Park City, UT
Home MenuPCMC News-August, 2011
Community Newsletter August, 2011
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Friends of the Park City Library could not manage their Miners Day book sale without the help of volunteers assisting with set up, sales and take down. Below is the schedule when volunteers are needed.
Wednesday, August 31: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Set up: Carry and place tables
Friday, September 2: 8:00 a.m.-noon
Unpack and set up books
Saturday, September 3: 8:45 a.m.-noon, 1st shift
11:45 a.m.-3 p.m., 2nd shift
Book Sales
Sunday, September 4: 9:45 a.m.-2 p.m.
Book Sales
Monday, September 5: 10:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Take down
If you are available and would like to help, sign up by August 23 at the Library circulation desk or contact Barb Bretz via email or call 435-615-8442.
CityTour 2011
This year’s CityTour will take participants to Estes Park and Ft. Collins, Colorado.
Dates for this year’s CityTour are September 7-11. Sign up now!
Bus Service Between Park City And Salt Lake City Aiming For An October 2 Start
The Utah Transit Authority board, Summit County Council, and Park City Council have adopted an interlocal agreement for bus service between Park City and Salt Lake beginning October 2.
Summit County and Park City will subsidize the service up to a combined $470,000 in the first year. After that is spent, UTA agrees to subsidize it by up to $180,000 in that year. Once that is spent, the partners can end the service — or one of them could decide to subsidize it further.
Plans call for charging a one-way fare of $5.50. Monthly passes are available for $242. Sixteen buses a day will operate during the peak months of December to April, and 12 a day from May to November. Stops will include: the Salt Lake Central Station; State Street at 200 South; University Hospital; a park-and-ride near the mouth of Parley’s Canyon; Jeremy Ranch; Kimball Junction; the Canyons resort; Park City Mountain Resort; Old Town Transit Center in Park City; and Deer Valley.
Leadership Park City
Park City’s national award-winning and ‘Best of State 2011”, yearlong community leadership program is accepting applications for its 18th year class. Applications are only accepted once a year and the deadline to apply is August 19. It’s easy to apply, just go on-line for information, schedules and the easy to fill out application form. For additional information, contact ReNae via email or call 435-615-5201. Don’t miss your opportunity to be a leader!
Recreation Center Construction Update
Last month, the City Council supported the new Recreation logo and naming the reconstructed recreation center as The Park City Municipal Athletic & Recreation Center. In honor of Candy Erickson, the tennis facility shall be known as the Candy Erickson Tennis Center. There has been significant progress on the project. In the interior; the electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contractors are feverously working as well as the framing, insulation and sheetrock contractors. The tennis courts are being graded and the concrete borders poured. The exterior framing and sheathing is almost complete. Window frames and asphalt shingles are progressing as well.
The sustainable efforts continue on the project, where 88% of all waste including demolition has been recycled. The recycled waste diverted from the landfill consisted of 19,860 pounds of concrete, 18,145 pounds of wood, 1,245 pounds of mixed metals, 2,100 pounds of plastics, 1,075 pounds of cardboard and 335 pounds of paper. The project team will continue to track and provide updates on the recycling and sustainable practices employed on the project.
The project is slated for completion in late November.
Utah Public Finance Website (UPFW)
The Utah State Legislature enacted legislation establishing the Utah Public Finance Website which permits Utah taxpayers to view public financial information on the Internet for state and local government entities without paying a fee. All Utah state and local governments were required to post financial data. Park City’s financial information (revenue and expenditures) is now available on the UPFW. Currently payroll information is not available on this website but will be in the future.
Check out the UPFW website.
September is National Preparedness Month
September has been designated for a series of outreach efforts to raise awareness of the importance of being prepared for disasters. Over the past few years, the size and number of these efforts have grown dramatically.
This month marks the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. By doing what we can to ensure that our communities, and our nation, are prepared to respond and recover from all types of disasters and hazards, we will honor the memory of those that were lost that day.
Great Utah Shake Out
On April 17, 2012, the largest earthquake drill in Utah history will take place. Click here for more information and to sign up. We will all "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" in the Great Utah Shake Out Drill.
Armstrong Trail Grand Opening
Park City Municipal Corporation, in conjunction with the Mountain Trails Foundation is hosting a grand opening for the Armstrong Trail, Tuesday August 16th, 6pm at Silver Star Café 1825 Three Kings Drive. Light food and drinks will be provided.
For more information on the Armstrong Trail or trails in general, contact Heinrich Deters via email, or call 435-615-5205
Comstock-Sidewinder Walkability Project
The Comstock/Sidewinder Walkability project is well underway. Questar Gas is almost finished with the new gas line. The new curb and gutter on both sides of Comstock, and the 8’ wide concrete path on the east side of the street is substantially complete. The raised concrete intersection at Comstock and Sidewinder is complete, the asphalt roadway reconstruction,and the irrigation and landscaping is also underway. The work on Comstock is scheduled to be completed by August 23rd for the start of school. The work on the Sidewinder sidewalk, curb and gutter, and asphalt repaving will begin as soon as the work on Comstock is complete. For more information, construction updates, pedestrian/traffic detour maps and an ongoing construction schedule, please visit the project website. Additional contact information: Hotline: (435) 200-3257, Email: parkcitywalkability@horrocks.com
News You Can Use
In July, City Council . . .
• Approved an Inter-local Agreement between Summit County, Park City and the Utah Transit Authority to provide bus service between Park City and the Salt Lake Valley.
• Approved a two-year agreement for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to use the Recreation Center.
• Appointed Melissa Soltesz and Linda McCausland to the Public Art Advisory Board.
Green Your Routine
Rechargeable batteries may have a higher upfront cost, but they are a money-saving option. One analysis, which confirmed the long-term savings, found that buying new batteries costs over 300 times more than the electricity used to recharge a battery. Whether you’re a homeowner or running a business, go with the rechargeable option to save money and prevent hazardous materials in our community.
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
Departments » Sustainability » For Homes
Cleaning Supplies
When looking for natural and non-toxic cleaning products, avoid anything with synthetic ingredients or fragrances, petrochemicals, VOCs, chlorine bleach, phthalates, formaldehydes and more. You should always read the labels of any product, and if a product does not have a label with ingredients then it almost surely has harmful chemicals inside. Look out for words like Caution, Warning, Notice and Danger, which could signal a potential harmful chemical. Learn more about healthy cleaning products here.
When purchasing natural cleaning products make sure they bottle includes a list of ingredients. You should be able to pronounce the names of all of them and should know exactly what each one is. The best kind of natural cleaning product you can buy should be made with simple ingredients that you could find in the store and make yourself.
Exposure to these toxins indoors can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; nausea; and damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous systems. And we certainly don't want ourselves, our family or our pets to come in contact with these toxins or experience any of these health problems. Children and pets are especially at risk because they experience a higher dose of toxins, not to mention their immune systems are still developing and not able to shed toxins from the bodies as quickly as adults.
There are three categories into which most of the hazardous ingredients in household cleaning products fall are:
1. Carcinogens – Carcinogens cause cancer and/or promote cancer’s growth.
2. Endocrine disruptors – Endocrine disruptors mimic human hormones, confusing the body with false signals. Exposure to endocrine disruptors can lead to numerous health concerns including reproductive, developmental, growth and behavior problems. Endocrine disruptors have been linked to reduced fertility, premature puberty, miscarriage, menstrual problems, challenged immune systems, abnormal prostate size, ADHD, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and certain cancers.
3. Neurotoxins – Neurotoxins alter neurons, affecting brain activity, causing a range of problems from headaches to loss of intellect.
Here are some startling facts about the chemicals found in cleaning products.
- 17,000: the number of petrochemicals available for home use, only 30 percent of which have been tested for exposure to human health and the environment.
- 63: the number of synthetic chemical products found in the average American home, translating to roughly 10 gallons of harmful chemicals.
- 100: the number of times higher that indoor air pollution levels can be above outdoor air pollution levels, according to US EPA estimates.
- 275: the number of active ingredients in antimicrobials that the EPA classifies as pesticides because they are designed to kill microbes.
- 5 billion: the number of pounds of chemicals that the institutional cleaning industry uses each year.
- 23: the average gallons of chemicals (that's 87 liters) that a janitor uses each year, 25 percent of which are hazardous.
- White Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Borax
- Hydrogen Peroxide (3% concentration)
- Club Soda (plain)
- Lemon Juice
- Liquid Castile Soap
- Corn Meal
- Olive Oil or Walnut Oil
- Toothpaste
- Pure Essential Oils - like lavender, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and tea tree oils
With all of these ingredients you can make your own natural and non-toxic cleaning supplies, which cost a lot less as well.
- All-Purpose Cleaners: This cleaner can be used for just about every surface in your home, from kitchen counters and appliances to bathroom surfaces and walls.
- Carpet Cleaner: To clean and disinfect your carpet, blend 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, and 1 cup cornmeal. Sprinkle mixture over rug and rub with a cloth. Let rest for several hours or overnight, then vacuum. An even simpler way to clean your carpet is to sprinkly plain baking soda on your carpet, let rest for an hour and then vacuum up. You can also add dry lavender buds to the baking soda for an extra fresh smell.
- Hard Floor Cleaner: This solution can be used for all hard floors (except when directed by the manufacturer to avoid even mild detergents): Combine 1/4 liquid castile soap, up to 1/2 cup white vinegar or lemon juice, and 2 gallons of warm water in a large plastic bucket. Use with a mop or sponge.
- Glass Cleaner: To make your windows shine, you can simply use club soda in a spray bottle. Add 1 tsp. of lemon juice to increase your window cleaner’s degreasing power. Leftover newspaper works very well to reduce streaks
- Bathroom Surface Cleaners: You can use the all-purpose cleaners recommended above or, for even simpler bathroom cleaning, use baking soda or borax as a scouring powder. For a softer scrub, combine 1/2 cup baking soda with enough liquid soap to achieve a frosting-like consistency. You may want to add 5-10 drops of an essential oil for fragrance. Club soda works wonders on plumbing fixtures.
- Toilet Cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda or borax, or pour white vinegar into the toilet, and let sit for a few minutes. Scrub with a good toilet brush.
- Oven Cleaner: Cover the oven floor with baking soda, spray with water until very damp, and let set overnight. Spray with water every few hours before you go to bed to keep damp. In the morning, clean out the baking soda, and the stuck-on gunk will be loosened and ready to scrub off.
- Drain Cleaner: Put two tablespoons of baking soda into/over the drain of your sink or tub. Then pour one cup of vinegar on the baking soda. This will begin to fizz a lot and is completely normal. Wait a few minutes, and then pour a kettle of boiling water over the soda/vinegar residue.
- Mold Remover: Combe 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with 1 cup water. Spray on mold and do not rinse. You can also treat mold with a spray mixture of 2 tsp. tea tree oil and 2 cups water.
- Wood Polish: To polish wood furniture, dab olive oil or walnut oil onto a soft cloth and rub.
- Silver Polish: Just put some toothpaste on an old toothbrush or wet cloth and go to town. When you’re done polishing, rinse the item well in warm water and then dry with a soft cloth.