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Show Viewpoints The A-15 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 26-29, 2020 editorial Don’t wait until tomorrow to learn warning signs of suicide W guest editorial Arts and culture is crucial, and voters must show their support JUDY HORWITZ Park City The reauthorization of the RAP Tax will be on the November ballot as Proposition 21. Every Summit County voter must become aware of Prop 21, be knowledgeable about the RAP Tax and understand the importance to Summit County. The RAP (recreation, arts, & parks) Tax is a 0.10% (one-tenth of a cent) local non-food sales-and-use tax, which residents of Summit County have levied on themselves to support nonprofit cultural and botanical organizations and to improve publicly owned recreational facilities and parks that are in or operate within Summit County. Actually, tourist spending accounts for over half of the money generated, while 100% of it is used directly for the benefit of Summit County residents. The money is split 50/50 between allocations for culture and allocations for recreation. This is not a new tax but a 10-year continuation of an old one. The RAP Tax was first initiated in 2000, renewed in 2010 and is up for reauthorization this year. With each election, a 10-year sunset has been placed on the tax, which means that the RAP Tax will expire at the end of 2020 unless the voters approve it again this year. I want to discuss the cultural part of RAP Tax. We in Summit County are blessed to have so many cultural institutions right here in our community. They entertain us, they educate us. The depth, breadth and quality of these organizations and their offerings is what makes Summit County an incredible place to call home, draws in visitors and distinguishes Summit County from other “recreational tourist areas.” How many areas of comparable size have 1) four different museums (art; snow sports and snow; environment and nature; local history and Smithsonian exhibits) 2) performance and/or music almost every day of the year 3) an arts festival 4) an international film festival 5) an art house cinema 6) an eco-center 7) an art center 8) a ballet academy of a renowned ballet company 9) access to a top symphony orchestra 10) a weekly summer market with music and performances 11) and a local public radio station. Even in good times, our cultural institutions operate on lean and mean budgets. Due to social distancing and gathering restrictions associated with COVID-19, they have been forced to cancel scheduled events and/or curtail their programming. With the absence of ticket sales and the decline in fees, these organizations are now losing income. At the same time, expenses are increasing as they conform to new health requirements and standards. RAP Tax money is allocated annually to applicants based on their needs and what they provide throughout the county. Traditionally, the cultural organizations looked to the RAP Tax for supplemental funding to expand their programming. Now, RAP Tax money has become a safety net so they can continue to operate. It should be noted that even under extreme stress, everyone of the cultural organizations who received 2020 RAP Tax funding developed creative ways to adapt and refocus their programming, so they can continue to serve our community in this upsetting time. The county should continue to invest in them. This unprecedented period has given us an opportunity to reflect on the value of the arts and cultural programming in Summit County and how much they are missed when they are cut or reduced. An additional penny paid on $10 spent is a small contribution to make, but a crucial source of funding for the cultural organizations that provide so much for Summit County. A “Yes” vote on Prop 21 “Reauthorization of the RAP/ Tax” is your pledge toward their future. hat are the warning signs of suicide? What should one do if someone they know is exhibiting them? Where can someone experiencing suicidal thoughts turn for help? For many people in our community, these questions are not merely hypothetical. It is likely most Summit County residents know someone who has committed suicide or attempted to commit suicide. And the risk of a friend or loved one becoming suicidal is ever-present as depression and mental illness are health issues that can affect anyone, regardless of wealth, social status or any other factor. That’s why every Summit County resident should know the answers to those questions. But for those who don’t, the next few days are a perfect time to learn. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and residents should mark the month by becoming prepared to take helpful action if they or someone in their lives becomes suicidal. Don’t wait until tomorrow because tomorrow could be too late. Utah has long had one of the nation’s highest suicide rates, and experts have also noted that many western mountain resort towns, in particular, struggle with the issue. The coronavirus pandemic has only heightened the urgency. On top of the despair that comes with losing a job, the death of a loved one or falling seriously ill — as well as the existential worry that accompanies such a frightening time — it just so happens that something that is harmful for our mental health is one of the best ways to avoid contracting the disease. Humans are not wired to be isolated. For many people, the lack of contact with others has been the most challenging aspect of the last six months. Since the early days of the pandemic, mental health advocates have worried about the toll it would take on mental health. The data thus far shows there was good cause for alarm: According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late June, 40% of American adults “reported struggling with mental health or substance use,” and 11% seriously considered suicide. It’s impossible to determine whether those numbers reflect the reality in Summit County, but if they do, that would mean hundreds of people here have considered suicide recently. Suicide is a danger that no community can run from. So we must become educated. You might save the life of a loved one — or maybe even your own. There are several suicide-prevention resources available. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts can call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. The National Alliance on Mental Health Utah offers a number of programs to help people who are struggling with depression. They can be found at namiut.org. Connect Summit County, a local nonprofit, also provides mental health resources at connectsummitcounty.org. guest editorial There are still unanswered questions about Black Lives Matter mural on Main Street RAY FREER Park City It just doesn’t seem plausible. No one on the Park City Council knew. Park City staff didn’t know. The Arts Council of Park City and Summit County must have known because it was the conduit of the funds but perhaps didn’t know its content and size. The Historic Park City Alliance, our local merchant association, didn’t know and was not consulted by anyone even though it was painted over the Fourth of July weekend, a weekend that typically is one of the busiest in terms of business. The Park City Police Department wasn’t made aware until 24 hours before it took place and had to close off Main Street in order for it to be done. What am I writing about? The Black Lives Matter mural on Main Street. What happened with this highly political act? Just for reference, the three Black Lives Matter co-founders, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tomite, are self-avowed “trained Marxists.” The City Council is thought to be non-partisan. Certainly members of the council are expected to have their individual political views, but as I understand it, those views are not supposed to be reflected in city actions dealing with city issues. The city has a policy of not requiring full council discussion and approval of funding of up to $25,000 by city staff. The city funneled $15,000 to the Park City Summit County Arts Council which was then used to fund the creation of the massive Black Lives Matter mural. We have absolutely great city staff. But it feels like the City Council has circled the wagons and is protecting one or more of its own. Somebody had to know. It is virtually inconceivable that some member of the council did not. The BLM folks had to go to someone to get approvals and funding. Who was it? The voting electorate deserves to know and understand. So, with respect to the Black Lives Matter mural, approvals were granted with lightning speed, and the city provided funds to promote an overtly political message on city property. It simply is implausible that somebody on the City Council wasn’t working directly with city staff in support of the BLM to get these approvals expeditiously. Contrast that with what happens with our three local Rotary clubs. They must go through time-consuming hoops and the permitting process to get approvals for events, and they must pay for the privilege to use city property. As I understand it, the intent of the fees charged to the Rotary clubs is to offset the cost of providing city services such as police oversight, emergency services that might be required and so on. The motivation of the Rotary clubs is to obtain funds for distribution to local not-for-profits as well as to generate interest and civic involvement with these same service groups. To add insult to injury with respect to the BLM, the city paid non-local people to make this happen. It all smells so fishy. Just so that there is no misunderstanding about my biases, I will never vote for Donald Trump, I am a social liberal, I recognize and deplore the systemic racism that I believe is present in our society. I am a long, long way from being a Trump conservative which, by the way, I consider to be an oxymoron. letters to the editor Continue crucial investment ADVERTISING Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Lindsay Lane Director of Digital Marketing .. Tina Wismer Digital Sales Executive ............... Erik Jones of that visitor tax base through a RAP tax assessed upon those who transiently recreate here, and then spread such lasting benefit to our permanent residents, is impressive. Trails of every kind are in constant and increasing demand. And the request for these types of projects is spreading into eastern Summit County. Our foundation has helped construct many miles of trails along the Weber River corridor and other areas in Kamas Valley, and RAP tax grants have been vital in realizing such projects. Trails are a simple and low-impact amenity that allows us to venture into the safety of the outdoors, to discover the wild and natural beauty beyond the confines of our infectious and stressing society. They further allow us to find the wilder side of our minds and spirits — often lost in noises of division surrounding us today. While we spend vast amounts of money to acquire or protect open spaces — it is easy to forget that an economical trail can become the sanctuary and classroom of such wonders. They are a corridor of learning and peace, which rewards us with physical, mental and emotional health. Such peace provides a cost-benefit ratio that is incalculable and lies far beyond any pixelated screen of our sedentary social media. Please continue this investment by spreading a moment of our visitor’s pleasure into a priceless long-lasting asset of health. Vote yes on Proposition 21 to reauthorize our valuable RAP Tax and be sure to return your ballot before Election Day, Nov. 3! Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ......................... Louise Mohorn Doug Evans South Summit Trails Foundation board We are privileged to live in a county that has one of the healthiest standards of living and lowest obesity rates in the country. We possess that distinction for many reasons, but not the least is our ability to work and exercise in the outdoors and effortlessly enjoy our immense open spaces. These types of amenities bring lasting health, not only to us but to our growing communities. Another gift Summit County possesses is a substantial tourism tax base, which provides amenities that many other small counties envy. The ability to capture even a tiny portion 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 Vote yes on Prop 21 For the last 20 years Summit County residents have been the beneficiaries of millions of dollars in a local, non-food, sales and use tax of 1/10th of 1 cent to fund recreation, arts and parks (RAP). Oakley City has been granted funding to help with our rodeo, cultural centers, art fairs, trails and recreational facilities. The vast majority of this tax is paid by visitors to the Park City area, but the funds created help improve the quality of life for all county residents. This is especially important to smaller municipalities that are impacted by the growth in Park City, but don’t necessarily benefit from the commerce created. Please vote YES on Proposition 21 and remember to mail your ballot in early! Tom Smart Oakley City Council A toxic situation This is an open letter to the Hideout Town Council and mayor. Although I personally oppose the annexation, there is a consideration that you are not taking into account that could be devastating to your town financially. I was a vice president with United Park City Mines Company for 10 years and am intimately familiar with the property that is being considered for annexation. As you are probably aware, the property known as Richardson Flat was used as a mine slurry repository since the early 1950s. The property contains lead, arsenic and zinc in concentrations high enough to have caused the EPA to pursue a Superfund listing back in the 1970s. The property is highly contaminated and it is possible the property surrounding the actual tailings site has been subject to contamination as well. The Richardson Flat property remains under the jurisdictional authority of the EPA and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. My assumption is that you are receiving your information regarding the potential environmental contamination of this property from the developers. Given the adjacent proximity of the proposed Superfund site, if the Town Council and mayor are not seeking third-party confirmation of the environmental contamination of the adjacent property, then they are being grossly negligent in their duties to the citizens of Hideout. It is absolutely essential that the EPA and the DEQ be consulted and opinions sought prior to this action being pursued. You could very well be saddling your town, forever, with an enormous clean-up liability that could easily run into tens of millions of dollars. If the desire is to pursue tax revenue, then the exact opposite effect could be realized. I doubt you would like Hideout to be known as the Superfund City. I suggest you had better be definitively certain that the developers would stand beside you and absorb any clean-up costs that may be incurred. Whether you choose to move forward or not, please consider contacting the government agencies and getting the real information that is required in order to move forward with a decision. Rory Murphy Prospector Hideout invasion Hideout plans to invade Park City and Summit County! We have long sought to protect the eastern entry into Park City and to never allow it to become an- other Kimball Junction. The land to the southeast of Quinn’s Junction, Richardson Flat, has been protected open space for decades. In the 1990s the Flagstaff negotiations were years long and resulted in United Park City Mines agreeing to never develop Richardson Flat. This is an important part of our community’s vision and planning. Hideout, a town in Wasatch County that has only 185 registered voters, wants to invade Summit County and annex the land in Richardson Flat and develop it against massive protest. The state Legislature, Utah League of Cities and Towns, Summit County, Wasatch County and Park City officials are all opposed to Hideout’s invasion. A judge even issued an injunction against them. Hideout continues this aggressive and unpopular move to invade us. Nate Brockbank and Josh Romney, Mitt’s son, greedy developers, politicians and powerful friends have convinced the Hideout Town Council that they must do this. One council member quit in protest, one voted no, and the other three voted yes. This handful of people convinced the Legislature that everyone in the area supported this land grab. Under influence from Hideout and its associates, the Legislature voted to allow cross-county annexation a few months ago. When the Legislature found out that they had been deceived, they repealed the law at a special session. It goes into effect Oct. 19. Hideout is trying to approve this quickly. Please attend the Hideout public Zoom meeting on Monday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. Meeting URL: zoom. us/j/4356594739. We have got to stop this invasion! Rich Wyman Prospector |