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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, December 19-21, 2018 W The Park Record AY WE WERE A Park City treasure from Down Under John Whitta, pictured front row, center, brought music into the lives of Parkites young and old in the early 20th century. DIANE KNISPEL Park City Museum director of education John Whitta was born in Australia on May 28, 1866. He lived a short time in both Nevada and California before coming to Utah. He first lived and worked in Castle Gate, which was a coal mining town and is now considered one of Utah’s ghost towns. Eventually, he settled in Park City, where he lived for fourteen years. John married Lucy Reese and they had four sons together named John, Will, Lester, and Albert. Whitta was a miner for many years until he came down with silicosis, a disease that affects the lungs. “Miner’s consump- Green Tips Resisting temptation as temperature drops MARY CLOSSER PARK CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM, FRASER BUCK COLLECTION tion,” as it is referred to colloquially, is caused by the dust of iron, coal, silicate, or other industrial particles that, when inhaled, settle in and cause damage to the lungs. Symptoms of this disease included shortness of breath, chronic cough, or chest pain. John quit mining on account of his health after his doctor told him he needed to stop breathing in the dust. John always loved music. He played a number of brass instruments as well as the violin. He founded the Park City Independent Band, the Park City Juvenile Band, and taught private lessons. He conducted the orchestras at Jefferson School and the Park City High School. He was also a member of the Park City Military Band. Although he had no academic degree, he became known around town as Professor Whitta. Despite having left mining, the damage to John’s lungs was permanent and his health continued to decline. On a doctor’s recommendation, he moved to Arizona in the hopes that a more moderate climate would do him good, but missed his life in Park City enough to return a short time later. In 1915, John became deathly ill from complications of miner’s consumption. Parkites organized a “testimonial concert” in recognition of his service to the town throughout the years and to help raise funds to support his family. The event was held at the Dew- ey Theater. The Park Record reported that, “the house was filled with friends and admirers of the gentleman, and every number rendered was heartily applauded and thoroughly enjoyed.” John was unfortunately too sick to attend, but the Mountain States Telephone Company set up a “special telephone service” connecting the Whitta home to the theater. A large megaphone was installed at the front of the stage so John and his family could hear the concert down the phone line. “Mr. Whitta heard distinctly every number rendered,” the Record stated. John truly appreciated the music and kindness of all of his many friends. Three days later, John passed away peacefully at his home. A-11 Recycle Utah Imagine this. Your thermostat goes to 67 vs. 70 during the day and 55 vs. 60 during the night – you throw on a sweater or an extra blanket. This simple action alone, among, many others, can save money and fossil fuels during our winter months. Not everyone can afford solar panels, electric vehicles and the latest appliances, but there are numerous low or no-cost energy actions we can implement for the good of our monthly power bills and community footprint. – Transition all bulbs to LED, including Christmas lights – Purchase a smart thermostat, dimmers, motion sensors and timers – Turn off lights when not in use and install smart strips (to avoid vampire power use) – Identify air leaks: caulk, seal and weather strip – Open shades during the warm day and close them at night – Make sure nothing is blocking heat vents and add rugs if the floors are cold – Ditch the extra fridge or freezer hanging out in the garage or basement – Maintain central heat ducts/service your furnace – Turn water heater down – Line dry clothing – do the clothes need to be washed in the first place? – Close the fireplace flue when not in use and add chimney insulation if appropriate – Close off spare bedrooms, including vents – Contact Dominion Energy’s ThermWise program for a $25 Home Energy Audit at 1-888-324-3221 – Join Summit Community Power Works (SCPW) Energy Challenge at scpwchallenge. org Recycle Utah, your community non-profit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit their website for more information – www. recycleutah.org. Cache to ditch tailpipe testing Associated Press LOGAN – Cache County officials say they’re ditching a system that determines whether vehicles are working properly based on tailpipe testing. The Cache County Council voted last week to rely on vehicles’ own diagnostic testing. A scanner can reveal whether vehicles are in good working order. The Herald-Journal in Logan reports that the change is expected in 2021. County attorney James Swink says tailpipe testing is expensive. And, he says, it doesn’t makes economic sense as older vehicles get replaced by newer ones that have the technology to monitor emissions. The council implemented an emissions and maintenance program in 2014 to improve air quality. New Equipment is expensive The Park Record’s “Help Wanted” section has the jobs you need to support your gear addiction |