OCR Text |
Show A-2 Wed/Thurs/Fri, February 20-22, 2019 The Park Record Continued from A-1 The Park Record. Serving Summit County since 1880 The Park Record, Park City’s No. 1 source for local news, opinion and advertising, is available for home delivery in Summit, Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis and Utah counties. Single copies are also available at 116 locations throughout Park City, Heber City, Summit County and Salt Lake City. SUBSCRIPTION RATES In Summit County (home delivery): $56 per year (includes Sunday editions of The Salt Lake Tribune) Outside Summit County (home delivery available in Wasatch, Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Utah counties; all other addresses will be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service): $80 per year To subscribe please call 435–649– 9014 or visit www.parkrecord.com and click the Subscribe link in the Reader Tools section of the toolbar at the bottom of the page. To report a missing paper, please call 801–204–6100. Same-day redelivery is possible if you call during the following hours: * Weekdays: 6:30–8 a.m. * Saturday: 7–8 a.m. * Sunday: 7–10:30 a.m. To request a vacation hold or change of address, please call 435–649–9014 or email: circulation@parkrecord.com Snowpack boosted mean water restrictions and a depletion of the state’s reservoirs, similar to what happened last year when Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency over the summer due to drought. The reservoirs, which were built to sustain the water supply in dry years, are still considerably low for this time of year. However, McInerney said the projections are showing there is a high likelihood that the water runoff will help fill a majority of the state’s reservoirs, excluding Lake Powell and Bear Lake. He said the Jordanelle Reservoir may also not end up fully replenished. A warming climate has been dominated by high-pressure weather systems, which have regularly produced dry winters with less frequent storms and precipitation, McInerney said. He highlighted the 2017-2018 winter, adding, “It was the driest year on record.” But, the weather pattern has remained active this winter due to low-pressure systems, allowing snow to stack up in the mountains, McInerney said. The forecasts indicate it will stay that way for at least the next Continued from A-1 THE NEWSROOM To contact the newsroom, please call 435–649–9014 or email editor@parkrecord.com For display advertising, please call a sales representative at 435–649– 9014 or email val@parkrecord.com To place a classified ad, please call 435–649–9014 or email classads@parkrecord.com For questions about your bill, please call 435–649–9014 or email accounts@parkrecord.com The Park Record online is available at www.parkrecord.com and contains all of the news and feature stories in the latest edition plus breaking news updates. The Record’s website also hosts interactive entertainment, restaurant and lodging listings and multimedia features. Contents of The Park Record are Copyrighted 2015, Wasatch Mountain News Media Co. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the managing editor or publisher. The Park Record (USPS 378-730) (ISSN 0745-9483) is published twice weekly by Wasatch Mountain News Media Co., 1670 Bonanza Drive, Park City, UT 84060. Periodicals postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah, 84199-9655 and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Park Record, P.O. Box 3688, Park City, UT84060. Entered as second-class matter, May 25, 1977, at the Post Office in Park City, Utah, 84060 under the Act of March 3, 1897. Subscription rates are: $56 within Summit county, $80 outside of Summit County, Utah. Subscriptions are transferable: $5 cancellation fee. Phone: 435–649–9014 Golfer signs with college as an individual at the Class 3A state championship. But he didn’t have the success he was expecting during his junior year and, like the previous season, went to that year’s state meet as an individual. But once again he shot a 150, tying for fourth overall. Following that performance, Wright recalled delivering an important message to his coach. “Murph, I’m ready for this,” he said. Murphy congratulated him on his success, but told him it would not necessarily translate to a designated spot on the varsity team — Wright would still need to put the work in and make his performance more consistent. With the specter of not making the state team again looming as a possibility, Wright committed himself to improvement. “That fueled every practice session,” Wright said. “I spent my whole summer working on my golf game, analyzing video and statistics. I really took that personally.” His efforts quickly began to pay off. In June, Wright earned a place as an alternate in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, a national USGA competition for juniors. Murphy said that achievement gave the Wright more confidence going into his senior season. “To be an alternate, to have a chance to play in the Junior AM, was really a turning point for him,” Mur- two weeks. “If we can do that and keep normal to above-average snowfall from here through the end of February, then we kind of have to shift our thinking from filling reservoirs to high peak flows in the springtime,” he said. McInerney said the current situation is somewhat reminiscent of 1983. He described it as an “average year that just kept going.” The water runoff ended up melting all at once and flooded areas across the state. He said that is an extreme example, but something that needs to be considered in years with adequate snowfall. Chris Crowley, Summit County’s emergency manager, said county officials are always “planning and looking ahead” for indications that flooding could be a threat. He said they follow guidance from forecasters at the National Weather Service. Troy Brosten, a hydrologist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, said temperatures need to continue to stay low so the snowpack doesn’t start to melt too early or all at once. If the weather pattern continues to produce storms every seven to 10 days through April, “that would be fantastic,” he said. “Things could still fall apart,” he added. “But, hopefully, once a pattern sets up like it has, it will keep going as long as a high-pressure system doesn’t come in and camp over the state. Those are Utah’s nemesis. Once that sets in, it pushes all the storms north and south of us. But, this year has been good. It’s been real consistent across the entire state.” phy said. “His strength is not just the time and effort he put into it, but the belief that he could compete at that level.” Then, in July, he won a Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour event in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “It was a really good feeling to have a trophy up there,” he said. The victory piqued the interest of collegiate coaches, who started contacting Murphy about Wright. Wright carried his momentum into the high school season, where he was the low shooter at the Region 11 meet, was named to the state team, and helped the Miners win an 11th straight state title, shooting a 152 at Birch Creek Golf Course. He was also named the Miners’ MVP for his leadership after recording the lowest score on the team over the season. “I would say this is my breakthrough,” he said of the season. His performance garnered the attention of Westmont, which Wright said is starting its golf program this fall. “I went out and visited there, and it was a really awesome,” he said. “It’s special place, with a course right near the ocean.” The team will play in the NAIA division, meaning Wright will be able to take advantage of the Southern California sun to play year-round. Encouraged by his success, Wright has set his sights on helping the team win two NAIA national championships. “I want to be part of a team, and try my best and use my leadership role and carry the winning streak that Park City has had over to college,” he said. While at Westmont, he plans to study business and economics, but ultimately he wants to go pro in golf. “I have a lot of love for the game of golf,” he said. “It’s kind of an ambitious goal, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t come true if I keep my work ethic up and study hard in school and keep my mind to the task.” Fax: 435–649–4942 Email: circulation@parkrecord.com Correction Published every Wednesday and Saturday The article “Athletes say slopestyle course not up to par” published in the Feb. 16-19 edition of The Park Record incorrectly identified Scotty James as the winner of the men’s freeski slopestyle competition. It was James Woods. Direct Importer of the World’s Finest Rugs A t t h e H i s t o r i c Vi l l a T h e a t r e 3092 So. Highland Dr., Salt Lake City (801)484-6364 888.445.RUGS (7847) Mon.-Sat. 10 am to 6 pm Sheriff’s Office says bill deserves red light Legislator proposes to allow drivers to run through stoplights ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON The Park Record Summit County law enforcement officials are cautiously watching a new bill in the Utah Legislature that would allow drivers to run red lights if there is no other traffic around. The bill, H.B. 151, would allow drivers to go through an intersection after coming to a complete stop for at least 90 seconds if there are no other vehicles approaching. Lt. Andrew Wright, of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, said the agency is concerned with the bill. Wright sits on the Summit County Legislative Committee. “I’ve heard people talk about it in general conversation that it doesn’t make sense to wait three minutes when you are the only vehicle on the roadway,” he said. “But, I really think there are other ways of addressing people sitting at a stoplight for a couple minutes at 2 a.m.” The measure would only allow people to run red lights in situations where they are waiting at an intersection on roads where the speed limit is 55 mph or lower. But, Wright said several other factors should be taken into consideration, such as speeding and impairment. Wright said drivers in Summit County often exceed the speed limit by 10 or even 15 mph, especially on S.R. 224, where the posted speed limit is 55 mph along certain stretches of the road. He said the possibility of impaired drivers utilizing the option to run red lights is also worrisome. “On S.R. 224 there are blind corners or inclined grades which can create a line-of-sight issue,” he said. “You also will be giving people the authority to calculate what, in their mind, is an appropriate 90-second timeframe. If you have someone that is impaired on a depressant, time moves slower. Or if Continued from A-1 No plastic, no problem In the absence of plastic bags, The Market at Park City offers paper bags at a cost to the customer of 10 cents per bag. He said the store distributes approximately 2,000 paper bags per day with the 10 cent fee. Prior to ban, the store typically distributed 3,000 plastic bags each day, he said. Paper bags are more expensive than plastic ones on the wholesale level, influencing the store to charge the 10 cents per bag fee to recoup the cost. The 10 cents per bag covers the cost to the store. “They’re not used to it yet. But they don’t care, either,” he said. Holm said the City Hall ban on plastic bags swayed a small number of people to carry reusable bags, normally made of cloth. Prior to the ban, perhaps 15 percent of customers arrived at the store with reusable bags, he estimated. Since the ban took effect, the figure has risen to an estimated 20 percent, according to Holm. The Park City Council enacted the ban on razor thin plastic bags as part someone is on a substance where it’s been five seconds, but it feels like it’s been 90.” Another point that makes the Sheriff’s Office leery whether emergency responders were taken into consideration. Emergency vehicles are allowed to proceed through intersections after dramatically lowering their speeds. “If we are running to a high-priority call and we are running lights, what if someone had been waiting there and decides to proceed before seeing us?” he said. “That is a whole other safety issue because the reality is we are authorized to travel well above the speed limit.” However, Wright said the ability to run red lights may present less of a safety hazard in rural areas, such as Kamas or Coalville, where the speeds are much lower and there is better visibility. But, he added, “So many factors can still come into play.” “I just feel like a lot of things can be done other than allowing people to run red lights,” he said. “If they are sitting there and the light doesn’t change, can’t something be done with the technology for better detection of motion?” Janna Young, Summit County’s deputy county manager, said in an email the county opposes the bill because there are “some intersections that we have that we don’t think would ever be safe for someone to run a red light.” “Even some that drivers can’t safely make that determination,” she wrote. Young said Wright will be working with Caroline Rodriguez, Summit County’s regional transportation planning director, on parameters county officials would like to see added to the bill as it moves forward. Last week, the House of Representatives Transportation Committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation, with a vote of 7-4. If it successfully passes out of the House, it will be introduced in the Senate. Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, is the bill’s sponsor. Ivory did not respond to multiple requests for comment. To track the bill, go to le.utah. gov/~2019/bills/static/HB0151.html. of City Hall’s broad environmental efforts. The plastic bags litter the community and end up in landfills, supporters of the ban argue. Some in the grocery industry remain concerned with costs as well as maintaining competitiveness in Park City since there is not a ban in surrounding Summit County. The Legislature in 2018 debated a bill similar to the one under consideration this year. The bill last year cleared the Senate but was unsuccessful in the House of Representatives. The piece of legislation would overturn the City Hall ban, as last year’s bill would have, and prohibit other local governments from enacting similar bans. Rep. Michael McKell, a Republican from Spanish Fork, is the sponsor of the legislation this year. There is concern at City Hall that the 2019 legislation has a better chance of passage than the bill in 2018. Rep. Tim Quinn, the Republican from Heber City whose district includes Park City, has said there are freshman legislators at the Statehouse and concern among the bill’s supporters about similar bans in other communities. Quinn opposes the bill but has said there is a better chance of passage in 2019. Holm said The Market at Park City would not return to plastic bags should the Legislature overturn the ban. He said people in Park City appreciate the ban “We’ll respect what’s right for our area,” he said. |