Editor:
It was a glorious day in City Park for celebrating our 20th annual Park City Children’s Fair. The fair has grown from a few games on the library field to the community event it is today, pulling in families from Heber City to Sandy. now our fair seems to have taken on a life of its own with families from many years past showing up to help alongside friends from Park City and surrounding communities.
We estimate that we have raised approximately $250,000 over the years, all of which has been donated to child- and environment-oriented organizations chosen by our students. These include the local libraries, Recycle Utah, Kimball Art Center, Swaner Nature Preserve, Friends of Animals and Adopt-a-Native Elder. Your contributions also support foster children in South America and Africa through Plan. Over the years we’ve adopted whales, gorillas, raptors, rainforest and children all over the world.
We are grateful to the countless who continue to support our efforts. Thanks especially to the following who were instrumental in making this year’s fair a success: Sandy Geldhof, Jenny Samuelson, Jill Warburton, Sally Lutzker, Park Silly Market, our "Pony Posse" who has been showing up to walk the ponies for at least 10 years (Ted Sneed, George Coburn and friends), our heroes of the Park City Police and Fire Departments, and the students, families and alumni of Soaring Wings.
Namaste’
Duna Strachan
Executive director, Soaring Wings International Montessori School
Temple members join nonprofits in service day
Editor:
On Sunday, June 2, members of Temple Har Shalom partnered with 12 nonprofit organizations (ARUP Blood Services, Elk Meadows Assisted Living, Habitat for Humanity, Jewish Family Services, Mountain Trails Foundation, National Ability Center, Park City Medical Center, Peace House, People’s Health Clinic, Recycle Center, and Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter) in Mitzvah Day.
Doing a Mitzvah is a "good deed." On this day, preschoolers to seniors practiced Tikkum Olam, which means "repairing the world," by doing special service projects in and around Park City. I am so proud to live in a community filled with such caring individuals and such supportive proactive nonprofit organizations.
We are especially grateful to our sponsors, United Jewish Federation of Utah, Walmart, and Spa Victoria, for making this day possible. Special thanks also go to our friends at The Market at Park City for their contribution to the yummy lunch.
Indeed, all of us in Park City are enriched by everyone involved in Mitzvah Day.
Judy Horwitz
Temple Har Shalom 2013 Mitzvah Day Chair
Mayoral candidate has skills and experience
Editor:
As a mayoral candidate, I’m confident I have the skills to navigate the challenges Park City will face over the next few years. My longtime residency and tenure as planning commissioner, coupled with my career as an established local architect, give me the perspective, experience and creativity to lead Park City in attaining our visioning goals.
Like the art of architecture, leadership is the art of nurturing the evolution of a town and its people. I bring to the process a level of experience and methodical, inclusive decision-making that is essential to achieving our community’s objectives.
I welcome voters to express their ideas and learn more about me by visiting my website, JackParkCity.com and my Facebook page, Jack Park City Mayor.
Jack Thomas
Park City
Culture of corruption in Utah state government
Editor:
In response to Henry Glasheen’s accusation of race baiting in my letter on Republican values, I think Henry should read a bit more carefully or perhaps just avoid obfuscating the issue.
The "linebacker" referred to in my letter was the enforcer who worked in the factory in which I worked and who also was in the employ of the Gambino crime family (incidentally, when I worked in New Jersey in the ’80s, many of the payday lenders there were run by organized crime). The enforcers that are utilized by the Utah payday lending industry consists of a legislature that passes favorable laws that protect the industry and the friends in high places in the AG’s office, as documented by recent investigative stories in the Trib. The payday loan industry preys on the poor. Referring to them as loan sharks is just telling it like it is.
The whole point of my letter was to open a discussion on the pervasive culture of corruption in Utah state government. Lax campaign-finance rules, closed-door caucus deliberations, appropriations bills finely crafted to benefit specific companies, billion-dollar road contracts awarded to the governor’s largest contributors are all signs of the "pay to play" state that is Utah.
When I was campaigning for the State Legislature in 2010, I knocked on a door in Jeremy Ranch and had a long discussion with a resident there about state-level corruption. He was a local company bidding on state government installation work. He told me he was low bidder on three consecutive jobs and did not receive one contract. When he confronted the manager who awarded the contract on his 3rd bid and asked why he was unsuccessful, he was told, "You don’t have the right friends."
The Republican Party has been solidly entrenched in power for so long that their leaders seem to think they are above the law and indeed they, in many ways, have created a state of affairs where corruption is legal. The actions by the current and past Attorneys General are disgraceful, but only differ in degree from actions of other high state-level officials in both the executive and legislative branches.
It is time for a change in state government. It seems apparent that the Republicans are unable or unwilling to make the necessary changes. It is time for the electorate to "throw the bums out."
Glenn Wright
Park City
