seat of government and shall begin on the fourth Monday in January. (2) A session convened by the Governor under Article VII, Section 6 and a session convened by the Legislature under Subsection (3) shall be held at the seat of government, unless convening at the seat of government is not feasible due to epidemic, natural or human-caused disaster, enemy attack, or other public catastrophe. (3) (a) The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives shall by joint proclamation convene the Legislature into session if a poll conducted by the President and Speaker of their respective houses indicates that two-thirds of all members elected to each house are in favor of convening the Legislature into session because in their opinion a persistent fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency in the affairs of the State necessitates convening the Legislature into session. (b) The joint proclamation issued by the President and Speaker shall specify the business for which the Legislature is to be convened, and the Legislature may not transact any business other than that specified in the joint proclamation, except that the Legislature may provide for the expenses of the session and other matters incidental to the session. (c) The Legislature may not be convened into session under this Subsection (3) during the 30 calendar days immediately following the adjournment sine die of an annual general session of the Legislature. (d) In a session convened under this Subsection (3), the cumulative amount of appropriations that the Legislature makes may not exceed an amount equal to 1% of the total amount appropriated by the Legislature for the immediately preceding completed fiscal year. (e) Nothing in this Subsection (3) affects the Governor’s authority to convene the Legislature under Article VII, Section 6. Section 2. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 16, to read: Article VI, Section 16. [Duration of sessions.] [(1)] Except in cases of impeachment[,]: (1) no annual general session of the Legislature may exceed 45 calendar days, excluding federal holidays[.]; (2) [No] no session of the Legislature convened by the Governor under Article VII, Section 6 may exceed 30 calendar days[, except in cases of impeachment.]; and (3) no session of the Legislature convened by the Legislature under Article VI, Section 2, Subsection (3) may exceed 10 calendar days. Section 3. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 7, to read: Article VII, Section 7. [Adjournment of Legislature by Governor.] In case of a disagreement between the two houses of the Legislature at any special session convened by the Governor under Article VII, Section 6, with respect to the time of adjournment, the Governor shall have power to adjourn the Legislature to such time as the Governor may think proper if it is not beyond the time fixed for the convening of the next Legislature. Section 4. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article XIII, Section 5, to read: Article XIII, Section 5. [Use and amount of taxes and expenditures.] (1) (a) The Legislature shall provide by statute for an annual tax sufficient, with other revenues, to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the State for each fiscal year. (b) If the ordinary expenses of the State will exceed revenues for a fiscal year, the Governor shall: (i) reduce all State expenditures on a pro rata basis, except for expenditures for debt of the State; or (ii) convene the Legislature into session under Article VII, Section 6 to address the deficiency. (2) (a) For any fiscal year, the Legislature may not make an appropriation or authorize an expenditure if the State’s expenditure exceeds the total tax provided for by statute and applicable to the particular appropriation or expenditure. (b) Subsection (2)(a) does not apply to an appropriation or expenditure to suppress insurrection, defend the State, or assist in defending the United States in time of war. (3) For any debt of the State, the Legislature shall provide by statute for an annual tax sufficient to pay: (a) the annual interest; and (b) the principal within 20 years after the final passage of the statute creating the debt. (4) Except as provided in Article X, Section 5, Subsection (5)(a), the Legislature may not impose a tax for the purpose of a political subdivision of the State, but may by statute authorize political subdivisions of the State to assess and collect taxes for their own purposes. (5) All revenue from taxes on intangible property or from a tax on income shall be used to support the systems of public education and higher education as defined in Article X, Section 2. (6) Proceeds from fees, taxes, and other charges related to the operation of motor vehicles on public highways and proceeds from an excise tax on liquid motor fuel used to propel those motor vehicles shall be used for: (a) statutory refunds and adjustments and costs of collection and administration; (b) the construction, maintenance, and repair of State and local roads, including payment for property taken for or damaged by rights-of-way and for associated administrative costs; (c) driver education; (d) enforcement of state motor vehicle and traffic laws; and (e) the payment of the principal of and interest on any obligation of the State or a city or county, issued for any of the purposes set forth in Subsection (6) (b) and to which any of the fees, taxes, or other charges described in this Subsection (6) have been pledged, including any paid to the State or a city or county, as provided by statute. (7) Fees and taxes on tangible personal property imposed under Section 2, Subsection (6) of this article are not subject to Subsection (6) of this Section 5 and shall be distributed to the taxing districts in which the property is located in the same proportion as that in which the revenue collected from real property tax is distributed. (8) A political subdivision of the State may share its tax and other revenues with another political subdivision of the State as provided by statute. (9) Beginning July 1, 2016, the aggregate annual revenue from all severance taxes, as those taxes are defined by statute, except revenue that by statute is used for purposes related to any federally recognized Indian tribe, shall be deposited annually into the permanent State trust fund under Article XXII, Section 4, as follows: (a) 25% of the first $50,000,000 of aggregate annual revenue; (b) 50% of the next $50,000,000 of aggregate annual revenue; and (c) 75% of the aggregate annual revenue that exceeds $100,000,000. Section 5. Submittal to voters. The lieutenant governor is directed to submit this proposed amendment to the voters of the state at the next regular general election in the manner provided by law. Section 6. Contingent effective date. If the amendment proposed by this joint resolution is approved by a majority of those voting on it at the next regular general election, the amendment shall take effect on January 1, 2019. NONBINDING OPINION QUESTION 1 To provide additional funding for public education and local roads, should the state increase the state motor and special fuel tax rates by an equivalent of 10 cents per gallon? |