RSL Plans To Build New Complex

Real Salt Lake (RSL) is the professional soccer team of Salt Lake City. At the moment, RSL has an academy located in Arizona for young players striving to one day play professional soccer. However, the organization recently released their plans for a new training complex and high school that will be located in Herriman, Utah. The complex will include eight soccer fields in addition to the high school. Three of the eight fields will be turf, with two of them located indoors. The released plan will cost at least fifty million dollars.

The RSL owner has a very clear vision for the new development. He hopes to build a program that will give talented youth soccer players as much opportunity for a successful athletic career as they would have in Europe. In addition, the idea is that both RSL and the Real Monarchs (RSL’s minor league team) will be able to utilize the fields for their training sessions. The owner also stated that the organization hopes to develop a professional women’s soccer team in the future, as well as continue to expand their youth program.

In addition to the many fields, there will be a STEM charter high school on the property. The high school will only be open to 250 students. Although details have not been released about who will be invited to attend the school, qualified people are imagining the school will house talented soccer players who will be enrolled via tryout.

According to KSL, the complex is scheduled to open in July 2017.

Sources:

Cardenas, Xoel. "Real Salt Lake Announce Plans to Build $50 Million Training Complex in Herriman." KSL. KSL, 9 Apr. 2016. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

The "Great" Quake

The ground is rumbling and everything around people is falling down. People are screaming and panic would is spreading all throughout the town.

When the 7.0 earthquake hits, that's exactly what it'll be like.

A 7.0 earthquake is overdue in Utah and is predicted to hit within the next 50 years. The earthquake will hit the Wasatch front, which is one of the largest fault lines, and then spread, causing other earthquakes throughout Utah. In total, 80% or more of Utah will be affected by this earthquake. On the fault line, the crust has been stretching out by 1.2 millimeters every year. The last 7.0 earthquake that happened in Utah was 1,300 years ago, and on average, a 7.0 earthquake happens every 1,300 years.

The injuries and deaths that this earthquake will cause are huge. If the earthquake hits at night, then there will be an estimated 3,000 deaths and 42,000 injuries. If it hits during the day the deaths will be reduced by 20% and the injuries by 26%. This is because, during the day, people are working in buildings that are checked by the state, therefore making them better equipped to withstand earthquakes. An estimated 60,000 people will be in shelters because their homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. With all of the injuries, hospitals will be overwhelmed and won’t have enough staff to help out.

One third of buildings would be destroyed, causing a loss of 35 billion dollars. Power outages, water lines, and cell phone towers will all be down. It will take power companies 12 hours to restore a town which means that some people might be out of power for up to 30 days (including power line repairs). The earthquake will also cause fires to spread across Utah, which will cause even more damage, and there will be aftershocks everywhere. Firefighters will be in high demand, putting out fires and rescuing people from the rubble, so it could take days to get to some people - there won't be enough firefighters to save everyone simultaneously. Because of that, it's important that people help out their neighbors.

All in all, this earthquake can cause a lot of damage. Still, there are ways that a person can prepare. For example, it is recommended to have a 72-hour kit that includes water, food and other necessities. By having these things, it is guaranteed that a person will be better prepared and can last longer. It is also important to help out other people in the community.

http://www.seis.utah.edu/edservices/EES/WasatchFaultClock.shtml

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705359039/70-earthquake-If-the-big-one-hits-Utahs-Wasatch-front.html?pg=all

Park City's Cottontail Rabbits

In Park City, the cottontail rabbit population is the highest it’s been in five years. Research proves that these types of rabbits experience “population peaks” and “population declines” throughout five-year cycles. This shows that the numbers are so high this year because the cottontail species is reaching a population peak. Five years ago, they were rarely spotted. This year, however, the cottontail can be found jumping in front of cars more frequently than ever.

Cottontail rabbits can be identified by their unusually small size. The rabbits appear gray-brown in the summer months and white in the winter months when snow is present in order to camouflage.

Since Park City is home to many of the cottontail species’ predators, it is easy to explain the five-year cycles that the rabbits go through. The small herbivores must deal with predators such as hawks, owls, foxes, snakes, mountain lions, and more. One of the most dangerous predators to these mammals are mountain lions. When the cottontail population is at a spike, Park City’s mountain lion population has more food to prey on. This is one of the main causes of cottontail’s sharp decline every five years. The mountain lions, as well as other predators, treat the rabbits as small snacks. However, as soon as the cottontail population declines because of the increase in predation, the predator population decreases, allowing the cottontail population to spike once more, hence the five-year cycle.

Although the cottontail rabbit population is higher than ever this year, based on the five-year cycle, the population will steadily decline in the next few years. Eventually, the population will reach a low point, and then will start to increase once more.

Sources:

Mitchell, Dean L., and Paul Klimack. "Utah Division of Wildlife Resources."Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

"Cottontail Numbers Highest in 5 Years." Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

"Cottontail Rabbit." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

Problematic PowerSchool Follow Up

Andrew Frink, director of data services, has been working with PowerSchool bugs since last summer, when they "upgraded" PowerSchool to the 9.0 version, which wasn’t quite as positive a change as anticipated. There are so many bugs that Andrew and other technicians are working at the Park City School District schools every day, and have been since last summer. Why is it so buggy? According to Andrew, “[PowerSchool] is very complex software and the problems have been difficult to resolve.” They are unsure of why it’s so buggy and why it hasn't been fixed yet, but they will continue working to fix this complicated issue. Still, the bugs will most likely continue for a long time unless the company itself fixes it and actually improves it.

It’s been weeks, months, years since PowerSchool hasn’t been an issue for the Park City School District. PowerSchool is a program through which students can see their grades, to help keep them in the loop on how they are doing in school. Well, it should be that way, but one day, PowerSchool is shutting down for no reason, and the next, teachers can’t enter their grades, not to mention its absurdly long loading times - have fun watching three episodes of Modern Family while you wait for it!

Another thing that PowerSchool is supposed to be able to do is pair with Canvas. The grades students are given in Canvas are supposed to transfer right over to PowerSchool, but they simply don't, so it makes for a very long process. The teachers usually take a long time to put in grades, because they have to do it manually, so students can’t see their grades. When all of their grades get put in at the last minute, they don’t have time to make it up and try to raise their grades. When students submit something to Canvas, teachers fill out a rubric to quickly and automatically give you a grade. If those scores went straight to PowerSchool - like they’re already supposed to do - it would be extremely easy to receive grades, but it doesn’t do that, so teachers have to go to PowerGrade and manually insert the grades a second time. In the process, things get forgotten, scores are messed up (sometimes through typos, sometimes switched between students, and so on), and time is wasted just because the programs don’t work properly. It may be months, or even years until these problems are fully fixed.

Field Trip Fanatics

Remember being a kid and piling into the big yellow school bus to go to a museum with friends for a field trip? Well, those fun filled days are slowly disappearing. Across America, and in the Park City School District, there’s been a severe drop in the number of field trips. Field trips are an important part of a child’s learning and help kids to get excited about going to school and the things they get to do. All throughout America, schools are cutting these important, educational, enriching days due to budget cuts, school requirements, and scheduling issues.

Learning about something in real life is far more educational than sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher lecture. Even if videos are shown, it’s not the same - students don’t learn as much as actually being there. Schools are trying to be more focused on how things relate to the “real world,” like showing how math problems can help you in a future job, so why are they cutting a real world experience like field trips? Studies show that students remember things better when they actually go and and have a real life experience.

In one interview, Mrs. Julie Hooker, a teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High, said, “Students remember how they feel long after they remember what they learned." Students who were surveyed three weeks after a trip to a museum were able to remember more about what they learned than students who read about the same material in a book or watched videos.

In the words of Mrs. Duis, “We have too many students per grade level nowadays to take an entire grade on a field trip during the regular school day. It is too expensive and disruptive to the rest of the student's schedule for the day. Field trips only work well in small groups. In our core classes, that is not possible anymore.” The fact that schools don’t have the funding is a big problem, but so are the problems of large class sizes and low numbers of buses. Teachers should be encouraged to help students learn in a fun and interesting way.

The solution: provide more money for field trips! Allow students to miss classes to go on trips without having boatloads of work to make up. Stop making field trips such a hassle. It's so important to look at future careers and increase a kid’s knowledge about a topic. Students can also bring in a portion of money to help for the buses if it comes to that, so please, bring back field trips.

For the students! For the learning!

Article by Hali and Cami Burke

Canvas Catastrophe

Canvas is an online website that the Park City School District uses to help kids keep up with their class assignments. It shows the students’ classes, what the agenda is for the week, upcoming or late assignments, and you can also turn in an assignment through Canvas. Canvas is how students become aware of their assignments. Sounds like a great luxury, right? Canvas might sound like a great website for school purposes, but there are some issues that make Canvas more unhelpful than helpful.

Canvas is a website, meaning it’s only accessible online on a phone, computer, or tablet. The Park City School District gives every student enrolled in the school district a MacBook Air, so it’s not an issue finding a device to access Canvas on. The problem is that computers and technology is not always reliable. For example, if a student is working on an assignment online and they have to turn it in on Canvas, what if there’s a power outage? What if the internet crashes or there’s a problem with the internet service the student uses? Power outages are pretty common in Park City, Utah, and when this happens students usually go down to a Starbucks or library to get connection. But, a lot of the times, students don’t get back from their extracurricular activities until it’s pretty late, so most parents don’t want to drive their kids down to Starbucks at 10 o’clock at night. Sometimes, phone companies’ cell phone towers can go out, cutting out connection from everybody who uses that phone company. When this happens, there’s nothing a student can do about it, they just have to wait until the problem is fixed which can take hours. This results in the student being unable to complete their work for reasons that are out of their control.

When students tell their teachers that they were unable to complete their assignments because of internet or power issues, the teachers usually respond by saying the students should have been more responsible and printed out their assignments before the internet went out... but how can students know when their internet is going to crash? Also, not everyone has a printer, so how can students all expected to print it? When the internet goes out, students with printers still can’t print their assignments because they’d have to go on Canvas to print their assignments which is obviously inaccessible in this situation. Even though power outages and internet crashes don’t occur every week, when they do happen, they can put students behind in their schoolwork and affect their grades.

The idea of Canvas is to be updated about the upcoming agenda in your classes. This sounds great, but teachers don’t always get around to updating their Canvas page. When this happens, students are unaware of their assignments and the activities they are doing in class. Some teachers don’t get around to updating their Canvas page until the last minute on Sunday night. There’s no point of Canvas if it’s not used consistently and it’s just confusing students.

In conclusion, Canvas can be very helpful at times, but it also has a lot of flaws. Some of the flaws with Canvas include unreliable internet and inconsistent updates, which make it harder for students to keep up. If Canvas was used appropriately and wasn’t affected so easily, then it would be a great website; as it is, though, it is more unhelpful than helpful.

By: Mia Rapella and Hali Weaver

Heidi Matthews, your favorite librarian... And maybe new UEA President?

     Heidi Matthews has been in the education field for 26 years. Treasure Mountain Junior High (TMJH) has been blessed with her presence as a librarian since 2000 and grade after grade, students still love her.
     When we asked her what her ideas were for encouraging and pushing students to read, her answer was, “When students have choice in what they read and find books that that they care about and the books are the appropriate reading level, that should be enough to encourage them.” This shows how much Mrs.Matthews relies on students love for reading, she wants everyone to read. She decided to become a librarian based of the fact that she loves books, and teaching students. She loves to have the opportunity to work with the other teachers. Her favorite thing, she says, is that she has a focal point in the school coordinating around literacy. She used to be an english teacher, but changed to a librarian because she wanted something different and more time to herself.
     It makes Mrs.Matthews sad that a lot of the kids at Treasure don’t go into the library unless it is
People are at different stages a lot of times students start getting busier and students don't have time to read, she hopes students see the value of the library and how they can use it to their advantage. She has worked here for 16 years has made the purchases , the books, in her opinion, are “rocking”. There isn’t as much of a non-fiction section, but she says she is working on it. She is happy that she has healthy library budget. Plus, you can check out digital books.
     If you hadn't heard, Heidi Matthews is running for UEA President and she's a shoo-in. (P.S that is the correct spelling, not “shoe-in.”) She says that she is running to give a larger voice to teachers. In her words “So many decisions are made by people in power who have no experience. The people who aren't getting what they need to learn or teach need a voice. There is so much research out there that correlates a strong teacher union for students. The teachers are a big part in how we educate in Park City.” There are 20,000 people with a vote in this election, to those people Mrs. Matthews says “I’ve never known a teacher without an opinion, your vote in this election is your voice and we need an association leader with a proven record of asking tough questions, leadership and doing tough work for education. Time to speak up.”  Find Heidi at her campaign website Electheidi4uea.com

Park City Shooting Victim Passes

Article by Rachel Baniewicz and Ellie Fischer

Last Monday night, a Park City man named Jose Fernandez was shot in the head. He did not die immediately, but he finally passed away on Friday as a result of his injuries. He was at his home when the incident occurred, as, police say, Fernandez was hosting a party at the time; James Henfling has been caught and taken into custody for shooting Fernandez.

Fernandez was a very important part of the Park City community. He worked at the No Name Saloon located on Main Street for nine years, and made many connections to dozens of people while working at the popular bar. People that have met him say that he was “easygoing and well-liked”. His wife is currently expecting their first child and is distraught by the events that have occurred.

Witnesses have said that the shooting occurred after a fist fight between Fernandez and Henfling. Police also say that they believe that alcohol could have been a factor since a party was going on at the time. The two men also know each other, but it is unknown how they knew each other and how close they were. Henfling’s court appearance was scheduled for February 29th.

After asking the Treasure Mountain Junior High principal about this event, she had no comment. She did state, however, that the school district has strict emergency plans in place if an event like this were to happen on or near school property.

This is a huge shock to the Park City community and police. Things like this don’t happen a lot in Park City, which goes to show how our environment is changing. The community needs to take a stand now before it’s too late.

Citations:

Boyd, Robert, and Mark Green. "Family Says Widow of Man Fatally Shot in Park City Is Pregnant with Couple’s First Child." Fox13nowcom. Fox News, 28 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

Green, Mark. "Man Wounded in Park City Shooting Has Died, Police Anticipate Homicide Charge in Case." Fox13nowcom. Fox News, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

Hamburger, Jay. "Park City Shooting Victim Succumbs to Injuries." The Park Record. The Park Record, 27 Feb. 2016. Web. 02 Mar. 2016.

A Future Writer Named Malia

Malia Haynes is a student at Treasure Mountain Junior High in Park City. She is a normal junior high girl, possessing what any teenager might have. Included in the cabinet below her sink is a nail polish kit, a first-aid kit, rags and extra hand towels, and hygiene supplies. 

She is a very kind girl that grew up with two parents. Her mom is very loving, but seems to get mad at Malia for anything she does. Malia’s dad is a very funny, hard-working man. His hard-working personality has helped Malia tremendously throughout her lifetime. From helping her with projects, to building houses, to running the kitchen of the best restaurant in the United States, her dad is always there. 

Malia is a writer and writing is one of her favorite things to do. If she were to go on a twelve hour train ride with no electronics, she would bring a pencil and notebook to pass the time by writing. She also keeps a journal and pen on her nightstand. Malia also really enjoys reading of any genre, including Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Malia is also very interested in going to college in the future. She keeps many college and career readiness pamphlets on her nightstand and is always looking for new opportunities. She plans to study writing. In the future, she pictures herself having many published stories and poems, with many more on the way. She hopes to meet new friends at college too.

Uber, Unsafe? - All about the Kalamazoo shooting

Uber, Unsafe?

Jason Dalton, a forty-five year old Uber driver, is currently the alleged shooter for the Kalamazoo shooting. He was arrested early Sunday morning after a seven hour killing spree. Detectives stated that he quote, “Admitted to taking people’s lives”. He is currently under investigation for murdering six people and brutally injuring two others. According to Fortune Magazine, “He was taking passengers on high-speed rides across the city in between the slayings.” This also conveys the Uber business with huge problems. People are starting to question whether or not the company is doing a good job hiring their employees.

The strange factors that come with this case, is that he has no criminal record what so ever, and he has been rated five stars on the Uber app by previous passengers. However, a women that drove with Dalton earlier before the incident, said that he made her feel uncomfortable. Thinking that she was just being paranoid, she gave him five stars anyway. He had no connections to any of the victims. This tells police that he must have chosen them at random. This goes to show that anyone could be a victim, even here in Park City.

Fear is spreading everywhere about the incident. Christine Fischer is a local here in Park City, Utah. When asked about the Kalamazoo shooting, she stated that, “It is horrible that someone would do that to so many innocent people. I am a little more nervous to take Ubers now, but I know that with the right caution and emergency plan, I will be just fine. Uber needs to take a step back and examine their employees more carefully before this continues.” All in all, Jason Dalton may find himself in prison for the rest of his life, and the Uber business will work hard at keeping people safe.




Citations:

"Kalamazoo Shooting Suspect Jason Dalton Had No Mental Health Issues, Police Say." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

"Six Dead After Uber Driver Reportedly Goes on Shooting Spree." Fortune Six Dead After Uber Driver Reportedly Goes on Shooting Spree Comments. N.p., 21 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

"Kalamazoo Shooting Spree Suspect Appears in Court." TODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

The Zika Outrage

The Zika Outrage

By: Ellie Fischer

The Zika Virus is a disease transmitted through the Aedes mosquito, it causes a disability called microcephaly. In 1949, the disease was found in a monkey at the Zika Forest in Uganda. However, there were no signs of outbreaks until 2007. Microcephaly is a disease that causes incomplete brain development and an abnormally small head. Microcephaly only affects unborn fetuses. Although this disease may not affect you, there are other symptoms children and adults can get from this horrible bite. They are, red eyes, rashes, and fevers. Doctors strongly suggest to stay away from Zika hotspots, especially if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Women who have been infected, should wait at least two years before they have another baby. This disease is currently located in twenty-nine countries, it is in Texas and Florida in the United States. People need to be prepared because it will continue to spread. If we do not prepare for this, eventually our whole population will be infested by this illness.

The infection can also be sexually transmitted, like the first case that was discovered here in the United States. According to Dr. Natalie Azar, “If you are a male who has either traveled in a Zika Virus transmission area, or have lived there and you have a partner who is pregnant, you should abstain for the duration of the pregnancy.” You can avoid getting infected by the mosquitoes by wearing sunscreen and using ingredients such as, Deet and Picaridin. It is also recommended that people should wear long sleeves, pants, and stay underneath the shade as much as possible. Melissa Fischer is currently vacationing in Florida for the Ski break. When asked if she was concerned about the virus she immediately responded. Her words were, “Yes, I’m concerned about it, but also confused about it.” This goes to show that researchers have not done a good enough job to get the message out, and people need to know the seriousness of this before it is too late.




Citations:
Mohney, Gillian. "Zika Virus Prompts Florida Governor to Expand State of Emergency to 5th County." N.p., 4 Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

"See All the Places Where the Zika Virus Has Spread." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"Zika Virus, Explained in 6 Charts and Maps." Vox. N.p., 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"Zika Virus on the Move: How to Protect Yourself." N.p., 5 Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

A Day in the Life of Collin

Collin Schofield is in my eighth grade journalism class. He decides to go on a trip and that trip is a twelve hour train ride. If Collin could only have three things with him, he would bring his rubik's cube, food, and water. Food and water comes to mind because it is necessary for survival. In the case of boredom, Collin wants to have a Rubik’s cube in hand to play with. In the drawer in his bathroom, Collin has hair spray, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, and hair gel; stuff that any average teen would have. But there is more to Collin than what he would bring on a trip or what is in his bathroom drawer.

Collin has a loving mom and dad. His mom is blonde with green-blue eyes. Sometimes she is happy and sometimes she can be mad. Collin’s dad is known as a hard worker. He gets this impression because he works every day of the week except for sundays. The thing Collin loves the most about him is that he is always happy. Collin has a brother that he shares a room with.

If Collin had to be an ice cream flavor, he would chose to be birthday cake. Birthday cake ice cream is bright and sweet just like his personality. On Collin’s nightstand is a wallet, a toy, wrappers or school papers, and a picture of his family and friends. Him and his brother love to play and most of the stuff on his nightstand is a result of a game they were playing. In the year of 2020, Collin will be a senior in high school, a graduate, or a freshman in college. He wants to be with his friends inventing something awesome. Collin is a fun boy that loves his family and friends.

Red Rock: A Review

Red Rock is a very popular restaurant in the Redstone area in Park City. This certain venue is called Red Rock Junction, named after its location in Park City’s Kimball Junction. It’s located directly across the street from the Redstone movie theater, so it’s an ideal place to eat following a movie. Red Rock restaurants are a small group of dining locations found only in multiple places in Utah. There are also many locations in Salt Lake, in addition to Park City. The menu includes a variety of food items from different backgrounds.

One of Red Rock’s most popular food items is the Red Rock Burger. This item is a burger with swiss cheese on top. The burger is placed inside a flat bread bun and topped with tomatoes and lettuce. On the side, customers can choose between carrot chips or french fries. The carrot chips are another popular item. Instead of “normal” carrot chips, the carrots are sliced into very thin chips that look like the equivalent of Lay’s Ruffles chips. In addition, another customer favorite is the chicken parmesan. This item is a piece of chicken topped with red sauce and parmesan cheese. Spaghetti and garlic bread are served on the side. Although the food at Red Rock is not the same as food that would be served at a five-star, top-notch restaurant, it’s definitely worth trying.

An additional pro concerning this restaurant is the helpful staff. It is obvious that the staff wants to make each customer’s experience the very best. They are never rude and usually are very cheerful.

When asked about Red Rock’s food and staff, Park City teen, Skylar Jackenthal, said, “One of my favorite foods at Red Rock is definitely the Red Rock Burger. And, whenever I go to Red Rock, the people working there are always willing to help and fix any problems.”

Red Rock Junction, as well as other Red Rock restaurants, are definitely places that should be visited and/or tried. There is so much more food than named in this article. Although the restaurant is often busy, there is a reason. It’ll be worth the wait.
This restaurant receives 4.5 out of 5 stars from the Treasure Mountain Junior High Park City Post.

Snow Hazards in Park City

Snow is one of the many cherished features of Park City, but is it really as great as we think? Roof leaks, stuck cars, and injuries are only three of many hazards of the abundance of snow we seem to have in Park City. Snow is great, but there is a point where it becomes too overwhelming, causing many time-consuming chores. Lots of snow comes with a great bill that must be paid, but some people can’t pay it or don’t have the time to fix it themselves.

Roof leaks happen to everyone, there is no way to avoid them. If there is snow on your roof, when it melts the water has nowhere to go other than down, so it sits on your roof until it works its way into your house. When a leak starts to happen, that means the snow has caused damage to your roof, which means a big bill to fix it. First, you need to hire someone to shovel the roof, or if you’re really motivated you can do it yourself. It would save money to do it yourself, but it’s a lot of hard work. “it’s better to pay for a leak now, then paying for a whole roof repair later” said Kristen Haaijer. If a leak continues without being stopped, it can eventually cause the whole roof of your house to collapse. A snow covered roof is pretty and harmless until the water ends up in your house.

Cars are constantly stuck in driveways, roads, parking lots, and other snowy places. After a big snowstorm, the snow plows won’t be able to get everywhere right away and even when they do, there is still enough snow and ice to get stuck. Especially, if your car is not a four-wheel drive car, meaning all four wheels spin not just either the front or back two. When a car has four-wheel drive, it has a better time traveling through snowy roads. No matter how much the road is plowed and salted, there will still be some snow and ice on the road and if not, there will be some on the side of the road. When there is snow near the road, cars can easily slip into a ditch or a pile of snow that they will be stuck in for the next little while. We need to stay on top of the snow conditions so we aren’t constantly calling roadside assistance.

Injuries happen every day, but when it is something as silly as sipping on ice, you really start to feel down about your injury. Ice is a very dangerous thing because when not controlled, it can become very hazardous. If someone slips on ice, concussions, broken arms, spinal injuries, ankle or foot breaks, or knee contusions are very common consequences. When it snows a lot, ice forms at the bottom to create a very slick surface. When people don’t take care of the issue or aren’t careful, they will end up having a long rest of the winter.

So everyone is wishing and hoping for snow, until we actually get it. If people become more aware of these issues, maybe their winter won’t be so aggravating. The snow plowers and homeowners need to stay on top of the conditions and risks. Snow is something everyone looks forward to in Park City, but instead let's look forward to lots of hard work and heavy bills. All great things come with a consequence.

A Flavor Everyone Likes

If Audrey McDonald could be an ice cream flavor, she would be cookies and cream. Her reasoning for this is “everyone likes oreos and with ice cream filling, what can be better than that?”

Audrey’s parents are both very loving. She describes her mom as “5’7 with blonde hair, blue/green eyes.” When talking about interacting with her mom, Audrey claims she “sounds soft and sweet, but when she gets mad, she gets really mad!” Audrey’s dad is very generous and hardworking. She admires his ability to work with difficult people he has to cook for and have the patience to help skiers who do not know how to ski.

Next to her bed, Audrey has a nightstand. The night stand has three levels. On the first shelf, there is her journal and a lamp. On the second shelf, there is her snow globe collection. The collection features forty-two snow globes; Audrey has collected these throughout her life. On the third shelf, there is all of her hats.

In 2021, five years from now, Audrey can be found resting after many years of strenuous training for the 2020 Olympics, which she attended. At this time, academically, she will be a freshman at the University of San Diego. After completing her olympic career, Audrey will be transferring to Berkley, where she plans to graduate from. After graduating, Audrey would like to continue with her passion for swimming by becoming a coach.

Audrey McDonald is a nice, caring, driven person.

The boy wonder

The Boy Wonder

My friend is a 12 year old man named Ian Van Leuven , He is aspiring to go to MIT and just from hearing from him it won't be a challenge. Ian loves to ski and mountain bike,. He lives in a good home with his mom and dad. His father is a very hard worker, and his mother a very kind loving mom who supports him not matter what.

Ian is currently getting very good and riding his dad's old skateboard but wanted something more his own so he got a brand new longboard and has been waiting the days till it is sunny and warm to break out his new board.

My friend Ian is a genius, the boy skipped 7th grade and wants to go to MIT. I believe just from hearing him talk about school if he keeps up his hard work and dedication i bet this kid will go on to great things.

Ian loves to read, In fact if he could only have three things for a twelve hour train ride he just wants food, books, sleeping bag. Speaking personally i can not stand to read for more than 20 minutes. This kid can read all day and night, that is something amazing.

     My friends skills in school and athletics make him a very brave and hard worker which in life beyond school this kid will go on to do amazing things.

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus

Top Three Reasons To Take The Bus
By Ellie Fischer

The buses here in Park City, Utah, have revolutionized the way transportation works. There are many reasons the transit here is amazing. The three that stand out the most are listed below.

1.) Saves the Environment

The Park City transit system uses biodiesel to operate the buses in a healthy and clean way. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases.” This means that it is a safe way to power machinery while keeping pollutants out of the air. Another reason buses protect the environment is because buses can hold a numerous amount of people, while cars can only hold a certain handful. This is relevant information because decreasing the amount of cars driven, can clear up the air and keep the environment healthy.

2.) Decreases risks of car accidents
There are many reasons this is a common factor that contributes to people's lives. Taking the bus is the best solution for fatigue driving, drunk driving, distraction, and road rage. One person is killed every half hour due to drunk driving according to the website, 'Lifetips'. Taking the transit system in Park City, and any other city, will help these numbers decrease dramatically. Traffic can often create chaos among the roads which causes people to lash out. Often times this road rage can lead to disasters, such as car wrecks. As you may know, this is very bad for a person’s health condition and money standards, so why not take the bus to prevent all this stress in your life?

3.) Saves money

Referring back to the last paragraph, taking the Park City buses can save money in various ways. It contributes to not having to pay for car insurance, gas, or a way of transportation. This is a substantial plan for anyone’s life because when getting in a car accident, the costs are breathtakingly high. Not to mention, the monthly check ups you have to go through to keep your car operating. Gas prices are rising enormously as years go by, which makes it harder and harder to come up with the money to provide the gas someone needs. Mark Fischer stated that, “Gas prices have historically risen over the years, which leaves less money for for groceries and other optional expenses.” Taking the bus would help eliminate of all of these hassles.


In conclusion, the Park City transit system provides great service, saves money and it keeps the roads and environment safe. People need to start thinking about what the greater good is for the city. Taking the bus is one of these aspects of life and the city has done a great job providing it.





Citations:
"Free Park City Transit System." Park City Utah Transportation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"How Free-fare Transit Works in Cache County and Park City." The Salt Lake Tribune. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

"Park City Transit." Park City, UT : Transit Bus. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.

Do you want the have the vacation of a lifetime

If you love the mountains, and being outdoors, come to Park City. There are so many amazing things to do year round. If you come in the winter, you can enjoy the largest ski resort in North America. If you come in the summer, you can enjoy so many things such as hiking, rock climbing, paddle boarding, mountain biking, and shopping.

In Park City there is great history. You can visit our Utah Olympic Park and go on the alpine slide or the bobsled track. In the summer, there is a bobsled on wheels that goes almost seventy miles an hour.

For the non thrill seeker, you can enjoy great nightlife on the historic main street. There are amazing restaurants, which so many different flavors including: French, Italian, Home Cooked American, Irish, and many more.

If you come to stay, you will not have to worry about where to stay. There are so many hotels in Deer Valley, Main Street, Red Stone, and Canyons. No matter what,  you will always have something to do and have an amazing experience.

Me, Myself, and I

Born in Nashville, I am Owen, a 12 year old 8th grader and math, music, and book lover. After about 8 months, my family moved four times before settling in a small town in Utah.

At three years, my lower leg got caught in a ladder and it broke. The very next day, on the way to the hospital for my leg, my mom said her water broke. One of my now three brothers was born that day.

When I was starting pre-school, I started the violin. At eight years old, I was baptized into the LDS Church. After the sixth grade, I was eligible to skip ahead to eighth grade, so I took that opportunity. I am now taking Chinese, ninth grade math, journalism, percussion, and jazz band, among the other standard classes. I recently stopped taking violin lessons and am now taking piano and drums.

Sundance: Who Comes?                          

By: Olivia Bezemer, Sophie Young

Every year hundreds of people from around the world gather in Park City, Utah, for the most celebrated film festival in North America. These people range from small town tourists to some of today’s biggest stars. This year’s stars are found strolling along Main Street and all over Park City.  

Some of the most common stars this year you would have seen wandering Main Street include people such as: Nick and Joe Jonas, John Legend, James Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Tyler Posey, Austin Butler, Selena Gomez, etc.

They all come for the same reason. To celebrate the films they may or may not be in. Many of them have been featured in varieties of films every year; for example, Nick Jonas was featured in a small film named ‘Goat’.

This year is Sundance’s 38th year anniversary. The festival started in 1986, and it was just a small film festival in a small ski town. Look at it now, it’s the the country’s largest film festival, with a handful of people that come to Park City. On average, there’s about 40-50 different stars that come to Sundance each year.

It is a very popular activity for tourists, and even locals to go up to Main Street in search of the celebrities. Although the festival lasts ten days, most locals only find themselves up on Main Street two days of the ten. The tourists come from all over, along with the filmmakers that are coming from all around the world. Sundance attracts all kinds of people from all kinds of cultures. There are even field trips for the middle schoolers to go and see one of the films each year. And the high schoolers and junior high schoolers get to go to a lecture hall and see Sundance short films.

Since 1986 Sundance has been a success. Still growing in popularity each year, this vast event has brought a lot of income, tourists, and morphed this small ski town into what it is today.