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Letters, Oct. 14-16: RAP tax boosts Park City’s economy


Keep our economy strong

As a world-class mountain resort community with an economy that generates over $1 billion in spending annually, it is obvious to most that thousands of jobs in Summit County are dependent on a strong recreational and cultural environment. One of the things we can all do to keep our economy strong is to vote YES this Election Day to reauthorize the Summit County RAP Tax.

For 20 years we have all benefited from the dollars that this sales tax of 1/10th of 1 cent has generated. Whether you enjoy rodeo, ice skating, ballet, trails, art or local history, chances are you have enjoyed something funded by the RAP tax. It was one of the best ideas our community came up with in the year 2000 and remains a great idea today. It’s now time to renew it again this Election Day.



Please join me in voting to continue the important investments in the programs and venues we have all grown to love so much.

Bill Malone



Park City Chamber/Bureau president and CEO


Caplan is right for the job

We are members of the Park City Board of Education and we fully support Andrew Caplan.

There are many factors that play into our support for Andrew. As members of this board, we not only have firsthand experience with how effectively Andrew operates as a school board member and our current school board president, but we also realize the challenges inherent in navigating the many responsibilities that come with the position in normal times as well as in these strange and unusual times.

Andrew brings a level of expertise in finance and business. This experience is incredibly valuable as we embark on master planning as well as maintaining our fiscal responsibilities to the district. He is a strong and passionate advocate for children, teachers and the community. He demonstrates an incredible commitment to his role on the board while holding a full-time job.

Being an effective board member requires collaboration and healthy debate, all of which occurs regularly with this one. Board turnover is taxing on the superintendent and remaining members — it takes 12 to 15 months for a team to fully form and function effectively. Our focus is on supporting the superintendent and staff as they navigate this uncertain and ever-changing time.

Continuity, consistency and strong leadership is what we need and Andrew is the right person for the job. Thank you, Andrew, for your continued support of the district and for the time and dedication you and your family have and continue to give to the betterment of the Park City School District.

Anne Peters, Kara Hendrickson and Wendy Crossland

Park City Board of Education


Butler has the skills

With our ballots getting mailed next week, now is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of this election. While our attention may be focused on national issues, it is key to also remember “all politics are local” in the end and that our local officials matter. Especially in a time of uncertainty we need representatives with a proven track of record of success in trying situations. This is why I support Cheryl Butler. In my opinion at least, three essential qualities for a competent representative include: the ability to grasp key issues in a confusing landscape, the ability to work within the system to garner support for their goals and the ability to care about the electorate. Cheryl is uniquely qualified on all three counts. As an engineer and executive for 30 years at a large company, Cheryl successfully operated in confusing landscapes even as she broke through glass ceilings when building and managing large-scale construction projects in multiple countries around the globe. Secondly, she succeeded in getting support in challenging environments as she negotiated legislation and regulations between that industry and various local, state and national governments. But technical prowess is not enough without empathy for the citizenry. To that end Cheryl has been very active in supporting our community as the community service director for the Park City Sunrise Rotary Club, board member for Habitat for Humanity and member of the Wasatch Back Affordable Housing Workgroup. Summit County deserves a dedicated representative, but currently we lack that voice in Salt Lake. We deserve a locally based representative who both knows our issues and can get the right things done. To that end I believe Cheryl is uniquely qualified. You can find more details at: votecherylbutler.com/issues. In the meantime, watch for that ballot and VOTE.

Roxane Googin

Park Meadows


Seniors need support

My first visit to the Park City Seniors was met with a warm welcome from a longtime friend, Judy Maedel, who made me feel right at home. The Seniors congregated in their comfortable Senior Center and were thrilled to have time where they could meet, stretch their imagination and often learn new skills.

Wishing to increase programming, professional artist Marianne Cone offered a drawing class. Four to eight people came on Wednesdays and learned how to observe, and express what we saw on paper. We received sketchbooks, signed and dated our drawings, and shared our failures and successes with a lot of laughs. The city decided to fund this program, and allotted money for art classes administered by the Kimball Art Center.

COVID hit and we were forced to stay at home, only seeing each other in the parking lot to pick up lunch. Thanks to the generous grant from the city, the Kimball Art Center offered the class online through Zoom. A packet of art supplies was available to us beforehand. Our Zoom classes started on Wednesdays with Heather Stamenov and Karen Southam, professional artists and teachers from Kimball Art Center. About five people showed up for the first class, and now five months later we have 17 attendees. We’re doing watercolor, drawing, acrylics, ink drawings, printmaking, collage and wall hangings. Also, we have been introduced to amazing works from famous artists who continue to inspire us. Although most of us have never done art before, we now know about color, composition, shading and perspective.

Thanks to the city’s grant and the expertise of instructors from the Kimball, we all have improved, made friends, learned about art and had many laughs along the way. Now the funding has run out.

Park City Senior Center just became a nonprofit. We hope to raise enough money during Live PC Give PC to keep these stimulating art classes as an integral program for seniors.

Please think of us Nov. 6. Go to the Live PC Give PC website, then choose Park City Seniors and make a donation.

Sydney Reed

Park Meadows

Letters

School district must lead

Park City School District is being investigated by the federal Office of Civil Rights for persistent and ongoing violations. It’s a very big deal that has a lot of our community on edge.



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