YOUR AD HERE »

Letters to the Editor

Parley's Canyon gauntlet

Editor:

Our sympathies go to the victims and families of the recent accident tragedies in Parley’s Canyon. It could have been any one of us. We all make mistakes, but even driving safely offers no respite from the increased risk of traveling this highly unsafe corridor. Since my wife and I use the airport continuously, we are witness to the ongoing carnage and unsafe conditions of I-80 in a variety of settings. Before moving here permanently, locals had already warned me of its longstanding safety issues.

A few ideas seem to be in order, as normal enforcement and driver education seem to have little effect on the behavior of a significant portion of motorists.

1. Lowering of the speed limit, especially on westbound downhill.

2. Continuous speed enforcement.

3. No trailers or semis allowed in left lane.

4. Additional message boards inside the canyon relating to conditions, speed limits, and enforcement.

5. If possible, a hotline to report the ever-present egregious speeders.

6. Ongoing community awareness fostered through local media.

Not being a professional in traffic control, these ideas may not be feasible, but it seems apparent a more serious dialogue to address this ongoing problem is needed for the safety and benefit of all motorists and their passengers.

Sincerely,

Ed Knapp

Jeremy Ranch

Sundance Film Festival — green?

Editor:

As I sat reading "Utah ‘greens’ Sundance" (Park Record, 1/20, p. A-23) while gazing at the Racquet Club "theater" just outside my window, I wondered if I was reading a Sundance Institute promotional pamphlet rather than our local newspaper. Outside, at the industrial complex/convention center that had been the Racquet Club, the scene was anything but green. A long line of taxis and limos idled through the drop-off, blue smoke belched from diesel generators used to power the added floodlights, buses and SUVs were backed up along the length of Little Kate Road, and the lot was littered with discarded plastic water bottles and flyers (apparently made from recycled

paper). The previous week had brought an endless succession of semis delivering the supplies necessary to transform a gym into a theater and party venue in this residential area, with heavy equipment and even jackhammers operating from 6 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. And from past years, I know that the week following Sundance will bring the same procession of trucks and heavy equipment required for the tear down.

While Sundance should be lauded for purchasing wind-generated power and using recycled paper, these actions do not even come close to offsetting the enormous negative impact of Sundance on the environment and the quality of life in our community. I’m constantly told that we should put up with Sundance because it brings in large amounts of money. But is this why we all moved to Park City– to make huge amounts of money? I know that I did not; I came to have a quiet life in the mountains. Of course, that was 23 years ago, when such a thing was still possible. Now, I believe it is time for this overgrown festival to go pick on a town its own size.

Sincerely,

Jeff Lonn

Park City

Presidential elections

Editor:

Would you rather vote for a lying, venal hypocrite or a Democrat? That’s really the only question to ask as you watch various candidates campaign for the next few years. I suspect for many Utahns that might not be such an easy choice.

Sincerely,

Nick Wright

Park City

A senator’s view on global warming

Editor:

"No, I do not believe all the hype about humans causing global warming, if in fact it exists. I’m afraid you and I are very opposite in our way of thinking so I’ll just leave it at this." –Senator Christensen

That was the e-mail response that I got from District 19’s Sen. Christensen upon asking him if he believes in global warming and what he’s doing about it. And guess what committee he sits on? The Natural Resources, Agricultural and Environment Committee! After picking my jaw up off the floor and letting my heart come back to a normal rate and pressure, I realized how much more we need to do than attend a town meeting where everyone, for the most part, is on the same page already. Kudos, by the way, to all the sponsors and producers of the Save Our Snow event.

Senator Christensen represents District 19, which encompasses most of Summit County (although not Park City), Morgan and Weber County. His e-mail address is achristensen@utahsenate.org.

The best Web site to find your state and federal senators and representatives in a concise, well-organized fashion is http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr. So find your legislators and write to them today! Or rip out this piece of paper and tape this Web site to your computer so perhaps when you are e-mailing new photos of your kids or writing to your friends back East you can take five minutes to impress your opinion on your elected representatives.

Mentionable also is the very supportive response from Utah Representative Christine Johnson from District 25, which includes most of the Snyderville Basin area south of I-80. She understands the issues and is taking action. Support her in whatever way possible since she probably runs into opinions such as the one above.

Sincerely,

Jean Carlan

Park City

Thank you, Park City

Editor:

I want to thank the kind people of Park City. Earlier this month my wife and I were in Park City to take the Mahre Clinic at Deer Valley. Just after sitting down to have dinner at the Stew Pot, I started to feel light-headed and ended up passing out. What happened next is unbelievable in today’s world of people being uninvolved. A retired cardiologist immediately came over to help. At 59, a heart attack is certainly a concern, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. Next the EMT men arrived and ultimately transported me to SLC. Great guys and exceptionally qualified.

The owner of the Stew Pot provided my wife with his cell number and offered her a ride back from the SLC hospital. In addition, a lady in the restaurant offered my wife a ride to the hospital. My wife contacted some friends in Jeremy Ranch that we met last year — they took her to the hospital, and waited until I was discharged several hours later. The above are some more reasons that Park City may become our new residence in the near future. What was wrong with me, no one knows for sure, but maybe a combination of airplane food, coming down with the flu, altitude, and being tired. Thank you, again, to the wonderful people of Park City.

Sincerely,

Kim Cashmer

Clermont, Fla.

2010 Olympic school calendar

Editor:

Greetings from the Great White North, 29 feet of snow and counting! I am writing on behalf of parents in our school district. School board officials are considering a two- or three-week school closure during the 2010 Olympic Games.

Our information is that SLC schools remained open and Park City schools closed during the 2002 Olympic Games. We have heard that this was at the request of the parents.

I would be interested to hear what the experience was for students, parents and teachers. How was the time made up? What did the kids do during that time? Were your community facilities open?

Please e-mail me at cjewett@whooshnet.com

Best wishes,

Cathy Jewett, chair

District Parent Advisory Council

Howe Sound School District

Whistler, British Colombia

Letters

Actually, tech park makes most sense

I believe there is an opportunity to further enhance the economic vitality and resilience of our town by attracting a Fortune 500 headquarters to a mixed-use tech park.



See more

Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.