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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, September 16-18, 2020 A-7 The Park Record W Green Tips Park City’s great train fantasy When nature calls Vision for Main Street depot didn’t come to fruition HALEY LEBSACK AY WE WERE Recycle Utah We need to talk. We have a big problem with toilet paper, and we’re not talking about the panic hoarding from this spring. When nature calls and you’re in nature, are you leaving your evidence behind? According to Leave No Trace, proper disposal of human waste is important to avoid pollution of water sources, minimize the possibility of spreading disease and maximize the rate of decomposition. Being responsible in the outdoors isn’t just the sustainable thing to do, it is the polite thing, too. Bring the right stuff: Backpacker Magazine reports that it takes regular toilet paper one to three years to decompose and regular wet wipes can take up to 100 years! So, while you think those two squares you just left might not be a big deal now, imagine what that area will look like after thousands of people do the same thing. We recommend packing in a one-ply, unscented, biode- DAVID HAMPSHIRE Park City Museum researcher “Big Plans for Main Street,” The (Park City) Newspaper’s lead headline blared on March 2, 1977. Five area businessmen — three from Salt Lake and two from Park City — were proposing an ambitious project that included converting the old Union Pacific train depot and the abandoned Silver King Coalition ore-loading station into commercial space and installing a chairlift from that building to the top of the Payday run at Park City Resort. “Plans also call for the placement of antique railroad cars between the Coalition Building and the depot to serve as lodging,” the story continued. At that time the old train tracks east of Park Avenue still ran north from the depot toward the Union Pacific main line in Echo Canyon. The five businessmen were Wally Wright, Jack Sweeney, John Prince, Bill Coleman and Harry Reed. Wright had just converted a cluster of old brick streetcar barns in Salt Lake City into the Trolley Square shopping center. He was also a partner with Sweeney and Prince in a plan to bring the Alpine Slide to the Park City Resort. By June 1977, the city haad given the five developers the green light to begin work, and by September the first 11 railroad cars had arrived. “The anachronistic wailing of a locomotive whistle was heard in ... Park City Thursday as hotel rooms disguised as railroad cars were pushed into town,” The Newspaper (a short-lived rival to The Park PARK CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM, PARK RECORD COLLECTION Workers board up windows of an old Union Pacific car intended to be used for lodging, circa 1977-1979. Record) reported on Sept. 14. “Now sporting broken windows and abused exteriors, the rail relics are scheduled for facelift and internal operations which will transform them into comfortable hotel accommodations,” the story continued. “This frog-to-prince act is part of the Depot Project under way at the north end of Main Street. ... Plans call for an eventual 50 cars, most of which will contain two living units.” However, by November, Park City Councilwoman Eleanor Bennett said she had received “many, many” complaints about the condition of the cars stored in the depot area. Another year went by. In November 1978, Steve Lloyd, a resident of nearby Easy Street, wrote a letter to The Park Record urging the developers to get rid of “those hideous train cars. ... Either develop them now or move them out.” Finally, 10 months later, there were signs of progress. On Sept. 13, 1979, The Park Record reported that “a string of faithfully restored turn-ofthe-century railroad cars have replaced the Amtrak carriages which have sat for years on the tracks within the project area.” The following week, workers were using a tow truck and a front-end loader to pull four of the railroad cars about 100 yards to a new site next to the depot when three of the cars broke loose from the lead car. Instantly, they started to roll downhill. “Workers desperately tried to stop the moving cars by throwing debris onto the track,” The Park Record recounted on Sept. 20, “but it was useless. ‘There was no stopping them once they got moving,’ said one workman.” In The Newspaper that day, the lead headline smirked, “Rolling Stock Becomes Just That.” To be continued next week. Get all the latest Park Record updates. gradable toilet paper with you, and to NEVER use wet wipes. Your best option is to air dry or check out pee towels from brands like Kula or Wander Woman Gear. Pick a location: Get at least 200 feet away from water sources or trails. If you are leaving waste behind, you must dig a cathole, 6-8 inches deep and 4-6 inches in diameter. When finished, fill the hole up and cover with twigs or leaves. Pack it out: This might sound gross, but if you think about it, it is a lot less gross than seeing used TP on the trail. Simply fold the TP in half and place it in a zip lock bag until you get to a trash can. You will be surprised by how easy it really is. If you love the outdoors make sure you are doing your part to keep our wilderness beautiful for generations to come. Recycle Utah, your community nonprofit drop-off recycling center, provides these weekly tips. Visit its website for more information — recycleutah.org. New goals set for COVID response Utah is meeting targets for fatality rate, unemployment SOPHIA EPPOLITO Associated Press/Report for America SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has set new goals for fighting the coronavirus pandemic that include keeping the state’s fatality rate below 1% and maintaining an unemployment rate below 4.5%, state leaders said last week. Gov. Gary Herbert and other state leaders rolled out their new plan, which prioritizes both public health and boosting the state’s economy through the fall and winter. Utah is currently meeting its two primary targets with a death rate of 0.77% and a 4.5% unemployment rate, according to state data. State officials also unveiled an online dashboard that will be updated weekly to track whether the state is meeting its goals. Those new targets include controlling outbreaks, increasing mask compliance, restoring consumer confidence to pre-pandemic levels and reducing the number of weekly unemployment claims. “We have to do all of these different things both on the economic side and the health side,” Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Thursday. “That’s how we’re going to get through this pandemic together.” More than 56,000 cases of the virus have been reported according to state data. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Join Holy Cross Ministries in celebrating 25 years of building just, compassionate, sustainable and inclusive communities during its virtual Autumn Harvest Benefit from September 7th-18th. To learn more, visit hcmutah.org TO OUR INCREDIBLE SPONSORS WHO MAKE OUR WORK AND MISSION POSSIBLE! Enter to win $3,500 toward your holiday Gifts! Enter our Holiday Gifts Giveaway by September 28th for your chance to win! TO ENTER, VISIT: www.parkrecord.com/holidaygiveaway Jerry and Shari Seiner Charitable Fund |