OCR Text |
Show Viewpoints The A-15 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, June 27-30, 2020 editorial COVID-19 is surging in Utah, and our actions now are crucial T guest editorial It’s time non-residents pay for the privilege of using our trails JASON TRAVIS Snyderville Basin I was on the “Future of Our Trails” Zoom call on June 16. Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity to speak up as I wanted to hear what others had to say first. (Zoom calls can be a tricky public forum). Most of the solutions I heard presented on the call outside of paid parking (signage, more buses, overflow parking areas, building new trailhead parking), would seem to cost the local taxpayers money. I’ve lived here for 30-plus years and have noticed the increase in trail users. I’ve noticed more conflicts. I’ve noticed more summer/winter trail damage, overflow parking issues, more speeding in local neighborhoods by trail users, etc. I think about solutions quite often. I hear and see what Basin Rec and Mountain Trails Foundation have been doing to try and remedy the issues. These groups do a tremendous job and because of them, our trail systems are some of the best in the world. It is an undeniable draw to tourists and day visitors from all over. Recently we all enjoyed a Basin Rec tax increase. It is justifiable because Basin Rec needs the resources to deal with many of these overuse and overcrowding impacts. During the stay-at-home COVID response, all of these impacts reached a tipping point and we are still seeing it. The answer seems simple to me. How much would it cost to implement paid parking at all trailheads in Summit County? What is the cost of a window sticker or better yet, a transferable hangtag and a third-party monitoring company to issue tickets or call the occasional tow truck? No burden to the local police. Why not simply mail free hangtags to every taxpayer in Summit County (clearly the right thing to do as we all paid Basin Rec tax levies) and charge out-of-county users for an annual hangtag they could pick up at grocery stores or gas stations? Seems pretty simple so far. Now how about avoiding the elitist sentiment that might come from segregating the county vs. out-of-county users by having that hangtag be the same color for every user regardless of where they live? No one would be the wiser. How much revenue might this generate? Enough to pay for itself? Might it also encourage carpooling or riding a bike to the trailhead instead of driving? I heard mention of data saying that the average out-of-town trial user contributes $160-plus per visit to our local economy. $160 per user sound very suspect to me. I would like to see that data and see how they got it and from what source. I use our trails all the time and I can say with confidence that the users who come up from Salt Lake after work are usually not coming for anything more than a bike ride, hike or a dog walk. Unless it’s the weekend or it’s super hot in Salt Lake or they are on vacation. I think we are kidding ourselves if we think day trail users from Salt Lake contribute much, if anything, to our local economy, let alone our trail system. Is it a bad thing to start asking out-oftown users to start contributing to the costs of recreating here? Outside of local business owners, we as taxpayers are not seeing any benefit to the overuse of our trail systems. Walt Disney charges quite a lot for admission to its theme parks. I would rather ride my bike in Park City any day and I pay for it. I pay Basin Rec taxes and I contribute to Mountain Trails annually, yet my trail experience is declining because of not only the traffic but the damage to trails from all that traffic. I see no other way around it. We need to start asking for a little contribution from those outside the county. This window sticker/hangtag can be a badge of honor. “Proud owner of a Summit County trail parking pass.” hroughout the coronavirus pandemic, local officials have often repeated one important truth: Our actions in the spring and summer will determine what happens come winter. Abiding by the guidance of health experts, they’ve said, will give us a chance to keep the spread of the coronavirus at a manageable level and preserve ski season. By contrast, failing to do our part to keep COVID-19 at bay will imperil the winter tourism months and threaten to send our already-fragile economy into further tailspin. With case numbers spiraling out of control in Utah after the loosening of restrictions, and the top local health official warning that the situation in Summit County is also increasingly precarious, we’re at the point where the rubber meets the road. The time is now to do everything in our power to stay on top of the virus. The County Courthouse took significant action to help in that effort Thursday, asking for and receiving permission from the governor to require masks indoors in public and at community gatherings. As well as abiding by that mandate, residents should be vigilant about adhering to other health guidance like continuing to limit close contact with others, avoiding large gatherings and quarantining themselves and getting tested if they develop coronavirus symptoms. If everyone does their part, we stand a good chance of keeping the spread of the virus at a manageable level. But we’re also going to need some help. Our community is a prime destination for visitors, and while we have always relished the opportunity to share our home with others, the spirit of hospitality that has allowed Park City to flourish is, for the time being, a double-edged sword. As crucial as our actions now and in the coming months will be, we don’t entirely control our own fate. It is imperative that visitors, whether they’re coming to stroll Main Street on a car-free Sunday or to enjoy our many recreation opportunities, also take the coronavirus seriously. They must follow the same precautions to ensure they’re not unwittingly spreading the disease here and unraveling the hard-won progress we’ve made in containing it. After beginning the pandemic as the state’s first hot spot, we’ve collectively done a remarkable job stemming the tide up to this point. But with cases in Utah surging and local trends heading in the wrong direction, the outlook has seldom been more tenuous. It’s time to mask up, avoid taking unnecessary risks and make sure that, come November and the beginning of ski season, we’ve still got the coronavirus under control. guest editorial Stevens has skill set necessary to succeed Carson on the Summit County Council BILL WHITE Snyderville Basin As a local business owner, I support Malena Stevens for Summit County Council. Malena will replace Kim Carson for County Council Seat C, and it is important that we retain a council member with a similar skill set to Kim. I have had the opportunity to associate with many of the elected officials within Summit County, and I have learned that we have an attentive, hardworking group of people leading us. Over the years I have appreciated the perspective and understanding Kim Carson has brought to the County Council because of her experience in education and her focus on social services and community wellness. Her technical skills and approach have been colored by her concern for individual members of our community in addition to the collective whole. Summit County only thrives when everyone in the county is appreciated, included and valued. Kim Carson has brought this perspective to council for eight years, and Malena Stevens will continue that focus into the future. Malena has the experience, the education and the relationships to forward important, collaborative work in Summit County for vulnerable populations, small businesses and the community as a whole. Because Malena deeply understands the needs of the community, she can collaborate to better direct resources toward accomplishing Summit County’s collective goals. Malena doesn’t simply have budgeting experience; she has experience with government budget in the middle of crisis. She is an integral part of the police command staff budget team, where she analyzes and strategizes regarding current realities. Her ability to collaborate and act strategically to support the community is a skill we need in all council members over the next few years. Small businesses are turning toward government at all levels for support and intervention, and we need leaders who understand how government budgets operate so they can readjust money toward current critical needs. Malena has this knowledge and skill, which will allow her to quickly assimilate onto council and work collaboratively to address all of our needs. Because she also is a planning commissioner, Malena understands the impact of planning decisions and has been thoughtful in her approach to important decisions involving development within the Snyderville Basin. She is deeply concerned with retaining the quality of life for all residents of Summit County, and I know this dedication will continue when she is elected. Finally, we need to retain diversity of experience and skill sets on our County Council. We have many accomplished and skilled businessmen on our council right now, and I have had the pleasure of working with them over the years. They bring perspective from a variety of fields, and collectively their skill sets have been critical in moving forward the goals of the county. That being said, we also need councilmembers who have a different world view. Malena brings this through her skill set and as a young, professional woman. Summit County has long been a progressive county, focused on supporting vulnerable populations and encouraging diversity of thought. With five businessmen on our council, I fear that we will see less diversity of thought in council conversations. Leaders with different backgrounds lead in different ways. Malena has led from a place of service and compassion within this community for years. She approaches decision making in a collaborative fashion, which is how council decisions must be made. The council is a team, and we need all members of that team to be engaged, intelligent and passionate about serving this community. Malena Stevens is all of those things and will bring a needed perspective to our County Council over the next four years. Please join me in casting your vote for Malena Stevens! letters to the editor Stevens will make lasting impact After eight years of owning a house in Summit County, last summer I moved here full time and began to learn more about our local issues, constituents and leaders. After attending a Summit County Council breakfast, a Future Park City planning session, visiting numerous nonprofits in the area and volunteering at Sundance and Park City Film, a friend of mine asked if I would be willing to help with the Malena Stevens campaign. I read a bit about Malena, met her for breakfast and gladly joined her campaign effort. The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Alexander Cramer Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Engagement Editor............. Jeff Dempsey Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Distribution........................... Henry Knight ADVERTISING Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Lindsay Lane Director of Digital Marketing .. Tina Wismer Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ......................... Louise Mohorn Malena has the drive, talent and credentials to make a lasting impact on our County Council and our community. Her skills and background would bring a needed perspective to our council. There are many talented, driven, caring, kind and compassionate people in our community but very few at Malena’s level. The energy and dedication she has devoted to learning about our community, working with the Police Department and spending time with family is amazing. I can’t wait to see how that energy and thoughtfulness will translate to helping Summit County become the best version of itself for all people in our community. You have read many letters over the past weeks extolling the talents, skills and preparation of Malena to be a Summit County councilor. I want to add my support to these voices. I have had a ringside seat as she campaigns for this position and I can’t think of a person I would rather have represent me and the future of Summit County. Please join me in voting for Malena Stevens for Summit County Council. Barb Waugh Snyderville Basin A trail of respect We live in a wonderful place with great opportunities for outdoor recreation. To keep this recreation access safe and open for all of us, please continue to respect social distancing guidelines. Yes, singletrack trails are outdoors, there is wind, and where COVID is concerned it’s definitely safer to pass a stranger on a trail than to be close to someone indoors. As someone who is high risk, I’m admittedly tired of avoiding every other person and would love to have some respite and feel safe on our amazing trails. But on our rides recently I did not feel safe. We went late to avoid crowds. We had masks to pull up when quickly passing to protect others (and show respect when seeing others with masks). We planned to give a lot of space to anyone needing to pass. But what did we find? Multiple groups of people hanging out together, stopped at the trail base and trailhead and along the trail, hovering around intersections, in zero cases providing safe space to pass through with any semblance of distance. No one stepped back or offered space more than inches. One person even lectured me for taking my bike off-trail to get a wide enough berth while sitting on their bike with only inches of passing room. It’s great that most still followed normal trail etiquette (uphill traffic with right of way, allowing people to pass) but we need to take it a step further. In case you’ve forgotten there is still a pandemic going on, and our state is seeing rapid growth in cases even still. Easing restrictions doesn’t mean it’s over — it’s now on all of us to protect each other to the best of our ability to enable opening to continue. Please show respect and kindness to others; it doesn’t take much to be kind and safe while still enjoying your outing. spective is to silence those who oppose it. Be it your neighbor, your community or some individual or entity one has no direct engagement with, the shut-themdown attitude is all too often being used as the default. It is so wrong on so many fronts. At the same time, how many times do we see social media mobs descending viciously based on one report of a wrong, only to then learn the facts were misreported or flat out wrong. But too late. The attack was done and the attackers have moved on with little or no regret. Just brush the wrongly attacked off as incidental casualties ... a minor inconvenience. How does this play out in the long run? Look at your family, personal or business lives and imagine what happens when reason and dialogue are replaced by blind vitriol. What happens to society when discourse is diminished, or even blackballed as we are seeing all too often today. The cancel culture is a cultural cancer and it is metastasizing rapidly. The direction needs to change and it is up to each of us to do our part. To practice and to teach tolerance, patience, objectivity and reason. Failure to do so will not be pretty. Kimber Gabryszak Pinebrook Wearing a mask is respectful Cancel cancel culture It has been seven months since my beloved soulmate, Steve, passed away from a rare autoimmune lung disease. While my family and I mourn our loss every day, we are, in some small part, grateful that he did not have to suffer The non-stop, mind-numbing proliferation of social media has given rise to the cancel culture wherein far too many think the right way to drive their agenda or per- Jim Arnold Jeremy Ranch through this COVID-19 crisis. If he’d have still been manager of The Market Pharmacy, you can bet that he’d have worn a mask, and he would have graciously, but firmly, asked his customers to do the same. Wearing a mask is the kind and respectful thing to do. It protects those around you. I choose to wear a mask whenever I am away from my house, not only because I care deeply about my community, but because I know that Steve would have, lovingly, insisted upon it. Please, just wear a mask. It’s that simple. Jane M. Hamilton Park City Stevens will represent us all I write in support of the candidacy of Malena Stephens for County Council. There have been a number of such letters already. Rather than point to her positions, I suggest support for her based on three basic fundamentals: 1. She listens. She is not spending her time figuring out how to respond. Rather, she is actually hearing. She may not agree with you, but you will be heard. 2. She has the ability to change her mind — not capriciously, but in response to new information or changed circumstances. 3. She is swayed by facts. She is not an opinion in search of supporting facts. Malena will represent the people of Summit County, not just one faction or another. David Anderson Silver Creek |