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Letters to the Editor

Soccer parents: Step up to the plate

Editor:

I hope soccer parents saw the announcement for a referee-training course November 26-29. One correction: center referees get paid $30 per game, not $20. However, very few referees work youth games for the money but because they recognize that without referees there would be no games.

That the ad is in both Spanish and English highlights a major problem with Park City soccer. The Extreme clubs don’t need to advertise to players’ families they could e-mail them cheaper and more reliably. Instead, it’s another example of Park City residents preferring to contract out physical work rather than doing it themselves.

I have been involved in Park City youth soccer as a coach and referee since 1991. Ten years ago, all teams were coached by parents and we also had more than 20 adult referees among parents and adult players. Today, all the Extreme and Black Diamond coaches are paid but none referee. Of the parents of the 300 or so players, I can only think of one Extreme parent who referees, although a handful of the players are assistant referees. I don’t recall any Black Diamond coach, parent, or player ever refereeing.

Parents and coaches are quick to complain when they don’t get a full complement of officials. It’s time they recognize that the only solution is for some of them — and their coaches — to set a good example to the players by becoming referees and thereby putting something more than money back into the game.

Frank Fish

Park City

Parkites are giving hunger the bird

Editor:

The 6th Annual Turkey Drive provided 1,900 turkeys and hundreds of pounds of non-perishable foods to families in Park City and to the Utah Food Bank for statewide distribution.

With heartfelt thanks to Mike Holmes and his staff at the Market at Park City for their annual support of this event. Without Mike’s contribution of pallets and pallets of turkeys and the support of his dedicated staff, these turkey drives would not enjoy the success they have over the past years.

To the members of the Park City Board of Realtors, you have again shown your generosity and commitment to the community by reaching into your pockets and supporting this worthwhile event. We are humbled by your support. Brian Lake, Jana Jacobsen, Rebecca Bruno and Debbie Voss, you have helped us take this turkey drive to a new level.

Special thanks to Andrew Wood, Adam Laufer and the members of the Park City High School Interact Club under the direction of Mr. Bernard Rozzotto. Collectively they gathered hundreds and hundreds of pounds of non-perishable foods from the community in support of the Turkey Drive. Every year, we are more amazed what the Interact Club contributes to the drive.

And to the community at large that donated money, turkeys and food, we thank you from the bottom or our hearts. Your outpouring of kindness and generosity speaks to the wonderful community in which we all live.

The Park City Turkey Drive is a two-day annual event that is completely volunteer driven and 100% of every penny donated goes to providing a Thanksgiving turkey and food to families in need both locally and throughout Utah. We look forward to next year’s Turkey Drive and remember, "Let’s Give

Hunger the Bird."

With sincere gratitude and appreciation,

Deb Hartley and

Doug Tulloch

Park City Turkey Drive organizers

Holocaust victim had it wrong

Editor:

Thanks for the very nice article. ("Holocaust victim helps students understand," The Park Record, Nov.14-16, 2007.)

However, there are two mistakes. There were no execution camps; there were extermination camps (at) Sobibor, Maidanek, Chelmno, Treblinka and Belzec. Auschwitz was a combination of an extermination and slave-labor camp.

The book, "Too Stubborn To Die," was not to be found full of mistakes; the author’s story is just all made up, she never was in the Dora slave labor camp, as she wrote in her book. And (the book had) many, many more made-up parts.

Thanks again.

Jerry Meents

Ogden, Utah

A climate of poor planning

Editor:

I am writing in response to Matt Hargreaces’ (guest) editorial titled, "Utah would shoulder disproportionate share of climate initiative" as I believe Mr. Hargreaces’ summary does not provide all of the facts relative to the impact on Utah of the Western States Climate Initiative (WSCI).

Mr. Hargreaces’ reference to a study commissioned by the Center for Energy and Economic Development, an organization set up and supported by the coal industry, is a disingenuous attempt to portray carbon management programs as economically harmful to Utah. In the absence of any real data to support claims of billions of dollars of lost production and tens of thousands of lost jobs, these figures serve simply as scare tactics to the residents and business of Utah.

While it is a fact that because 95% of Utah’s power comes from coal burning plants, the immediate needs for major change to meet carbon limits will require significant investments on the part of these plants, it is also a fact that bad policy decisions have put us in the current situation. The state of Utah’s contribution of greenhouse gas emissions is enormous given the large percentage of coal power we burn and the presence of high petroleum-intensive operations such as mining. It is because of poor policy planning that Utah will need to move quickly and make changes, and we will be responsible to account for an exact proportionate share of climate imitative investment because of this contribution to climate change, not a disproportionate share.

Lastly, this notion fails to account for the current and true economic impact of coal power such as poor air quality, water quality and greenhouse gas emissions and provides nothing substantive to account for the large economic opportunities that will be provided by a clean energy industry in the state. Utah has significant solar and geothermal resources available and our largest energy consumers in the state are historically less efficient than neighboring states with higher energy prices. Effective policy decisions will enable Utah’s economy to grow in this regard and provide higher paying jobs in safer working conditions than those roles currently offered by our coal economy.

Bob Hopper Park City

An open-minded welcome

Editor:

Dear Inclusive Community members: A resounding "thank you" from the Park City Performing Arts Foundation for so warmly and open-mindedly-welcoming the extraordinary actors of N*GGER, W*TBACK, CH*INK into our ever increasingly diverse community.

The Eccles Center was filled to capacity on Saturday November 17th. But it was the performers’ unprecedented willingness to visit students and local organizations for an entire week which made this a true community-wide event. From the full house assembly on Monday morning at Park City High, to the Rotary lunch, to the North Summit Middle School in Coalville, to the students of the Park City Academy, to the Treasure Mountain Middle School, for two days running. PCPAF had the honor of exposing more than 1,500 students and community members to this important discussion. Then there were the 1,300 people who came to the performance.

But the highlight of the week’s outreach, were the special performances for both the Latin America Student Union and a Hispanic Community Social, where scenes from the play were performed, for the first time ever, entirely in Spanish, at our request.

Thank you to the educators brave enough to bring strong, powerful language and themes into their schools and classrooms, and to the show’s bold sponsors, Scott Vultagggio and Diane Rinehart, Park City Mountain Resort and Robert and Dottie Small.

And to those ticket-voucher holders who were, due to overwhelming response, unable to acquire seats for Saturday’s performance, please bring your voucher to the box office at the Eccles Center to select tickets to any of our upcoming shows for the 2007-2008 Main Stage Season.

Kudos to all the residents of the county for being ever-willing to better understand the one race to which we all belong, the human race.

Teri Orr

on behalf of the staff and the board of the Park City Performing Arts Foundation

Building bridges in Silver Springs

Editor:

I have just returned from caring for my suddenly seriously ill mom. It is a phone call that none of us ever want to receive, but we all will someday face. I have been gone for almost three weeks. I left my home, my business, and my family to attend to the needs of my mom and dad. I returned this week to get some desperately needed sleep, love from my family and friends, and to decompress and regroup before going back to continue the care that my family needs.

I want to recognize Furburbia for all that they do. We adopted a "lab mix" a week after having to put down Lucy, the family dog. Reggie is about 6 months of boundless energy and love without question. He has been a wonderful addition to my family, and his presence during this difficult time has been an important and significant distraction and focus. I could not imagine my family life, not having him here to keep my kids happy and focused on his antics and care during my absence.

Prior to my family commitment, my husband and I, as well as our neighbors, suffered the insult of having been accused of trespassing onto Ranch Place property. The bridge that existed behind our home for over 20 years was removed by overzealous homeowner association "leaders" who felt that the access to the public trail system by "non-residents" was dangerous. When the current trails that the Silver Springs and Ranch Place residents are continuing to use without the safe bridges freezes, there will be actual serious injuries not only to people, but the dogs that we all have as companions. Waterways that previously had safe bridge access no longer exist. If Ranch Place was previously concerned about liability, I think the time to rethink this ridiculous decision is NOW.

When I came home, the first thing I did after hugging my husband and children was to walk out my back door and wonder at the amazing place that I live in. I walked thru the back gate as I have done for years, and had to jump the creek to walk my dog on the public trail behind my home, all because of some stupid paranoia. There are so many more important things in life. We must embrace the day, live it to the fullest, wave to a neighbor, and pet the dog.

I’m rebuilding my bridge. Every nail that I hammer will give me hope knowing that I can walk out my back door, as I have always done, walk on the trail, and celebrate the joy of having my Furburbia puppy in my life, and celebrate the wonderful "neighborhood" that I call home.

Megan Williams Silver Springs


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