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Show Viewpoints The A-9 Park Record. Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 12-14, 2019 editorial Take part in festival that will highlight Park City’s diversity G letters to the editor Eat your heart out for health care Press senators on climate Editor: To your health! A common and simple toast. Yet, access to quality health care would be impossible for many in our community if it were not for The People’s Health Clinic. As we celebrate the clinic’s 20th anniversary, we are inviting everyone to join us in supporting this important mission. Please come out on Saturday, June 15, to “Eat Your Heart Out” generously offered by Frank and Candy Dwyer and their partners at DBR. On that day, 10% of all sales at No Name Saloon, Butcher’s Chop House, Boneyard Saloon and Wine Dive will be donated to The People’s Health Clinic. We can’t thank them enough! Help them to help the Clinic to help those in need! Editor: Many of our local leaders are creating bold changes to honor the commitments the United States made through the Paris Climate Agreement. Currently, every city-owned building in Salt Lake City is scheduled to be on clean energy by 2020 and Salt Lake City’s goal is to be 100% renewable by 2030. As a Salt Lake resident, I believe honoring these commitments creates a pathway to a better quality of life and future opportunities through legislative actions such as H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. The Climate Action Now Act creates policies to help meet our carbon pollution reduction goals, through renewable energy, as well as holding polluters responsible for the waste they disperse into our environments. We need leaders, such as Sen. Mitt Romney, to support the Climate Action Now Act. Sen. Mike Lee, instead of wasting your constituents’ time by presenting ridiculous cartoons, you should spend your last days in office educating yourself about climate change. Join me in supporting a clean future for our children and future generations by contacting your senators and ask them to honor our commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement and to support the Climate Action Now Act. Karen Urankar People’s Health Clinic board chair Collective effort Editor: I had the honor of attending the Katz/Amsterdam Foundation convening in Boulder, Colorado, along with seven members of the Summit County Mental Wellness Alliance who represented CONNECT, The Christian Center of Park City, The Park City Community Foundation, Communities That Care and Jewish Family Services. We gathered together with dedicated public servants working on mental health in Vail Resorts communities across the world. This letter is meant to express my deep and sincere appreciation to Rob Katz and Elana Amsterdam for the opportunity to gather in Boulder for the first Katz/Amsterdam Foundation convening. It is an incredible blessing to be able to pour our hearts, minds and hands into work that is meaningful and makes a positive difference in the world. I left the convening feeling nourished and inspired to continue to expand the work towards community mental wellness through prevention in Summit County. Beyond that, I know that collectively, everyone in who was in Boulder is connected to each other and together we can have an exponential impact. There is much to be done, and we are doing it! The support you give financially, professionally and personally is changing and saving lives. Mary Christa Summit County Communities That Care coordinator The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Ben Ramsey Alexander Cramer Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor..Christopher Samuels Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Events Manager ................. Julie Bernhard Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ........................Chelsea Babbitt Maurena Grossman Salt Lake City Time is running short Editor: The Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures is not yet saved. Utah Open Lands still needs to raise an additional $1.3 million by June 30. I know that the past three years have been loaded with land preservation opportunities — Bonanza Flat, Treasure Hill, the Osguthorpe Farm, among others. That’s the way this business works; it goes in spurts. Let me remind you that none of this preservation happens without a willing landowner. Most of the land in and around Park City and Summit County will not be saved. It will be developed. When opportunity knocks with a willing landowner like the Armstrong family, we have the opportunity to preserve one of the most precious resources in our community — land. The potential density on Armstrong Snow Ranch Pastures is significant. Anyone who complains about local traffic should financially support the conservation of this parcel. Anyone who hikes or bikes our local trails should do their part in preserving this land forever. Now is our chance. Now is the time. Please join me in making a contribution to this worthy cause. Go to utahopenlands.org or call 801-4636156 to make your donation. Time is running short. Joe Cronley Park Meadows et ready for a good time, Parkites. The Christian Center of Park City is set to host its annual Latino Arts Festival on Friday and Saturday at the Library Field. Those who carve out time to attend will find a colorful and energetic celebration showcasing a range of Latin American cultures through music, dance, the visual arts and food. The festivities are a magnificent display of the diversity that makes our community what it is. And while the event is still in its relative infancy after starting four years ago, the support of the community could help turn it into one of Utah’s premiere celebrations of Latin culture. That would be a feather in the cap of Park City, as embracing the differences that weave together the fabric of our town is a point of pride. That’s been demonstrated in recent years by the continued push by elected leaders and others to back up the oft-repeated platitudes about the value of Latino residents with meaningful action. Notably, the Park City Council has elevated the broad ideal of social equity to a critical priority, alongside transportation, energy and housing, and hired the Park guest editorial Roadless rule must stay intact to protect forests from their biggest threat: humans DANTE GIACOBASSI Salt Lake City Utah has long been known for its pristine landscapes, endless recreation opportunities, stunning wildlife and natural diversity. For nearly two decades, a policy has been in effect that protects 58 million acres of National Forest across the country from having roads constructed in them, including four million acres of our own beautiful Utah forest. However, Gov. Herbert is proposing to lift this “Roadless Area Rule” for all Utah forests, saying that it will reduce the risk of wildfires and improve forest health. However, there is no evidence showing that a forest having roads will help decrease the fire activity. In fact, roads actually increase the threat of fire, given that humans are the leading cause of wildfires. What Herbert is proposing opens the door for logging, roadbuilding, industrial development like mining, and the removal of protections that keep these clean and beautiful Utah ecosystems unharmed. Keeping our four million acres of roadless forests undeveloped is important for reducing the risk of fires, maintaining our clean drinking water, preserving areas of recreation and protecting wildlife. Herbert’s office wrongly blames the national Roadless Rule for the significant acreage that burned in five large wildfires in 2018. And although Utah residents should rightfully be concerned about the risk of forest fire, most fires start and burn outside of Roadless Areas. Out of more than 21,000 fires that occurred in Utah between 2000 and 2015, 75 percent started outside of National Forest land (the land Herbert is targeting) and less than 10 percent originated in Roadless Areas. Nearly 90 percent of the acres burned in the last 15 years have been outside of Roadless Areas. Adding roads to these areas will increase human activity, which in turn would increase the risk of fire and the risk of damaging important ecosystems across the state. Though in some cases fires are caused naturally by lightning, an alarming number of wildfires are not. Unfortunately, humans cause almost 85 percent of the wildfires that burn in this nation. Whether from sparks coming off of a trailer chain, ATV misuse, unattended campfires, a blown tire, a thrown cigarette or just care- less grilling, these fires that threaten our homes are too often caused by our own doing, and are rarely far from a road. Roadless Areas in Utah also help protect critical drinking water resources for over a million Utahns. Building roads and logging in these areas threatens our water, especially since the roadless policy affects not only remote lands, but areas like the Cottonwood Canyons that border Salt Lake City. Another of Utah’s natural gifts is its wildlife. Roadless areas in Utah’s national forests provide pristine habitat for bears, elk, bighorn sheep, moose and countless other species. Keeping their habitat undisturbed helps to support a healthy hunting, fishing and wildlife tourism industry. Roadbuilding and logging would not only disrupt wildlife and their environment, but could introduce invasive plant species through out-of-area vehicles, which can often ruin a forest’s ecosystem. Protections that are currently in place are simple: Logging and road construction is not allowed. The Roadless Rule does not place any limits on recreation. Furthermore, this rule applies to National Forest land across the country, and by altering it Herbert would be undermining what has been recognized nationally as a workable, common-sense safeguard for America’s forests for nearly 20 years. If protecting communities from wildfire truly were the governor’s goal, there are already over 1.2 million acres of “environmentally reviewed public land” ready for “fuel reduction;” projects that would help protect fire-threatened communities. However, these projects lack funding and are currently being completed at a snail’s pace, if at all. We should focus our state’s efforts and money into the projects that maximize the protection of our communities, while doing the least amount of harm to the natural environment. Logging, roadbuilding, and lifting restrictions on four million acres of natural roadless area will accomplish neither the protection of our communities or our natural resources. Take it from a former firefighter. A Utah-based wildland firefighter for 5 years, Dante Giacobassi has fought fire in every western state except for Washington. 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/. I get that the Park Record like other local news offers guest editorial columns, and while I do agree with this author, I hope that the record is not going to open up their readership to flamewar debates. Please tell me this is at least the last in any further responses towards one another.” Tye Wesley Zaharia, on “Guest editorial: Reader’s editorial about abortion got a lot wrong about the ‘pro-life stance’” 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 City Community Foundation to identify a plan for identifying and addressing gaps that exist. Assisting Latino residents is not the effort’s only mission, but it is a primary focus, as Latinos make up the community’s largest minority group. The Latino Arts Festival is not directly tied to the social equity effort, but it aligns perfectly with its aim. The importance of providing Latinos with appropriate access to municipal resources and ensuring they can find a place to live in Park City’s expensive housing market is obvious. The value of the festival is more subtle: There is pride in being able to celebrate one’s culture in a public setting, and the rest of the community embracing the event is a signal that Latinos are wanted and welcome in Park City. This year, Parkites should show up to the festival en masse. In addition to being an entertaining way to spend a few hours this weekend, that would make sure our Latino friends and neighbors get the message about where they fit in the Park City community loud and clear. More information about the Latino Arts Festival can be found at ccofpc.org. Admission is free. Utah drivers can’t drive as is. Now roundabouts are being built. This is going to be interesting to watch.” Todd Ramey, on “Jeremy Ranch roundabout work to start June 10, close park and ride” I’m much more concerned about the speeding between 7/11 and the library on Park Ave. It is a residential neighborhood with children playing. Cars and city buses are regularly going over 30mph in a 25mph area. This is a major safety issue.” Mark Gonnerman, on “Sundance traffic in Park City ‘wiped out’ Old Town, resident tells elected officials” It’s amazing how people like to poke fun of someone who had a medical emergency. No one on here knows what happened nor does anyone comment about the driver gladly being ok.” Hillary Clark Howard, on “Pickup truck plows into McDonald’s in Kimball Junction” The Park Record attained permission to publish these comments. |