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Show C-1 B-1 AUTHOR’S MOVE INTO GAMES IS A WINNER RUNNER EYES A NOTRE DAME VICTORY MARCH WAY WE WERE, A-7 RESTAURANT GUIDE COLUMNS, A-8 THE OLDEST PROFESSION THRIVED IN PARK CITY Check out our restaurant guide on page B-6 for places to dine. Learn more at bit.ly/eatpc EVERYONE IS AN ‘EXPERT,’ AMY ROBERTS SAYS Park Record. The PA R K C I T Y, U TA H | W W W. PA R K R E C O R D . C O M Wed/Thurs/Fri, March 11-13, 2020 Serving Summit County since 1880 Vol. 140 | No. 11 $1.00 Coronavirus fears impact end of season Concerns about travel result in cancellations at some lodging properties as winter nears finish JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record PHOTOS BY HENRY KOSINSKI Right: Madison Hogg, 19, performs during the 2019 U.S. Nationals moguls competition at Waterville Resort in New Hampshire. Left: Kasey Hogg, 17, backflips during a NorAm Tour competition in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, last year. Ryan Kostecka The Park Record It was mid-January and Kasey Hogg was on the verge of accomplishing a dream she’s had ever since she can re remember. As a 17-year-old freestyle skier, the Parkite took home a third-place finish in dual moguls and a fourth-place finish in individual moguls at the U.S. selections competition in Steamboat Springs, Colo Colorado, securing her spot at the World Cup event at Deer Valley Resort in early February. The only thing that could’ve made the scenario even better was if her older sister, Madison, 19, could join her atop Champion Run at Deer Valley instead of waiting for her at the bottom of the hill. But Madison — one of the top youth skiers on the U.S. Freestyle NorAm Tour — had an off weekend during the U.S. selections and finished seventh in dual moguls and 10th in moguls. Despite being best friends in life who do nearly everything together, it appeared that the most exciting moment in Kasey’s life would have to come when she would be apart from Madison. In the end, though, luck intervened. On Jan. 27, Madison received a call from FIS officials, notifying her that she was invited to compete at the World Cup with her sister. The officials cited her previous skiing success as the reason for the invite. “It was crazy and such a good feeling to get that call,” Madison said. “I was so happy for Kasey, but then knowing that we would get to do it together made it so much more special. At the beginning of last summer, one of my long-term goals was to make a World Cup event, and it ended up becoming a short-term goal.” Likewise, Kasey was not only thrilled for her sister, but also excited that they would be able to compete at a prestigious event in their backyard. The opportunity to compete against the best moguls skiers in the world at Deer Valley was something that they would never forget. COURTESY OF SCOTT HOGG “It was pretty crazy because they usually have World Cups on TV, and I’ve always watched (the athletes) so being able to compete against them was pretty cool,” Kasey said. “I felt like we’ve seen all of them compete in TV so competing against them in person was pretty cool, especially at that level of competition.” Although neither of the sisters made it the finals of the moguls or dual moguls at Deer Valley, they were each able to show showcase their talent. Madison outdueled her sister and took home a 17th-place finish in dual moguls, while Kasey got the bet better of her sister and took home 19th in moguls. “I feel like we’ve gotten to this top level just because we have truly have fun skiing, especially doing it togeth together,” Madison said. “A lot of other kids don’t have siblings — we know a couple that do — but it makes it a lot more fun and easier to go com compete and travel so much when you have someone with you. We are best friends and do pretty much everything together.” Apart from competing in the World Cup, the pair has dominated the NorAm tour — which is widely considered the stepping stone or prelude to the World Cup tour. Madison recently took home the 2020 NorAm season championship, while Kasey finished second, qualifying them to compete in the World Cup finals in Sweden on Saturday. They’ve racked up 17 combined podi podium finishes in the last two seasons alone — including four gold medals. Madi Madison was the 2019 U.S. junior nation national champion while Kasey is currently ranked 27th in the world in moguls in the current FIS standings. oth “I feel like we just push each other to be better, not just in skiing but also in life and in everything that we do,” Kasey said. “If she feels good, I’m extremely happy for her and vice Please see Sister act, A-5 There is still roughly a month left in the ski season in Park City, leaving time for bookings for a late-season trip. But at the lodging firm Identity Properties, prospective clients have shown little interest in the remaining weeks of the ski season. As the novel coronavirus spreads, it appears there will be impacts on the tourism numbers toward the end of the ski season. “My phones are quiet, and the internet is quiet,” said Rob Slettom, the president and owner of Identity Properties, in an interview on Monday, adding, “It’s very slow.” He said the firm during the beginning of March typically receives bookings for late March and early April, many of them last-minute decisions by the travelers. Instead, Slettom said, there have been two recent reservation cancellations. The deposits were not refundable since the cancellations were so close to the planned arrival date. Slettom said the deposits were carried forward to the next ski season. “They were just nervous about the travel,” he said. Slettom said the March bookings, overall, are “still holding fairly well.” The April numbers are weak, he said, but he explained April is not a strong month for bookings anyway as the ski season ends. “So far it hasn’t been too dramatic,” he said. The spread of the coronavirus and the convulsions in the financial markets blamed on the illness are unfolding late in the ski season, meaning the damage to Park City-area businesses will likely be limited. The final weeks of March are important as spring-break trips continue, but business in April usually drops sharply. It is likely the impacts on the Park City economy would have been more pronounced had the concerns about the coronavirus been as widespread in December and January, a period that covered the holidays and the Sundance Film Festival, as they are now. Another industry firm, Park City Lodging, said there had been one cancellation by early in the week. The person recently traveled overseas and was sick with the flu, the owner and president of Park City Lodging, Rhonda Sideris, said. Sideris said the firm has instituted a new policy regarding cancellations that allows someone to receive a full refund on a booking if they are diagnosed with the coronavirus and have documentation from a health care provider. Refunds are usually not allowed within 45 days of an arrival date. She also said Park City Lodging will allow someone with a reservation to rebook the same unit for another time of year Please see Season end, A-2 ‘Manhattan-style’ design of PCMR plans concerning Residents log worries during early look at base area proposal JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record A Provo firm that plans to acquire the Park City Mountain Resort parking lots for a major development presented the blueprints to the public for the first time on Monday evening, drawing an inquisitive crowd that included some with early concerns about the proposal. It was an important gathering and the first of three open houses designed to introduce the concept crafted by PEG Companies for the PCMR lots. Up to 60 people attended the event, held at the Hyatt Place on S.R. 224, poring over visuals and talking to members of the project team. The visuals were the first presented in a 3 sections • 28 pages Classifieds .............................. C-7 Events Calendar ..................... C-6 Restaurant Guide.................... B-6 Scoreboard ............................. B-5 public setting. They were not detailed renderings like the ones that could emerge later, but they provided at least an initial visual aid as people begin to learn about what is expected to be one of the largest projects left to be built within the Park City limits. Representatives from PEG Companies spoke briefly before spending most of the time talking individually with people in the crowd or with small groups of people. It was not clear how detailed the discussions became as the crowd learned of the concept. It seems likely the talks will be much more detailed once PEG Companies launches the formal discussions with the Park City Planning Commission. Still, though, some of the people at the event said in interviews they have initial concerns about the concepts for the lots. The talks with the Planning Commission will likely draw intense interest from people who live nearby or have properties in the vicinity of PCMR, such as those on Lowell Avenue and Empire Avenue. Nancy Lazenby, who lives on Empire Avenue close to PCMR, attended on Monday as she started to learn about the concepts. She has lived in Park City since 2005 and owned the residence on Empire Avenue since 2012. Lazenby expressed initial concern about the project, including the possibility of tall buildings at the PCMR base. She said tall buildings would contrast with the smaller ones of Old Town. “What they’re proposing is creating a Manhattan-style, eight-story building,” she said, adding, “What they’re proposing doesn’t fit.” Lazenby said she prefers the developers pursue a project with buildings rising to a maximum of four stories. She sees the PCMR lots as the “last piece” of Old Town. “It’s going to get developed, and it should ... but it has to be done right,” Lazenby said. Please see Plans, A-5 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD People who attended an open house on Monday evening pored over visuals as they learned about a Provo developer’s concept for a major project on the Park City Mountain Resort parking lots. The concept drew early concerns as PEG Companies prepares for formal talks with the Park City Planning Commission. VISITOR GUIDE Nonprofit will raise funds at a Backcountry Bow Wow The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association will host its sixth annual Backcountry Bow Wow fundraiser for Wasatch Backcountry Rescue from 7-11 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, at O.P. Rockwell. For information and registration, visit https://bit.ly/3aG2oET. |