in Weather
Spring Skiing May Be Upon Us (for a few weeks)
It looks like Punxsutawney Phil may have called it right.
While I know that February and March are our biggest snow months and weather forecasts longer than 7 days are fraught with error, it looks like spring skiing for the foreseeable future. I’ll take it … given the cold winter.
in Schools
Proposed New School Courses
Each year new classes are added to the curriculum of our schools. On Tuesday, the Park City School Board will discuss, and potentially approve, new courses for the 2016-2017 school year. These classes include:
If you have an opinion on whether these courses should be or should not be offered by the district, you may want to let your School Board representative know. You can reach them at the addresses below:
Tax and Bond Options for Raising Revenue to Solve Transportation Issues
During the past year, the Summit County Council has looked at various options for raising revenue to put toward solving transportation and traffic issues. During the upcoming week’s Summit County Council meeting Chief Civil Deputy Attorney Dave Thomas will present the various options available for raising revenues and how those specifically would be enacted.
There appears to be six options:
- Mass Transit Sales Tax expansion to Eastern Summit County.
- 0.3% increase in sales tax
- Limited to funding a system of public transit within the boundaries of the Transit District
- Additional Mass Transit Sales Tax
- 0.25% increase in sales tax
- Limited to funding a system of public transit within the county
- County Option Transportation Sales Tax
- 0.25% increase in sales tax
- Can be used for regionally significant transportation facility, corridor preservation, operations, and infrastructure.
- County Option Transit Sales Tax
- 0.15% sales tax increase (municipalities will receive .10%)
- Can be used on any transportation or transit improvement (operations & infrastructure)
- Snyderville Basin Public Transit District Property Tax
- 0.0004 increase in property tax
- Limited to funding a system of public transit within the boundaries of the Transit District
- General Obligation Bond
- Tax increase is set by the bond election
- Can be used on roads, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and parking buildings, lot and facilities (infrastructure only)
The options above, that have specific tax rates would bring in between $1.4 million to $4.5 million per year. If the county decided to create a general obligation bond, it could raise up to $23 million.
Many of these options require citizens to vote on them. Look for at least one of these options coming to your ballot in November 2016.
in Schools
Petition to Keep Reading Specialists, Aides, and ESL Personnel in PCSD
Park City citizens have a launched a petition to keep reading specialists, aides, and ESL personnel in the Park City School District. The petition, directed at school board members, Phil Kaplan, Julie Eihausen, Nancy Garrison, JJ Ehlers, Tania Knauer and school Superintendent Dr Ember Conley.
The petition starts, “Next year All Day Kindergarten will be provided with a full time benefited Aide in each classroom. Great, right?!! The problem is in order to make this change they are removing the Instructional Aides from all other grades in the school.”
The petition then states that the benefits of all day kindergarten are short lived. The concludes by stating, “each elementary will have only ONE Interventionist with no Aides outside of the kindergarten. Please use your voice to stop this from happening. These positions will be VERY hard to get back.”
If you are interested in signing this position or learning more, please click here.
Who Could Take Over the Whole Foods in Kimball Junction?
This morning on KPCW, Summit County Community Development Director was talking about the new Whole Foods Location on Landmark Drive. Mr Putt said to expect that snow would be moved soon, in order to start the building process. That leaves the question of, if a new Whole Foods locations is being built, what becomes of the existing Whole Foods’ location once they leave?
The current Whole Foods’ location is too cramped for something as desired as Whole Foods (that’s why they are moving). We’ve heard rumors that both Sprouts and Trader Joe’s are coming in to the location… but Whole foods owns the lease for the next few years. Would they “sub-lease” to a competitor? That’s not likely. So, I wouldn’t expect a grocer to take over their space until 2020. What could possibly take over their space?
… a book store…
Yes, you read that right. A “BOOK STORE”. Who?
AMAZON.COM.
Well, it’s not exactly just a book store anymore but they have plans to open 300-400 bookstores across the country in the next few years. As we move into the next decade, Amazon.com has said they want to get into the drone delivery business. Yet, the impediment to that is making sure that there are people who would pay extra within the radius a drone could provide service effectively. That radius appears to be about 10 miles. Could a drone flown from Kimball Junction reach most places within the greater Park City area in about 10 minutes? Yes. Could the drone launch location be serviced within an hour or two to ensure the products were available? Yes, Salt Lake is a short drive. Would the affluent within Park City pay more for same day delivery? I think so.
I have no inside knowledge on this. It just makes sense. Likewise, what makes more sense would be for Amazon to open a facility in Boyer Tech Park (next to the visitors center). Yet, no one seems to want to go into Boyer for whatever reason (either through lack of competence on Boyer’s part or something else), so I discount that option.
What does make sense would be an Amazon drone delivery option opening in the next two years in Park City. As a whole, people here have money. As a whole, people here are wiling to pay for convenience. As a whole, the marketing exposure would be huge.
Would Whole foods current location make sense in 2017 for a hybrid “Amazon Store” and drone launch point? Yep. Would it require an investment from Amazon to build a fulfillment warehouse in Salt Lake that could support the endeavor… yes. Perhaps, that’s an impediment that’s too big to tackle.
Yet, would a potential 30,000, seemingly very-affluent shoppers, combined with the Park City name, make perfect sense? Yes.
While I grant Amazon is a long-shot … It wouldn’t be surprising if Amazon was in Park City before Boyer Tech Park ever brings in a new tenant from outside the area.
in Schools
School District Is Making Positive Steps on Preventing Improper Communication Between Students and Staff
The Park City School District issued a press release yesterday regarding steps they are taking in the wake of the Derek Spitzer issue. Three of these actions are technology related and will likely help both prevent future issues, limit ongoing issues, and perhaps catch any teachers/staff who may be currently having inappropriate communications with students. Specifically, the district says they are:
- Going to use their Google email system’s filtering capability to be alerted in the case of inappropriate contact
- Investigate whether their current email archiving system can also look for inappropriate content
- In the process of a complete technology review
These are positive first steps. While I won’t bring up the question of whether these steps should have been in place all along, the district should be commended on moving forward quickly with a plan that not only lets the public know that the district is concerned, but will also likely be very effective.
Why do I believe it will be effective?
First, my company uses Google’s Email Filtering technology and Google is good at what it does. If there is inappropriate contact going on, and the district sets it up in a way that is designed to catch people (i.e. they aren’t just looking for the word sex… but s*x and s.e.x. and S E X and all the ways that a perpetrator would try to mask what they are doing) it should do the job effectively.
Second, all teachers and faculty will know this technology is in place. We call it the Santa Claus effect (He knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you’re awake… he is watching). It may just provide enough of a deterrent, to stop someone from doing what they aren’t supposed to do. At a minimum, it will force them to other avenues where they may be caught as well.
Third, they absolutely need to find a way to utilize their email archiving program to test historical email for perpetrators. This will likely shed light on whether this is (or has been) a prevalent problem in the district. Likewise, it could cause current perpetrators to stop their actions (out of fear of probably being caught). Also, it appears there were allegedly 500 emails sent back and forth between the Ecker Hill Middle School Teacher (Derek Spitzer) and the student. This should provide examples of what needs to be looked at both historically and going forward.
This has been a tragic situation. Every time I think about it, it makes me sick. However, if there is a any positive out of what happened to the Ecker Hill Middle School student, at least the district is taking steps that will hopefully limit this happening in the future and catch additional people who are harming our children today. I know it doesn’t make up for what occurred, but at least the district moving in the right direction that will likely help other kids in the future.
in Schools
Follow up to the situation regarding former EHMS Teacher, Derek Spitzer
The Park City School District issued a second release on former teacher Derek Spitzer, who was fired for inappropriate communications with a student and taken into police custody. You can download the press release here, or read the contents below:
Follow up to the situation regarding former EHMS Teacher, Derek Spitzer
What can we do to prevent future inappropriate email interactions?
The Park City School District uses Google as our email provider. A technology review is in process and PCSD is currently testing a Google product that will allow keyword filtering which in turn will alert us if/when there is inappropriate content. Additionally, Park City School District is currently working with Barracuda Network (the district archiver) to investigate the level of controls that might be available as the information is being sent and/or archived.
In addition, the district wants to reinforce that students need to be reminded, they are a first line of defense and that contacting a trusted adult if they receive “any” information that makes them feel uncomfortable is important in combating this issue. We have also provided services through our counseling department. Counselors and teachers read a prepared statement regarding the recent incident at Ecker Hill to EHMS, PCHS and TMJH Students over the last three days.
The following information was shared:
Facts about Mr. Spitzer-
- He was a music teacher at Ecker dismissed from his job earlier this month.
- He taught at different schools in the Park City School District over the last 12 years.
- He was arrested for inappropriate electronic communication with a student.
- He used his position as a teacher in an unacceptable way to deceive a student.
- The student was very brave and courageous. The student did exactly what they had been taught to do.
- Out of respect for the student, there willbe no speculation as to who the student is.
- Students are to discuss details of the allegations with parents and not here at school.
- No one ever wants to be named or the subject of a rumor. Even if joking, these statements can be hurtful to students and can be considered harassment. They may also discourage students coming forward now and in the future.
- If there is something the school needs to know, please inform the school right away.
- Students should trust their instincts and keep open communication with trusted adults
- Tell a trusted adult, if they don’t listen tell another trusted adult. “It doesn’t stop until you tell.”
- Remember the information and skills that have been taught by parents and counselors through the elementary years.
- Students will be asked to imagine if they were the one that had been taken advantage of by a teacher this way and were in this student’s place. Think about what they would be going through and what this student might be going through. Think about what it would feel like to hear their name in rumors.
- There are extra counselors available if anyone needs to talk to one.
Please mark April 21, 2016 on your calendars as the district will be hosting Detective Christina Sally from the Summit County Children’s Justice Center to discuss what parents can do to be involved in conversation with their children and adolescents regarding keeping themselves safe. In addition, PCSD will have an update to technology filters and future prevention. The meeting is scheduled for the lecture hall at Park City High School at 6:00 PM
in Sundance
Robert Redford Calls it Like He Sees It
I’m not much of a Sundance person. I usually see many of the films, but not until they’ve found their way onto HBO, Netflix, etc. Yet, I always watch the opening day interviews with Robert Redford. Why? Because he calls it like he sees it. He not only provides a view into the “State of the Film Industry” but a view into the state of the world. He’s usually a few steps ahead of the rest. My favorite theme of his is that despite everything, be it virtual reality, big budget, or no budget, a movie is about telling a story. His words and vision just make sense to me personally.
So when a Friend of the Park Rag pointed me toward an AP story entitled, “Robert Redford knows Sundance has gotten too big,” I took notice. It’s not that Redford thinks that Sundance should abandon Park City. It’s that he senses a change is coming. A few quotes from the story include:
- “I’m starting to hear some negative comments about how crowded it is and how difficult it is to get from venue to venue when there’s traffic and people in the streets and so forth,” Redford said. “We’re going to have to look at that.”
- “When actors came who were well known, then the paparazzi came. Then once the paparazzi came, the fashion houses came. Suddenly this thing was going haywire,” he said, laughing that the recession actually helped temper the frivolousness a bit.
- “As it grew, so did the crowds, so did the development in Park City. Well, at some point, if both those things continue to grow, they’re going to begin to choke each other,” Redford said. “So then I have to think about, oh, do we now risk being who we are in the first place? Do we risk (losing) the heart and soul of what we were when we started against the odds. … Do we have to now rethink things?”
- “You have a couple of choices. You can go hard and say we’re going to stop it. Say ‘that’s the end.’ Let it go. Let someone else do it,” he said. “Or, you say well, if you want to keep it going, we can’t keep it going the way things are.”
- “One thought Redford had was to break up the festival into sections, instead of cramming narrative, documentaries, shorts and everything else into a tight 10 days in January. So, in this scenario, narrative features could play in January, and February would be for documentaries.”
It’d be hard to argue with Redford based upon this year’s festival. It’s likely the appearance of UberCopters said enough by themselves. Yet, it will be interesting to see how the festival changes in the next few years. I’m sure Mr. Redford doesn’t even know himself. He’s not the only component in the massive machine that Sundance has become. Yet, I can envision Mr. Redford standing on Bald Mountain looking out over the landscape … having watched a storm roll in. He knew it was coming, but now he’s in the middle of it (It’s always harder when you are in the middle of a storm to take action). What do you do?
Do you stare into it straight on, like an action hero, and hope to ride it out? Do you take cover and hope for the best? Do you flee the mountain while you still have a chance? Do you send your group off in different directions, hoping some will survive?
It has all the trappings of a great movie, and better yet, the protagonist and antagonist, are the same being. You just can’t make this stuff up.
That’s why the changes over the next few years of Sundance will likely end up making a great story.
h/t to the Friend of the Park Rag who let us know about this story.
in Park City
Bomb Threats and Counter Terrorism in Park City? WTF?
I feel like I’ve woken up this Monday morning in Park City Bizzaro Land. First I read that not only did the Utah Attorney General’s office going undercover to investigate Human Trafficking at Sundance but that “undercover agents also attend[ed] film screenings that authorities believe might have potential for some type of disturbance, including terrorism.” Don’t get me wrong, I get the correlation to what happened with Charlie Hebdo, but that frankly amazes me. I’m torn at trying to understand whether this is an overreaction by what some would call the “rise of the police state” or whether the likelihood of such an event actually extends into the 1% or greater range. Perhaps it’s bad either way.
Then I read about bomb threats tied to the TangerOutlet Mall and two police facilities. Evidently a bomb threat was called into the police at about 9PM on Saturday, with a voice that sounded like it was tape recorded. While the local police agencies deemed it was likely a hoax, they evacuated the mall — as they should have. No 75% off sale is worth even the small chance of being blown up in Park City (did I just write that?).
Looks like we’ve come a long ways from teenage parties being busted up by the Summit County Sherrif. At some point, people are going to question whether hosting Sundance is worth it. I tend to think it is, because so many of our businesses make it or break it in those 10 days…but it sure seems the times are a changing.
in Sundance
Human Trafficking at Sundance?
I’ll chalk this one up to something I never considered…
According to KSL, the Utah Attorney General’s Office went undercover at parties and red carpet events at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. What were they looking for? Human Trafficking. The Attorney General’s office defines human trafficking as “a modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain. Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to lure their victims and force them into labor or commercial sexual exploitation.”
KSL says that the investigators didn’t find anything specific but “when it comes to the human trafficking element, we gained a lot of intelligence this year. We’re going to build a better game plan for next year. We do know there are some signs of human trafficking during Sundance,” said Nate Mutter, section chief for the attorney general’s public corruption unit. Next year they say they are going to try to attend more high end parties where it may take more cash to receive an invite.
Attorney General Sean Reyes did make it clear that human trafficking isn’t something specific to Sundance but that the activity often accompanies large scale events around the country.
To me, it all seems like something out of HBO’s True Detective, where high rollers are willing to pay to get WHATEVER they want. I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that those types of people come to Park City for one of the biggest film festivals in the world. It’s unfortunate that it happens anywhere. It’s especially unfortunate that something that Park City depends upon seems to have such a seedy underbelly.
Parkrag
We believe in citizen journalism. We believe there are stories to tell that can help to shape our community for the better. We believe tomorrow's Park City can be better than today's.