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Show A-8 Wed/Thurs/Fri, November 18-20, 2020 The Park Record Meetings and agendas Red CaRd RobeRts TO PUBLISH YOUR PUBLIC NOTICES AND AGENDAS, PLEASE EMAIL CLASSIFIEDS@PARKRECORD.COM By Amy Roberts When reality TV becomes reality PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Public Health Fee Schedule Summit County, Utah Public notice is hereby given that the Summit County Board of Health (“Board”) in accordance with UCA §26A-1-121, will conduct a public hearing to discuss and possibly take action regarding proposed changes to the Public Health Fee Schedule. The public hearing will be held: Monday, December 7, 2020 Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Via: ZOOM Summit County Health Department 650 Round Valley Drive, Park City, Utah 84060 The Board seeks comment by members of the public on its proposed changes to the Fee Schedule. For further information, please contact Derek Siddoway at the Summit County Health Department, 650 Round Valley Drive, Suite 100, Park City, Utah 84060; call at (435) 333-1503; or email at: dsiddoway@summitcounty.org. To view the proposed Fee Schedule, please visit: www.summitcountyhealth.org Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations during this meeting should notify the Summit County Health Department at (435) 333-1503 prior to the meeting. Biden may reverse Trump’s Utah monument reductions Such a move would draw ire of state’s Republican leaders BRIAN MAFFLY The Salt Lake Tribune SALT LAKE CITY — With Joe Biden’s capture of the White House comes the likelihood that Utah’s two big national monuments will be restored to their original boundaries, reopening yet another front in the West’s public lands wars. Just as President Donald Trump invoked the Antiquities Act to cut 2 million acres from the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase monuments, Biden — assuming last week’s election results survive recounts and legal challenges — will hold the power to restore the monuments designated by two Democratic predecessors, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Utah’s Republican leaders had hailed Trump’s move in 2017 to slash the monuments. Absent a repeal of the Antiquities Act, however, that victory may prove to be little more than a mirage since that landmark 1906 conservation law authorizes any future president to put those large monuments back on the map. Several American Indian tribes are asking the courts to reverse the order that reduced Bears Ears National Monument in San Juan County by 85%. During the 2020 campaign, Biden signaled he would do just that, while also prioritizing landscape conservation more broadly. “On Day 1, Biden will also begin building on the ObamaBiden Administration’s historic conservation efforts by issuing an executive order to conserve 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030, focusing on the most ecologically important lands and waters,” states the Biden campaign’s website. “His administration will work with tribal governments and Congress to protect sacred sites and public lands and waters with high conservation and cultural values.” This suggests even more Antiquities Act designations could be on the horizon for Utah and other Western states. Against the wishes of Utah’s GOP political leaders, then-President Bill Clinton designated the Grand Staircase monument in 1996. Twenty years later, President Barack Obama designated the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears at the request of five American Indian tribes with ancestral ties to the lands surrounding the monument’s namesake twin buttes rising above Cedar Mesa. In what was seen as a favor to then-Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Trump reduced these monuments to 1 million acres and 202,000 acres, respectively. Regarding the future of Bears Ears, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert urged the incoming administration to not act unilaterally. “We hope that in lieu of an executive order changing the status of the monument, a Biden administration would work with Utah and Congress to pursue a legislative resolution to Bears Ears that would give all stakeholders certainty about the size of the monument and provide actual law enforcement funding to protect the fragile antiquities it contains,” he said through spokeswoman Anna Lehnardt. The outgoing governor, whose tenure overlapped the entire Bears Ears political saga, stressed he hopes to see such an approach with both Utah monuments. The reenlargement of the Grand Staircase monument would upset commissioners in Garfield and Kane counties, but plenty of area businesses and residents would celebrate the move. “What we’ve been encouraging all along is to restore at the earliest possible moment the 1996 Clinton version of the monument,” said Scott Berry, board vice president for Grand Staircase Escalante Partners. “We think it’d be wonderful, and we’d be saying thank you to the new administration.” But Garfield County Commissioner Leland Pollock, one of the loudest proponents of monument reduction, said reverting to the old Staircase boundaries would invite trouble and upset what he believes is now a working balance. “What they really honestly need to do is not just talk to the radical folks from either side; talk to the middle,” said Pollock, who believes the monument is run better now even though it still covers a vast area. Regardless of who occupies the White House, no decision on the management of public lands can be final without the involvement of Congress, according to Rep. Chris Stewart, a Republican whose Utah district includes Grand Staircase. “Without congressional action, we run the risk of the boundaries being constantly changed, the management plans being incessantly rewritten, and perpetual uncertainty for everyone who cares about the management of the land,” said Stewart, who lobbied hard for the Staircase’s reduction. “That’s why I introduced the Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act, to make the current boundaries of the monuments permanent and, most importantly, to give Utahns a voice on how it will be managed.” This sentiment was echoed by Utah Rep. John Curtis, whose district includes Bears Ears, arguing that Biden would violate his promise to be a president to everyone if he enlarges that monument through executive action. “It’s also a continuation of the ‘pingponging’ back and forth with boundaries that is a symptom of misused presidential authority,” Curtis said. “For the last three years, I’ve worked hard to establish the trust needed with Native American tribes and local residents to bring long-term certainty to San Juan County through federal legislation.” Soon after taking office in 2017, Trump ordered a broad review of all big national monuments designated since 1996, but in the end he shrunk only the two in Utah. Several environmental, science and tribal groups, including Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners, filed lawsuits asking a federal judge to reverse the two orders, arguing the Antiquities Act does not authorize presidents to remove protections designated by a prior administration. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, based in Washington, D.C., has yet to rule in the consolidated monument lawsuits, where both sides have briefed their arguments. BOGO SPECIAL MASSAGE & FACIALS 2 FOR 1 AMAZING SPA & SALON FEATURES • • • • • Boutique Hair Salon Aveda Color Services Private Massage Rooms Ayurveda and Customized Facials Private couples room w soaking tubs Two weeks ago, it felt like we were all on an episode of Jerry Springer waiting to find out who the father was. With the exception of two Senate seats in Georgia and a handful of TBD seats in the House of Representatives, the outcome of this month’s election is finalized. And yet it still feels like we’re on some kind of trashy reality show. There’s a lot of screaming and drama. Allegiances have been formed. There are a few tears and there’s a lot of lying. None of this should be all that surprising considering Trump was a reality TV star. Given the last four years, it’s easy to wonder if we were all just unwitting characters in his show. For his series finale on Jan. 20, I wouldn’t be surprised if he throws a drink in someone’s face as he exits the White House. Though I’d rather see an out-of-control Mike Pence shout, “How dare you!” as he pulls off Trump’s weave. Ratings gold. Still, it would be difficult to top the past two weeks of chaos. Lawyers quitting, judges dismissing, conspiracy theories swirling. Not to mention a hastily assembled press conference in the parking lot of a landscaping company that neighbors a cremation center and porn shop. A fitting omen for what will happen next perhaps. Because something is definitely happening next. There will be more plot twists, more backstabbing, more insanity, more harm to the country, more embarrassment. It is with great certainty that we can confirm Trump has won the state of denial in a landslide. Much like actual reality TV, watching it all makes you feel a little better about your own life. Going through a divorce? Can’t find a job? Fighting with your neighbors? Yeah, that all sucks. But at least you’re not a delusional narcissist. One who ironically is also about to be unemployed, is unliked by his neighbors and is probably going to be divorced again soon. What amazes me the most about Trump’s insistence that he won the election isn’t the lack of proof, nor is it the speed in which these lawsuits are being dismissed because of the lack of evidence. It isn’t even the sheer number of people who believe him. That’s scary, but not surprising. The most surprising part is that no one in Trump’s camp seems to consider that Republicans picked up seats in the House and that Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham won reelection. If there had been a mass cheating effort by Democrats, not only would there be actual evidence of this effort, but Mitch and Lindsey would not be keeping their jobs. And Utah’s Burgess Owens would not have ousted Ben McAdams. If there had been a mass cheating effort by Democrats, not only would there be actual evidence of this effort, but Mitch and Lindsey would not be keeping their jobs. And Utah’s Burgess Owens would not have ousted Ben McAdams.” He did though, after garnering roughly 2,000 more votes than his opponent. Owens, whose campaign messaging skewed more towards representing Trump than representing Utah’s 4th District, has quite a bit in common with the outgoing president. He’s a frequent bankruptcy filer, owes millions in unpaid tax- es, thinks there’s something to the QAnon conspiracy theory, pledged to cut Social Security and Medicare, opposes insurance protections for those with pre-existing conditions, wants to dismantle the Department of Education and supports Trump’s plan to restart nuclear testing in Utah. And of course, anyone who disagrees with him hates America and isn’t a patriot. Because there’s no place for dissent in a democracy. Obviously. It was recently disclosed Owens also accepted more than $135,000 in campaign contributions over the legal donor limit. Maybe he forgot what the legal amount was due to the brain injury he claimed he suffered while playing in the NFL. In 2012 he joined a class-action lawsuit filed by former NFL players. He stated he suffered from memory loss, impulse control and other permanent damage due to repeated concussions. Despite these claims, when he was tested for brain injury symptoms, it was determined he had “no cognitive or physical issues.” I guess filing bogus lawsuits is just another thing he has in common with Trump. So voters in Utah’s 4th District will basically get two more years of Trump instead of Ben McAdams, who was one of just 20 members of Congress recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for his willingness to work across party lines for the greater good. There seems to be little hope Burgess Owens will aspire to do the same. But the good news is, those who love reckless absurdity can still get their dose of it with Owens. Bravo, Utah. Bravo! Amy Roberts is a freelance writer, longtime Park City resident and the proud owner of two rescued Dalmatians, Stanley and Willis. Follow her on Twitter @amycroberts. Great Salt Lake island to be preservation site, not homes Previous owners had contemplated building a prison AMY JOI O’DONOGHUE Deseret News HOOPER — The Great Salt Lake’s third-largest island, Fremont Island, was once the possible destination for thousands of new homes but will now be preserved in its natural state after being sold to an undisclosed nonprofit group. Land Advisors Organization’s Salt Lake City office announced the sale of the privately owned, 4,133-acre island on Thursday, a transaction that had been in the works for about a year, the Deseret News reported. Zach Hartman, who brokered the deal, said majority owner Gavin Dixon, of Bit Wealth, had initially contemplated a master-planned community with upward of 15,000 homes. After several trips to the island, however, Hartman said that sentiment started to fade. “It was one of the cooler islands I have been on,” said Hartman, who specializes in advising private equity investors, banks, financial institutions, developers, public entities and individual owners on either acquiring or disposing of Utah land. Hartman said the ultimate destiny for the island began to take shape after multiple trips to the hard-to-reach land mass, which is accessible via an exposed sandbar when the Great Salt Lake water level is lower than 4,194 feet in elevation. “The fun part is that we got to go out there and ask ourselves what we should do. I thought, ‘I’d like to live out here.’ Or maybe no one should come out here. We went through that iteration and we all decided the best course of action would be to go down the route where someone wanted to preserve it.” The island became part of Hooper, Weber County, when it incorporated in 2000, so any housing would have to be endorsed by town leaders. Hartman said the scale of the potential development, coupled with the island’s inaccessibility, made it difficult to envision as financially viable. In addition, the island’s rich history was a call for Hartman to leave it untouched. “It is impossible not to recognize it,” he said. “As you keep going out there, you realize there is enough traffic and enough housing everywhere else. It is good to have a little bit of peace.” Writer and historian Lynn Arave, a former reporter at the Deseret News, chronicled the history of the island in a 2009 story. He noted that legendary 19th century explorers John C. Fremont and Kit Carson visited the island in 1843, when Fremont dubbed it “Disappointment Island” for its barren nature. Reportedly, Carson was so bored he etched a cross in a rock, which exists to this day and is probably the oldest Catholic or Christian relic in Utah. In addition, grave robber Jean Baptiste was exiled to the island by Brigham Young in 1862 and his ultimate fate remains unknown. During multiple trips to Fremont Island with Hooper leaders, Hartman said the island’s natural beauty underscored the need for it to be preserved. “I have an interest in the land around the Great Salt Lake and its habitat.” The possibility of condos or other housing coming to Fremont was amplified in 2018 after it was sold by a family that had owned the island for decades. In Arave’s blog, “The Mystery of Utah History,” he wrote earlier this year that the new owners had aggressive plans to turn the island into a worldclass destination for people to come and learn about the Wild West. Previous owners had contemplated turning Fremont Island into Utah’s version of Alcatraz by siting a prison there, or at the very least turning it into a state park, like one of its sister islands, Antelope. Those plans failed to materialize. Dear Editor, ****OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 21,2020 OR UNTIL SUPPLIES LAST. CALL FOR DETAILS 435-315-9348 435-658-9411 201 Heber Ave Park City Main & SKY Hotel spa@puravidaonmain.com PuraVidaOnMain.com AVEDA SPA & SALON ON MAIN For more details please visit our website. www.parkrecord.com/writealetter |