The group plans to disband in December, according to High Uintas Preservation Council founder Dick Carter.

"You know, I've been saying what I've been saying for years and it has simply not connected," Carter said in an e-mail to The Park Record.

In the group's June newsletter, Carter said the environmental movement "has just left me behind."

"It is a vastly different movement with a deeply different psychology, different expectations and engaged in a very different manner than was my experience," Carter wrote in the High Uinta Preservation Council's June newsletter. "Conservation is not expected nor sought."

He criticized the U.S. Forest Service for doing little to protect rivers and allowing timber harvesting and the use of all-terrain vehicles to increase in the forest.

As a resident of Cache Valley, Carter said "it is just too far from the Uintas to get there on a meaningful and regular basis."

"There is simply no room for a measured or collaborative approach," Carter wrote. "We are simply not real players."

He described today's environmental movement as "built upon a highly technical/cyber-electronic model."

"And try as I might, I just can't get my hands on or head around it," Carter said. "I'm still hooked on a walk, a topo map and pencil."

Membership renewals for the High Uintas Preservation Council ended last December.

"In the end a person pushing and pulling this kind of organization has got to believe our voices are more than simple bearing witness," Carter wrote. "Bearing witness may be all we can really do and may be the most important thing we can do, but it can't be the impetus for an organization like [the High Uintas Preservation Council.]

Remodel: Sundance Film Festival needs temporary venue

The awards ceremony at the close of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival will have a new venue. This week, festival organizers will approach the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District about the possibility of hosting the closing festivities at the Basin Recreation Fieldhouse, 1388 Center Drive.

The awards ceremony has traditionally occurred at the Park City Racquet Club, which will be under construction during next year's film festival.

"The Sundance folks are scouting possible venues for the closing party," said Bonnie Park, a spokeswoman for the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District. "They've just had some brief discussion."

Basin Recreation board members are slated to hear from Sundance Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. at a meeting at 5715 Trailside Drive.

"I know they've looked at some other venues, but I think that's the only one that would fully support the entire group for both the awards and the party," Park said. "It's about a three-day impact."

District officials would negotiate a fee for Sundance to use the recreation facility at Kimball Junction.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

The death does not appear to be suspicious, said Bob Zanetti, an assistant Park City Fire District chief.

A bicycle was found near the elderly man's body.

"Some bystanders found him unconscious there," Zanetti said. "It might have been a heart attack My guess is he was probably just riding his bike and had some medical problem."

Zanetti did not release the name of the man. He said he does not know where the man lived.

"His family has been notified," Zanetti said. "I was contacted by family members and they were from Rhode Island."

Firewood permits

Firewood permits for personal use are available in the Uinta Mountains east of Kamas. The U.S. Forest Service has permits available in the Heber/Kamas and Evanston/Mountain View Ranger Districts.

Permits for the Heber/Kamas Ranger District are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Forest Service office in Kamas is located at 50 E. Canter Street. In Heber, the Forest Service office is located at 2460 S. Highway 40. Permits are also available at U.S. Forest Service offices in Evanston, Wyo., Mountain View, Wyo., and on the Mirror Lake Highway.

Those who receive permits are allowed to remove downed timber or cut standing dead trees under most conditions.

Firewood permits are $7.50 per cord. There is a four cord minimum. A map of authorized cutting areas will be issued with the permit. A cord is a tightly piled stack of wood roughly four feet high, four feet wide and eight feet long.

Funds generated by firewood permit sales help fund road maintenance and slash disposal funds. Slash are the pieces left after cutting firewood.

Contact the Heber/Kamas Ranger District at 435-783-4338 for more information.

UDOT gets nod for public relations

Intrepid, a Salt Lake-based Hybrid communications agency, and the Utah Department of Transportation have been awarded a Silver Anvil, the public relations industry's most prestigious honor.

The award, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America, recognized Intrepid's and UDOT's Innovate 80 campaign.

The campaign, which co-branded a series of road construction projects on or near the I-80 corridor in Salt Lake and Summit counties, communicated the innovation UDOT was employing to improve efficiencies and reduce traffic delays. This included the replacement of 12 bridges over a two-month period one of the largest and most ambitious projects of its kind in the world.

"Through their selection for the profession's most prestigious award, Intrepid and UDOT join an elite group of winners whose work demonstrates the value of public relations to the organizations we represent, as well as the communities they serve," said PRSA Chair and CEO Gary McCormick. "It is an honor to award them the PRSA Silver Anvil for their exemplary work to recognize the program's achievement in public relations and its indispensable value as integral to business planning, strategy and success."

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

Republicans and Democrats are holding separate primaries and voters will be required to identify which party's ballot they would like.

The forum will feature the two Republicans in District 53, incumbent state Rep. Mel Brown, R-Coalville, and Wanship Republican Jon Hellander. The winner of the GOP primary will face Park City Democrat Glenn Wright in the November election.

The Summit County Republican Party is sponsoring the candidate forum. District 53 includes areas of Summit, Wasatch, Rich, Daggett and Morgan counties.

Meanwhile, the only primary race for Democrats in Summit County is in state House District 25, which includes much of the Snyderville Basin. Joel Briscoe and Anthony Kaye are the two Salt Lake City Democrats facing off in District 25. The winner of the primary will face Salt Lake Republican Rick Raile on Election Day.

Republicans can also vote in the U.S. Senate primary. Mike Lee faces Tim Bridgewater for the GOP nomination to fill the seat currently held by Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah. There are also nonpartisan school board races in the Kamas and Coalville areas.

Voters must show ID

The early-voting period is underway and voters must show a government-issued photo identification to cast ballots. Early voting for the June 22 primary election runs until June 18.

Voters may show a valid Utah driver license, photo identification issued by the federal government, a Utah concealed-weapon permit, U.S. passport or tribal ID card, Chief Deputy Summit County Clerk Ryan Cowley said.

Or they may show two of the following: current utility bill, bank or financial statement, certified birth certificate, Social Security card, check issued by the state or federal government, paycheck from voter's employer, current Utah hunting or fishing license, current U.S. military ID card, certified naturalization document, current valid license issued by a federal agency, certified copy of court records showing adoption name change, Bureau of Indian Affairs card, Medicaid or Medicare card, current ID card issued by a local government in Utah and a current valid vehicle registration. At least one of these must list the voter's current home address.

Touch-screen machines have been set up in Coalville, Kamas, Park City and the Snyderville Basin. Voting hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Those who registered to vote at least 30 days prior to June 22 may cast ballots early at these locations:

Summit County Courthouse, 60 N. Main Street in Coalville

Kamas City Hall, 170 N. Main Street in Kamas

Marsac Building, 445 Marsac Avenue in Park City

Sheldon Richins Building, 6505 N. Landmark Drive

Voters who are unable to show proper identification may cast provisional ballots. Following the election they will have about five days to present ID the to the Summit County clerk for their votes to count.

Only Republicans can vote in the closed GOP primary. Any voter can vote in the Democratic primary.

For more information, call 435-336-3204.

New ordinance cracks down on pet owners

An ordinance recently approved by the Summit County Council requires those with four or more dogs or cats to apply for a permit from the planning department to keep that many pets at their home.

After voting to approve new rules on May 26, several councilpersons began having second thoughts. They discussed the new ordinance at a work session June 9.

But councilpersons ultimately chose not to rescind the new requirements. The Snyderville Basin Development Code now requires pet owners with four or more dogs or cats to obtain a conditional use permit from Summit County.

A code enforcement officer may cite those who violate the new ordinance.

"If you want to not get cited again, get a commercial permit," Summit County Manager Bob Jasper said.

Pet owners with several animals can have the same impact on a neighborhood as a commercial kennel, Summit County planner Kimber Gabryszak said.

"We're dealing with people who may have a ton of dogs and they don't clean up their dog stuff," Jasper said.

Pets are exempt from the new planning ordinance until they are about six months old. Animals used in agriculture are also exempt.

The Eastern Summit County Development Code already required residents on the East Side to obtain conditional use permits when housing four or more dogs or cats at their homes.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

The traffic crash occurred at about 4:15 a.m., according to Cameron Roden, a spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol.

Three women were inside the vehicle when it rolled over, Roden said.

The driver overcorrected after the vehicle went off the left side of the road.

"She was possibly distracted or had dosed off," Roden said. "She lost control and the vehicle rolled three times."

Roden did not know the names, ages or hometowns of the women involved in the crash. The woman who was ejected from the vehicle suffered the most serious injuries.

She was in serious condition when she was flown in a medical helicopter to a hospital in Salt Lake City, Roden said.

Traffic was blocked as emergency crews cleaned up the crash.

Three names suggested for treasurer's replacement

The Summit County Republican Party has begun the process for finding a replacement for former Summit County Treasurer Glen Thompson, a Republican.

April 30 was Thompson's last day. The Summit County Republican Party was given 30 days to submit three names to the Summit County Council. Councilpersons may pick one of those people as Thompson's replacement.

The three applicants include Henry Glasheen, Michael Howard and Richard Motto, according to Glasheen, chairman of the Summit County Republican Party.

The three men live in the Park City area.

The list was unanimously supported by more than half of the Republican precinct chairpersons in Summit County, according to Glasheen.

The treasurer monitors receiving and accounts for all county funds. The office also assists in borrowing and investing money for Summit County.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

"I am pleased to announce that soon you will be hearing this phrase, 'Where's the Summit County beef?'" Assistant Summit County Manager Anita Lewis said.

A rancher on the East Side of Summit County will sell two cows to the Park City Market, which will begin marketing the grass-fed beef in May.

"He is offering up two of his heifers and the market will buy the entire cow," Lewis said. "It's going to be a test project."

Summit County is partnering in its "local food initiative" with Park City and the Park City Chamber/Bureau. The goal is to test "a pilot program that will get Summit County beef to be purchased and consumed by people in Summit County," according to a report City Hall officials submitted to Park City Mayor Dana Williams and the City Council.

"Before we do our pilot program in the fall, we need to do a pre-pilot program so we know what we're talking about," Lewis said about beef sales that could begin this spring.

Summit County Councilwoman Sally Elliott said she was raised on grass-fed beef.

"I think it's great," Elliott said.

Spring conditions in the forest

Recent storms, which have dropped several feet of snow in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, have affected recreation opportunities in the Uinta Mountains east of Kamas, according to U.S. Forest Service officials.

"In the spring, road and trail surfaces become saturated with moisture and most often they will not sustain the weight of motorized vehicles, bicycles and livestock," Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Supervisor Brian Ferebee said in a prepared statement. "Recreating on wet muddy roads and trails causes resource damage and it is essential that enthusiasts minimize their impact on the land."

Forest users are responsible for knowing which roads and trails are open to motorized use. Travel plans and motor vehicle use maps, which show the roads and trails open to motorized vehicles, are available at all Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest offices. More information is available by visiting the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache website at www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf. The phone number in Kamas for the Heber-Kamas Ranger District is (435) 783-4338.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

The deadline to submit applications to serve on the Basin Planning Commission is Feb. 16. People interested in serving on the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission should apply by Feb. 15.

Letters of interest can be sent to the Summit County Council, P.O. Box 128, Coalville, Utah, 84017. Letters can be sent via e-mail to vswensen@co.summit.ut.us.

Each planning commission has two available seats.

The openings on the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission come as a result of the retirements of Planning Commissioners John Blazzard and Antone Powell, who are completing their third terms on the panel.

Meanwhile, the first terms for Basin Planning Commissioners Julie Hooker and Flint Decker expire this year. Hooker and Decker are expected to reapply.

Health board opening

Summit County Councilman John Hanrahan said several people have expressed interest in serving on the board that helps oversee the Summit County Health Department.

"There is a lot of interest," Hanrahan said. There are two seats available on the panel.

The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 16.

Letters of interest can be sent to Summit County Manager Bob Jasper, P.O. Box 128, Coalville, Utah, 84017. Letters can be sent via e-mail to vswensen@co.summit.ut.us.

New fire commissioners

Two members of the administrative control board for the Park City Fire District Gary Vetterli and Kent Cashel -- were reappointed to serve additional terms on the panel.

Among their duties is overseeing the Fire District's budget.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

The deadline to submit applications to serve on the Basin Planning Commission is Feb. 16. People interested in serving on the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission should apply by Feb. 15.

Letters of interest can be sent to the Summit County Council, P.O. Box 128, Coalville, Utah, 84017. Letters can be sent via e-mail to vswensen@co.summit.ut.us.

Each planning commission has two available seats.

The openings on the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission come as a result of the retirements of Planning Commissioners John Blazzard and Antone Powell, who are completing their third terms on the panel.

Meanwhile, the first terms for Basin Planning Commissioners Julie Hooker and Flint Decker expire this year. Hooker and Decker are expected to reapply.

Health board opening

Summit County Councilman John Hanrahan said several people have expressed interest in serving on the board that helps oversee the Summit County Health Department.

"There is a lot of interest," Hanrahan said. There are two seats available on the panel.

The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 16.

Letters of interest can be sent to Summit County Manager Bob Jasper, P.O. Box 128, Coalville, Utah, 84017. Letters can be sent via e-mail to vswensen@co.summit.ut.us.

New fire commissioners

Two members of the administrative control board for the Park City Fire District Gary Vetterli and Kent Cashel -- were reappointed to serve additional terms on the panel.

Among their duties is overseeing the Fire District's budget.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

The vaccines are available at the Summit County Health Department at 85 N. 50 East in Coalville, 110 N. Main Street in Kamas and 650 Round Valley Drive in Park City.

Clinics in Coalville are scheduled every Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. Call (435) 336-3234 to make an appointment to receive an H1N1 shot.

The clinics in Kamas are scheduled Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. except on the second Tuesday of the month when the clinic is scheduled 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For an appointment in Kamas contact (435) 783-4351 Ext. 3071.

In Park City, flu clinics are scheduled Dec. 21, Dec. 23, Dec. 28 and Dec. 30, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Contact the office at (435) 333-1500.

Updates on the availability of the swine flu vaccine in Summit County are available online at www.summitcountyhealth.org or by calling (435) 615-3935.

Deployment leaves dog homeless

Friends of Animals Utah is working on finding a new home for Sasha, a dog that ended up at the Heber shelter when her owner was deployed to Afghanistan.

The soldier's parents took on the responsibility of keeping the dog until their son returned, but after time they realized they could no longer keep the dog and had no choice but to take her to the local shelter. Unfortunately, this is a common story with bad timing as shelters are full of animals with owners who have had to abandon them due to economic circumstances.

Bubby is a yellow lab that was adopted as a pup when his owner was 12 years old. When the man, now a member of the U.S Marine Corps, was deployed to Iraq seven years later, he was left with his girlfriend. Buddy ended up in a shelter when the woman lost her condominium to foreclosure.

This is an all too familiar story.

Friends of Animals Utah, is putting out a plea for Sasha and other dogs and cats like her. With an estimated 30,000 troops planned for deployment this year, the group saw the need to create a program to help these companion animals of soldiers find temporary or permanent homes as needed. The program will be called, "Operation Yellow Ribbon."

Friends of Animals Utah is a non-profit organization, which works to protect and provide for animals while fostering an awareness of their importance in our lives. For information, visit www.foautah.org.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

Hundreds of people have lined up to receive the vaccines this fall, so people at Saturday's clinic will only be allowed to save places in line for immediate family members

Officials have heard complaints that people have cut in line at the clinics, a spokeswoman for the Summit County Health Department said.

Saturday's clinic is for children and young adults between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, parents and direct caregivers of infants younger than 6 months, pregnant women and adults between the ages of 25 and 64 years old who have chronic health conditions. Children 9 years old and younger waiting to receive booster shots of the H1N1 vaccine can also receive their second doses on Saturday.

Shop safely online

The Utah Division of Consumer Protection reminded consumers this week to be mindful when seeking holiday deals online.

"The holidays can bring out both big sales and big scams to unsuspecting consumers trying to save a buck online," Francine A Giani, executive director of the state Department of Commerce, said in a prepared statement. "Make sure you carefully review the terms of sale and confirm that the site is secure before typing in any credit card or personal account information."

The National Retail Federation estimated that 50 percent of Americans will shop for holiday gifts online and 87 percent of retailers offered a Cyber Monday promotion.

In fiscal year 2009, 27 percent of all consumer complaints received by the Division of Consumer Protection related to Internet fraud. For information on protecting yourself from scams, visit www.consumerprotection.utah.gov.

Public hearing in Kamas

The Eastern Summit County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Dec. 2 to discuss the Indian Hollow development, an 85-lot subdivision proposed on Democrat Alley west of Kamas.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Kamas City Hall, 170 N. Main Street.

The development is one of the largest neighborhoods ever proposed on the East Side of Summit County, about 15 miles east of Park City. The hearing will give residents an opportunity to ask questions about the proposal.

Neighbors are concerned about density, traffic and whether the new subdivision could cause a water shortage and groundwater contamination in South Summit.

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.

Those interested in applying should contact the city at 783-5734 before Nov. 30.

Osguthorpes nominated for conservation award

Members of the Osguthorpe family who own Red Pine Land and Livestock in Summit County have been nominated to receive the 2009 Leopold Conservation Award.

The award is presented by the Sand County Foundation, the Utah Farm Bureau Federation, the Utah Cattlemen's Association and Western AgCredit.

"Year after year, the finalists in Utah are exceptional stewards of the land, water and wildlife that are part of their ranches," Sand County Foundation President Brent Haglund said in a prepared statement. "The Leopold Conservation Award serves as an annual reminder of the tremendous work Utah ranchers are doing for agriculture and conservation."

The award, which is named in honor of conservationist Aldo Leopold, includes $10,000 and a Leopold crystal. The award is presented in seven states to private landowners who practice responsible land stewardship and management.

Other Utah nominees are from Box Elder, Kane and Carbon counties. The winner will be announced Nov. 19 at the Utah Farm Bureau annual meeting in Layton.

"Utah's farmers and ranchers have a long history of land preservation and a deep commitment to preserving Utah's natural resources," Utah Farm Bureau Federation President Leland Hogan said in a prepared statement. "As stewards of the land we want to ensure that history continues well into the future."

The post County Watch appeared first on Park Record.