Solution to lack of housing needed

Editor:
I have been wondering a lot about what is being done about our workforce housing here in Park City, and I would like to know what can be done to help out with it.

As we all know, the majority of the revenue that is generated in our town comes from tourism. So in order to run all of the businesses and ski resorts, workers are needed by the thousands, but we do not have sufficient people to provide for these jobs. Therefore, for us to have this lavish ski town that attracts thousands of tourists a year, we must bring in more workers from other locations.

These workers come from places all over the world, and they are happy to come and work here because it is enjoyable. However, we have a problem at hand. The sheer quantity of people that come here to work has nowhere to live in the surrounding areas, let alone Park City. This excess of people leads to some significant problems of these workers crowding into houses and being in unsafe/unsanitary conditions.

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The goal of this letter is to bring attention to this issue, so all that I ask is: what can be done to help with this situation? Besides donating to one of the many charitable foundations that exist. I hope to inform the community of this problem, in an attempt to shed some light on a solution.

Jake Stocker
Park City High School

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Thanks for 20 years

Editor:
This year, Damon Joseph Salon, (DJS), celebrates 20 years in Park City!

We are so grateful to our clients “peeps” who choose our studio for their beauty needs, and for being a part of our journey of hard work, passion and dedication. To our peeps, you are a constant source of joy and inspiration, and we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you!

Looking forward to working with a new “crew of peeps” every day is pure bliss, we are so fortunate!

Thank you so much Parkites who have welcomed us and our peeps for loving us for the past 20 years. We look forward to many more!

Damon Fry and Joseph Villareal-Fry
Millcreek

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Summer trails season commences

Editor:
As we commence the summer trails season, Mountain Trails Foundation would like to thank Vail Resorts EpicPromise for supporting Park City’s nonprofit organizations, and especially MTF’s mission to build and maintain trails.

Over the past several years, EpicPromise has contributed to MTF in many ways, but most publicly by sponsoring the annual Mountain Madness event. This year, the free event at the DoubleTree Hotel Park City brought the public together with 14 trails and open space entities. It was a fun evening of learning, collaborating and socializing. A special thanks goes out to the Park City Fire District and Summit County Animal Control for their respective efforts to educate the public on trail safety and responsible dog ownership. The cooperative efforts between Park City’s corporate, nonprofit and government agencies serve as an inspiration in the world beyond the Wasatch Back.

In the coming months, as our community unites under the banner of outdoor summer recreation, MTF askes that, as individuals of a greater community, we all take frequent moments to appreciate and protect what we have on the Wasatch Back, and to thank those who contribute to this greater good.

Lora Smith
Mountain Trails Foundation resource manager

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A magical experience for students

Editor:
As a teacher and parent at McPolin Elementary School, I am excited about the many wonderful enrichment opportunities the Park City School District offers our students. I am thrilled to see coding/STEM classes and EVA art lessons that are offered thanks to funding from the Park City Education Foundation.

I also feel lucky to have the opportunity to take my students outside of the classroom. Like many of my fellow Parkites, my family moved here because of the natural beauty and abundant outdoor opportunities. There is no substitute for hands-on learning, and Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is a wonderful partner. My students learn about the water cycle, animal adaptations, Utah habitats, species classification and more. Most importantly, they get outside! Last year, my students and I enjoyed the magical experience of walking out on the wetlands in the Swaner preserve and viewing Sand Hill cranes and elk through binoculars. Many of my students had never seen these animals before! Another highlight of our Swaner visit was meeting Wilson the armadillo and other adorable creatures that we had read about during a language arts unit on animal defense mechanisms.

As a teacher in Park City, I can attest to the impact of these programs. I’m grateful for the knowledgeable educators at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter. I’m also grateful for their supporters who make the program possible. Thanks to continued support from Vail Resorts EpicPromise, Swaner is able to offer a free field trip and classroom visit for every fourth-grader enrolled in public school in Summit and Wasatch counties. Additionally, the John C. Kish Foundation allows Swaner the ability to serve ages outside of fourth grade for a small fee. I encourage any teacher or school group to participate in these programs. Thank you, Swaner Preserve, for inspiring my students to be stewards of the natural beauty that attracts so many people to Park City every year.

Austyn Borjigin
McPolin Elementary School

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Every dollar toward Snow Ranch Pasture counts

Editor:
Our relationship to land is why many of us choose to live in Summit County. We are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded with open space and beauty, with clean air and a healthy ecosystem that supports both wildlife and our human population. There are times, perhaps, we forget that our landscape, our open spaces, our trails and wildlife, exist only through planning, purchase and protections. We hold a pride of place here in Summit County, of protected landscape and waterways accomplished through organizations like Utah Open Lands and the Summit Land Conservancy and through the generous donations of both individuals and organizations who value the importance of this finite resource. The 19-acre Snow Ranch Pasture is another opportunity to protect an environment which is home to elk, fox, coyote, sandhill crane, deer and moose. This is critical habitat in an ever-expanding human population which has been generously offered by the Armstrong family and their strong commitment to open lands and conservation.

Please help support and protect this valuable landscape by making your donation to Utah Open Lands. Every dollar counts!

Gwen Reddish
Park City