Local News

The new live action “Aladdin” has just enough magic to make it fun.

Guy Ritchie, usually known for his British gangster movies, has branched out with a movie unlike any of his others. With “Aladdin”, a live action remake of the animated Disney film of 1992, Ritchie has directed not only his first musical, but his first Disney film. He also co-wrote the screenplay with John August.

After months of work the new Heber City Dog Park will have a grand opening this weekend.

The updated Boneyard dog park at Muirfield is located at 750 North 200 West in Heber. New amenities to the park include two separate runs for large and small dogs, play features, water stations, and human restrooms. City Manager Matt Brower explains what the public can expect from the event.

The Park City Community Foundation earlier this week announced the recipient of its Women’s Giving Fund high-impact grant.

The $35,000 grant is going to the People’s Health Clinic, good news for an organization entering its 20th year.

Katie Wright, from the Foundation, said that in 2013 they planned to get $1,000 donations each from 1,000 people. That one-million-dollar endowment would go towards the needs of women and children.

Wright said this week’s announcement is their 5th grant.

The Heber Envision Process is nearing its end. After some public meetings, and online outreach the big survey for the project closes on July 15th. From there the survey input will be used to complete a draft vision for presentation at a meeting in August.

Park City Manager Diane Foster recently met with Summit County Manager Tom Fisher and Hideout Town Manager Jan McCosh to discuss each party’s interest in including unincorporated areas of Summit County in the municipalities’ annexation policy plans. Hideout’s plan would nearly triple the size of the town, with boundaries extending to Jordanelle Reservoir and encompassing the Quinn’s Junction area. Annexation policy plans outline possibilities for long-term expansion to accommodate growth—they don’t detail actions that will occur.

Summertime is finally here, and Summit Community Gardens has a bounty of opportunities to learn about gardening. Tickets are now on sale for their Diggin Dinner fund raiser coming up in August.

The Second Sunday’s Program this weekend starts off at 9 AM with Hugo Coffee serving up a cup at the gardens. Annie Pierce will give a talk called Spoil the Soil, talking about the composting service offered to the community and the importance of healthy soil. Summit Community Gardens Executive Director Collie Belieu talks about their plans for expansion.

Summit County has now purchased and installed a new smart electric vehicle charging station network.

Summit County Sustainability Manager Lisa Yodder says the county is installing the stations as part of the council’s sustainability plan. Yodder says the stations were put in first and foremost for the county’s electric vehicle fleet. Right now, the county has just two electric vehicles, but more are on order as the county retires older vehicles and opts to replace them with electric.

Parley’s Park Elementary School has four projects underway this summer. A large pile of dirt is blocking the parking area and school officials ask people to stay away until school starts in August.

A person with kidney disease could wait for a transplant from a deceased donor for years until the right match is found. But a donation from a living donor can speed up the process and improve a patient’s quality of life much faster. One Park City community member recently triggered the life-saving surgeries of four kidney patients with her donation.

Laura Diaz Moore donated her kidney in May to a complete stranger.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat," Diaz Moore said. "I received so much love and support from everyone in the community, and it was just a great experience.”

During their agenda on Wednesday, the Summit County Council will consider planning for their national forest lands; they may make a decision over an entry gate in a Jeremy Ranch subdivision; and will see the new design for the county’s web page.

The council meets at the Richins Services Building and starts their work session at about 3:30 pm

At about 3:40, they will get a presentation on the redesigned county website. County Manager Tom Fisher said they gathered input from both their staff and outsiders on how to improve the site.

The Park City Planning Commission will participate in a work session Wednesday to discuss the City’s annexation policy. 

The Park City Council recently instructed Planning staff to include unincorporated City-owned land in its annexation expansion area, which informs the City’s annexation policy plan. Park City Planning Director Bruce Erickson says that was only the first step in a long to-do list toward annexation.

A Park City woman found a fawn lying motionless on a Prospector trail last weekend. Out of compassion for its suffering, she told KPCW she took the young deer to her home, planning to call authorities who would likely euthanize the animal. She contacted the Park City Police Department,  the DWR and an animal rehabilitation organization. She was issued a citation for taking the animal out of the wild and bringing it home.

The Park City Education Foundation has funded the Bright Futures program for three years and celebrated the first graduating class this spring with more than 20 students heading off to college. They’re looking for volunteers to help in August, with the summer session which kicks off the newest emerging class of Bright Futures students.

This year’s One Book/One Community selection committee has identified The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  William Kamkwamba wrote it more than a decade ago and it was made into a movie which premiered at Sundance in January this year.

The Park City Education Foundation works closely with the High School Administration to identify the One Book/One Community choice. Associate Director of the Park City   Education Foundation, Jen Billows has an overview.