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Editorial: We have a lot to be thankful for in Park City

Parkites on Thursday will gather at crowded dinner tables and pass around mashed potatoes and turkey, and they’ll toast to good fortune and friends and family.

At some point amid the meals, football viewing and tryptophan-induced naps, though, be sure to take a moment to give thanks for another thing we shouldn’t take for granted: being able to call Park City home.

Now more than ever, it’s easy to get caught up in the problems facing our town. The rising cost of housing has made it hard for middle-class people, including the hospitality workers who are so vital to Park City, to make a life here. The traffic seems to worsen each year, exacerbated by the long list of special events that draw crowds of tourists. And there’s certainly no turning back the clock to eras gone by or a time when Main Street was filled with thriving mom-and-pop shops with nary a chain store in sight.



Those, along with many others, are critical issues that deserve our attention. And they can weigh heavy on the mind as we ready to invite the world to town for another busy winter. But it’s important, particularly this time of year, not to let the problems overshadow all the reasons we’re fortunate, especially considering there are some among us struggling just to get by.

Most who moved here from elsewhere don’t need convincing that it’s a special place. There’s a reason we’ve come from all around the country to be part of this community. But a reminder now and then to slow down and appreciate our fortune doesn’t hurt.



The joys of living in Park City are too many to list. But perhaps nothing is as obvious a reminder of our prosperity than the display of altruism during the Live PC Give PC day of giving held earlier this month.

The spirit of giving that allowed the event to raise more than $2 million for nonprofits defines our town. It manifests itself in myriad ways throughout the year and enriches our community immeasurably.

But we are also grateful for things such as leaders committed to efforts like sustainability and increasing mental health services, schools that are among the best in the state, world-class recreation opportunities at every turn, our committed nonprofits and the beautiful landscape that surrounds us.

Those are, of course, only a few of the hundreds of things we’re thankful for. And doubtless each Parkite has their own list of things they value most about our town.

So on Thanksgiving, even as you’re readying to confront another winter of crowded roads packed with people heading to a Main Street that looks different than it did 20 years ago, don’t forget to count the community you live in as one of the things for which you’re most thankful.


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