The School bond failure of 2015 signaled a low point for the Park City School District. For the first time in recent memory, the school district could not convince the populace to approve a bond for school needs. Out of those ruins, we’d hoped that the district had grown stronger. We hoped they had found a message that would resonate with locals.

The school superintendent, Dr Ember Conley, was rode out on a rail.

Some people have called it the Crazy 8’s. Others have described it as a disaster waiting to happen. What is that? The Kilby Road “improvements” between Fresh Market and Ecker Hill Middle School.

The road appears to be a series of concrete S curves built down Kilby Rd, with the intent to make it easier to reach the upcoming park-n-ride from the Interstate. Inexplicably, the Park an Ride cannot be accessed via I-80. Drivers must exit at the Jeremy Ranch Exit, drive a mile along the Kilby Frontage Rd, and then enter the Park and Ride.

The problem with the road which most people are commenting on is:

• How will snow be removed?
• Where do road cyclists ride?
• In snow, how will cars navigate?
• Is there enough room to turn without blocking traffic

However, we have a simple question. Has Summit County considered that many people think this is the new drop of for Ecker Hill Middle School? The park-n-ride is the new drop of spot. Have entries and exits been designed to accommodate this?

On Friday morning at 6:15 AM I pulled to a stop behind a car at the four-way stop by the Jeremy Ranch store. I was about to head through the construction on Homestead road that stretches underneath I-80.

That’s when the car in front of me proceeded to enter the wrong lane of traffic.

The car began speeding down the wrong lane, unaware it was headed toward oncoming traffic. I began flashing my brights but the car kept going. I finally sped up beside the car and flashed my brights at the oncoming traffic. Either the oncoming traffic saw my lights or they finally saw the car that was about to hit them. Regardless, thankfully the lead car was paying attention because it averted a disaster. If the driver had been distracted, the line of cars probably would have piled into the car that was headed the wrong direction.

The problem is that there isn’t a “Keep Right —>” sign when drivers first enter the lane of orange pylons. In daylight it can sometimes be tough to deduce which lane to enter. At night it can be almost impossible.

Later that morning I emailed the Public Works Director, explained what had happened, and asked for a sign. I received a prompt response that the construction contractor would put one out. I thought, “great, that’s how it’s supposed to work.”

Unfortunately, as of Friday night — no sign. As of Saturday night — no sign. I assume as of Sunday night there will be no sign again.

It’s frustrating. It’s not a hard sign to find. It’s also a dangerous situation.

As I’ve been talking to people around our community over the past few weeks, it seems

You should give the Ecker Hill Park and Ride a shot. It just may make your ski day even better.

Today, Park City Schools were closed due to snow. This decision sits well with some and sits poorly with others. Those advocating the school closing cite safety. The other side cite the real-world impact of managing kids out of school with one hour notice.

Both have merits.

I tend to look at it somewhat differently. We live in the mountains. Last night’s 6 inches of snow is not unusual. This morning’s sixteen-degree temperature is not unusual. Our community has invested in school buses with automatic chains. Our schools have a policy that says that kids who can’t make their way to school safely don’t have to come.

In a school district that prides itself on children learning resiliency, it seems like an unusual lesson. If things are too tough — just cancel it. I understand that some kids don’t ride the bus, and of those, I understand some kids parents’ have a back wheel drive that would make it hard to get to school.

I also get that some teachers have to drive up from Salt Lake.

I drove to the Run-amuck dog park at about 6:30 AM and couldn’t believe schools were closed. The plows had done TOO good of a job to close schools. There was some slush in the lanes of main thoroughfares– at most. Perhaps on some side streets there was more snow if they weren’t plowed.

Mid summer is when most Parkites check-out. However, our short-term future depends on the Jeremy Ranch Roundabout construction workers pushing through. We have the two largest roundabouts in Utah history Park City being constructed in our community. With unlimited time, money, and no traffic it wouldn’t be a big deal. However, the witching hour — or as I like to call it — the first day of school — is one month away (August 20). Tick tock.

Why is that date important? Summer is slower. Once school starts, many thousands of trips per day will happen through the Pinebrook and Jeremy intersections. Everything is exacerbated at that point. A back up of one car is a tragedy. The backup of fifty cars is a statistic.

So, the Park Rag doesn’t have any idea whether the Jeremy roundabouts will finish on time. Sorry, the title was probably click-bait. However, we have an opinion. There is no way in hell it will be done in 31 days. This week on KPCW

“So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here–not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.”

Hunter S Thompson

On Wednesday, the Park Record published a story citing tweets from Park City City Council Candidate Chadwick Fairbanks. Some would describe it as a hit piece on a historically-Republican candidate. Others would thank the Park Record for pointing out statements made by Fairbanks on Twitter over the past few years.

The problem is that the piece feels like it is written by someone who personally has an issue with Mr Fairbanks and found an avenue to pursue it. Does Jay Hamburger (the author) have a hatred for Mr Fairbanks? I have no idea. However, I believe it reads like it. That’s a problem.

Jay Hamburg and The Park Record was clumsy here. They are trying to point out

Yesterday the Park Record announced that Event Organizer Daniel Lewis jumped candidate Chadwick Fairbanks to win the right to appear on this Fall’s City Council ballot. As of August 13th, Mr. Fairbanks held a two-vote lead, but due to uncounted ballots, as of 8/27, it turns out Mr. Lewis won by two votes. So, Mr. Lewis will be on the Fall ballot.

If you’ve attended the Park City Farmer’s Market, you’ve likely seen Mr. Lewis greeting patrons as they pick out their berries and greens. If you’ve attended a Utah Republican state convention, you’ve probably seen Mr. Fairbanks compete for a position. Both were vying for the last spot on the ballot to choose who would represent Park City on the City Council.

The truth is both of these guys had an uphill battle to win the election. Mr. Lewis lacks name recognition, and Mr. Fairbanks is associated with the Republican Party.

Yet, given all that, the more important story is that the Park Record has lost most of the credibility it has left.

In the July 27/28 edition of the Park Record, Jay Hamburger wrote a front-page, masthead article entitled “Candidate’s online trail veered right” on Mr. Fairbanks. The subtitle was “City Council hopeful pushed conspiracies on Twitter.” As a friend wrote to me, “This is the Park Record’s way of saying, don’t vote for Chadwick Fairbanks.”

Yep.

That would be OK if it were an editorial. Yet, Mr Hamburger singled out Mr. Fairbanks in a news article, at the top of the page, that went years-back in twitter comments, and DESTROYED him.

I get what the Park Record was trying to do. They searched Twitter and found some quotes by Mr. Fairbanks that they disagreed with and thought the audience would disagree with. They posted those thoughts and it made a difference.

Congratulations.

The Park Record was able to influence an election.

Don’t get me wrong. I personally disagree with Mr. Fairbanks on many (perhaps most) things, including those about people of Jewish ancestry (my nieces are Jewish). His views expressed on Twitter are shit.

Yet, the way the Park Record has handled this election so far is crappy, too. They shouldn’t single out a candidate and run a hit-piece on someone they don’t like.

To contrast this, let’s then look at the Park Record’s article, written again by Jay Hamburger, entitled “Becca Gerber, fighting for working moms, wants second term. The title tells you all you need to know about who Mr. Hamburger, and the Park Record, support.

They could have equally titled the article, “Becca Gerber has been unable to solve traffic issues during her tenure as City Councilperson.”

All said, I don’t live in Park City and don’t get a vote. I assume both Ms. Gerber and Mr. Fairbanks are OK people in their own ways. I’m sure each has their flaws, as all of us do. What I object to is the blatant favoritism shown by the Park Record.

Maybe the Park Record will prove me wrong in the general election and delve deeply into Facebook profiles, Twitter posts, Next Door comments, voting records and tangible successes from every candidate. I won’t hold my breath, though.debat

Last week, Park City’s City Manager, Diane Foster, was let-go by the town. She has been on the job since 2013 and her employment contract provided a severance package equal to a year’s pay, according to the Park Record. That equates to about $140,000.

Good for Ms Foster in receiving a severance package. I only had the opportunity to speak with her a few times, but she always seemed competent, friendly, and willing to educate me on how the city worked.Yet, the circumstances of her termination highlight something interesting with social equity in Park City.

Park City Municipal made social equity a top priority in 2018. They spent up to $100,000 on hiring Park City Municipal Corporation