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Show Viewpoints The A-15 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, October 31-November 3, 2020 editorial On Election Day — and maybe beyond — prepare to be patient O letters to the editor Support mental health nonprofit On Friday, Nov. 6, Live PC Give PC will be held again, marking the 10th anniversary of this community Day of Giving. I am on the organizing committee and I encourage all Parkites to participate. Please go to livepcgivepc. org/giving-events/pc20/home for more details. More specifically, I want to highlight a nonprofit of which I am a founding board member — Summit County Clubhouse. Since 2018, I have been committed to the creation and growth of Summit County Clubhouse. We are part of Clubhouse International, a global network of over 300 nonprofits built on the foundational philosophy that those recovering from mental illness are full partners in their recovery, not passive consumers. We welcome adults with a mental illness diagnosis to join as members to develop workplace and social skills and pursue educational goals as they re-integrate into the community. Summit County Clubhouse opened its doors in August 2019 at the Christian Center. Quickly, we moved to a larger space in Jeremy Ranch to accommodate more members and activities. Now, only 15 months after opening, we are moving into a larger, permanent home due to a tremendously generous donor. Contributions received during Live PC Give PC will be matched 100% and directly support every aspect of our operations and programming as well as allow continued free membership to all adults with a history of mental illness. If supporting mental health services in Summit County is of interest to you, I would ask you to include Summit County Clubhouse in your giving at summitcountyclubhouse.org/livepcgivepc-2020. Many thanks to all for participating in Live PC Give PC and considering a donation to Summit County Clubhouse. Stephen Spaulding Jeremy Ranch Home concept will spread I recently became aware of a company that is selling 1/8 shares of a home in my single-family neighborhood called Pacaso. A home that was listed at a price over $4 million showed up on the MLS at $673,000! I called the agent and learned that the property was put into an LLC and was being offered in 1/8 ownership. What a great idea, now the house is worth over $5 million! The ownership operates like an interval ownership similar to the Deer Valley Club. Owners sign up online for the times they wish to occupy the property. I contacted the city, met with the Planning Department, wrote and spoke to several members of City Council and I got the following response: “We can appreciate the concerns that this ownership model creates and the high likelihood of transient type occu- 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 Joseph Siemon Director of Digital Marketing .. Tina Wismer Digital Sales Executive ............... Erik Jones Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ......................... Louise Mohorn pancy, which would have similarities to a nightly rental. In coordination with multiple departments, we’ve researched this to identify any enforcement abilities. Unfortunately, in looking into the ownership structure, we were not able to identify anything that the City has the ability to enforce. An LLC may be owned by several people and own a property. In this case, they are not selling rental/use times. Any of the owners may use the property in coordination with the others. That said, as soon as rentals and times are offered for sale, the City can step in to enforce the nightly rental zoning prohibition or require a license (where allowed within the City). I’ve copied code enforcement on this email so that they can monitor as able.” This concept will definitely spread to Park Meadows, Thaynes and Aspen Springs and there is currently a Pacaso home in The Colony. This is not the kind of neighbor I or most of my neighbors desire. I believe that the city and the county should be looking into ways to regulate this concept. Ginny Schulman Park City Decisive inaction Governor Herbert’s decisive inaction on the COVID pandemic has effectively become a death sentence for many Utahns due to lack of adequate health facilities. Let’s see if he has the guts to choose which people live or die. Let’s see if he is brave enough to personally inform those families whose sick father or mother or child he has condemned to death. Nick Wright Canyons Village Your vote is your voice Voterise urges all Utahns to Vote in the election before the end of the day on Nov. 3. Your vote is your voice and the opportunity to make a difference on the local level as well as the national one. Voterise has registered many new voters among young and underrepresented groups in our Wasatch Front and Back. The Voterise mission, voter registration and turnout, are essential to our democracy. Live PC Give PC on Nov. 6 is another opportunity to make your voice heard in Park City. Please support Voterise as well as the many other worthy organizations on that day. Our work continues to register and get out the vote for the local, statewide and congressional races that make up the choices for Election Day 2021-2023. While commanding less attention, state, county and city elections have a great impact on our daily lives. Voterise’s work does not end with election 2020. The work of increasing voter participation in our elections continues to ensure a vital democracy. Join our effort by contributing on Nov. 6 during Live PC Give PC. Jill and Richard Sheinberg Voterise Support inclusive organization Founded in 1943, The United Jewish Federation of Utah is an inclusive volunteer-driven organization dedicated to preserving, enriching and caring for the Jewish community and Jewish communities around the world. The Federation does this with a network of local, national and international agencies to touch countless lives. Locally, the Federation provides financial grants to impactful and engaging programs and initiatives, including: • Providing 550 books each month on a variety of Jewish topics to Utah children, plus hosting hands-on programs for families. • Funding the Federation’s Anti-Semitism Task Force dedicated to counteracting hate and bigotry. It does this with the support of Jewish and non-Jewish religious leaders, elected officials and n Tuesday night, Parkites will join people around the country in huddling around TVs and anxiously refreshing Twitter feeds and news websites. After a contentious presidential campaign that has dragged on for more than a year, votes at last will be counted. But unlike in most presidential election years when media outlets can confidently declare a winner several hours after the polls close, responsible news consumers will understand that the result may very well be unclear on election night this year. In fact, experts say the probability of that happening is high. With record numbers of voters casting their ballots through the mail due to the coronavirus pandemic, it may take states several days — or even weeks — to finish counting votes. It’s possible that ballots tallied after Election Day may swing a battleground state — or even the election — from one candidate to the other. So what can Summit County residents do if there is uncertainty on election night and in the days that follow? Hang tight and turn to trusted news outlets for information. Election officials from both Republican and Democratic states are adamant that, despite what the president has community activists joined together. In 2019 the Task Force was instrumental in the historic passage of the Utah Hate Crimes Bill. • Hosting Talia Goldberg, the first year-round emissary from Israel. Talia serves as an educational and cultural resource for the Jewish community, especially interacting with young people. • Scholarships to encourage Jewish youth and teens to experience an overseas travel opportunity to Israel or other places filled with Jewish history, to attend summer sleep-away camps and to participate in local camps and religious experiences as well. • Funding for the BeeChais, an organization offering young adults opportunities to experience Jewish life in ways that are connecting, compelling, inspiring, fun and meaningful. • Providing women’s and men’s programming that presents fun and stimulating monthly events to nurture friendships and build community. • Funding senior care and safety net services, as well as early childhood development For further information about the Jewish Federation of Utah, visit shalomutah.org or contact 801-581-0102 or info@shalomutah.org. Please support the Federation during this year’s Live PC Give PC on Nov. 6. Joy Fisher United Jewish Federation of Utah development coordinator Give back to nonprofits This year marks Park City Community Foundation’s 10th year hosting Live PC Give PC on Nov. 6. This Day of Giving supports the many nonprofit organizations within Park City that improve the quality of life for all those that live and visit our community. Our local nonprofits provide and maintain the trails we hike and bike on, provide affordable housing, offer after-school programs, make health care and safety services accessible to all, provide open space and more. On Nov. 6, we have the opportunity to learn about these nonprofits, what they offer and what are the needs and passions of our community. We can then show our support by making gifts of any size to support the nonprofits that resonate with us. We can include our family members in this exercise and help them become aware of the resources available and how they can show their gratitude and support by making a gift as small as $5. Through this day of giving, Live PC Give PC creates a culture of giving. “Winners” aren’t defined by how much is given, or how much an organization receives in that day, but how many people choose to give. I was raised on the philosophy, “Where much is given, much is expected in return.” We all have different abilities to give, it’s not a matter of how much we give, but that we give. We are all blessed to either live in or visit such a beautiful place as Park City, which is enhanced by a community that supports one another. Please consider placing your vote of support for those nonprofits that matter most to you by giving on Nov. 6. For more information, visit livepcgivepc.org. Karen Marriott Park City Community Foundation and Peace House board member repeatedly claimed, votes counted after Tuesday will be valid. It will be a sign not of a rigged game but rather that the system is working — that every voter who submitted a legitimate ballot by their state’s deadline will have their voice heard. Of course, Utahns may be more prepared for such a scenario than people in other states by virtue of having participated in vote-by-mail elections for years now. It is a regular occurrence here for results in close races to be undecided for several days. For a high-profile example, one need only look at the 4th Congressional District contest in 2018 between Ben McAdams and Mia Love, which wasn’t determined until two weeks after the election. As they waited for all the votes to be tallied, the candidates did not claim that the drawn-out process was unfair. Rather, when it was all over, Love, who lost by fewer than 700 votes, conceded with dignity. If the presidential contest is close, we all should call for sanity and democracy to win out as they did following that congressional race. It’s unfortunate — though reasonable, given the circumstances — that we may not know on Tuesday who will be president for the next four years. Be aware of that going in. And be ready to exercise patience if Election Day extends into Election Week or beyond. An invaluable resource Connect Summit County’s “Part of Our Nature” campaign, highlighted during one of the last carfree Sundays on Park City’s Main Street, to talk about mental health, speaks to me. I most identify with their bluebird figure. I am generally an optimistic person, but even on the brightest days, it’s not always sunny for me. I am profoundly grateful that this unique nonprofit is in the community to create conversation around mental health. I became involved with Connect Summit County several years ago as a volunteer after our family was blindsided with the suicide of a close family member. We also had a young teen struggling with depression and anxiety. When another family member was given a bipolar diagnosis years later, thanks to Connect Summit County, we knew where to turn to find resources. For our family and many others, Connect has become an invaluable resource. I urge every community member to join in support of Connect Summit County at Live PC Give PC this year on Nov. 6 so other families like ours can continue the conversation around mental health and feel supported. Visit LivePCGivePC.org/organization/CONNECTSummitCounty to learn more. Natalie Herron Connect Summit County board chair Game over Do you think your Biden yard sign will make a difference in Utah? Game over and your vote for Biden doesn’t count because Utah is a “winner take all” state. Trump wins thanks to the virtues of a community supporting Trump’s psychotic tendencies, despicable character and lethal incompetence. Is it asking too much of the state to try critical thinking over Christian forgiveness and blind obedience? In the meantime, at best, your yard sign offers catharsis for the powerless and solidarity with your Biden-sign neighbors. However, if Utah joined the “National Popular Vote Pact” as 16 other states have, your vote would count. Keep in mind that Canada has strict travel and immigration rules if our worst nightmare becomes a rerun. Doug Vilnius Summit Park Vote, and vote smart In this election, we all must vote SMART. To me, this is Aimee Armer for Wasatch County Council. What is SMART? Smart development equals Strategic Management Around Rural Territory. As the Park City area begins to sprawl and Wasatch County continues to explode, these two communities will soon merge just like Dallas/ Fort Worth, or the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have. It will happen. Our only control is to help our government make SMART decisions as they approve new development projects. We do this by voting SMART. Project decisions must be made based on vision, not increasing its tax base as Wasatch currently operates. Already approved are “wild” development projects at the Jordanelle like MIDA and Skyridge, in which 20,000 new housing units are slated. Figure two autos per household equals 40,000 cars daily on the road, on the zipper, and into Park City where the jobs are. This will impact schools and utilities and affect our patience and tolerance significantly. SMART is about voting for representation that will stand up to developers, balance growth with current landowners and always cast an eye for sustaining our quality of life. In this election, the future of both Park City and Wasatch is at stake. Please do not vote straight party, whether red or blue. Ensure that your vote is counted for someone representing what you want and will be smart about decisions. Our future is depending on us be wise voters and vote SMART! I’m voting for Aimee Armer for Wasatch City Council and Meaghan Miller for State House District 54. Pat Vaughn Midway Election of our lifetime The best of intentions leave me combining two unrelated suggestions to vote into one letter. A) Please vote to renew the RAP tax. It has provided vital resources to the arts and recreation community for decades. As the founder of the Park City Institute, we relied on that support for decades for a variety of pieces of our arts organization. At first in 1998, it helped us provide a movie projector — which we had somehow forgotten to include — even though Sundance was in our facility the first year. As importantly, RAP helped us provide $5 tickets to our performances for the students of Summit County. And free student outreach with Master Classes from Alvin Ailey Dance Company to musician and composer John Baptiste. It is a tax mostly paid for by our guests. Please vote to allow it to continue making the arts vibrant in Summit County. B) If you can (and I can’t) vote for Thomas Cooke in Park City Board of Education District 2. Please write him in. He is an honest man who has served on the Summit County Planning Commission for two years and received the highest marks and endorsements from his peers. His daughter has been in Park City schools for all her years until now — when she is enrolled in a local charter school to further her ski career. What I find so very sad about this year’s school board elections is that there are no choices in any district except this one. Running unopposed doesn’t mean things are going well — it means folks don’t want to take on the commitment to serve. And just for the record — I admire them all for their work on behalf of this district. Politics — while making strange bedfellows — is also a mostly thankless job. Ask any politician. And finally — ignore my recommendations if you wish, save this one — VOTE. It is the election of our lifetime. Teri Orr Park Meadows |