Local Color

Frank Normile

Frank Normile, director of the Park City Film Series, has led a life that reads like a movie script.
Raised in Oyster Bay, New York, “You took your boat to school and afterwards invited the girls to go water skiing. It was a great seduction technique.” Paying for school by shipping out to Africa every summer as a merchant marine, Frank attended Amherst College, graduating with honors in Russian Studies. “The second I passed my orals, I decided never to speak Russian again.”

While at UCLA law school in 1968, he was “about 90 percent into the CIA, through Air Force Intelligence, before they discovered I was blind as a bat and wouldn’t take me. But the draft still wanted me. I went to my draft physical at a Brooklyn Navy yard with glasses as thick as coke bottles. There were 1,800 of us lined up stark naked. They told me I was blind as a bat and to get the hell out of there. I was the only person to leave that day. They took the other 1,799 guys for Vietnam.”

Between then and now, Frank has studied in New York City’s financial district, beach bummed in California, and worked as a law teacher, writer, assistant law dean and lawyer for 26 years. “I chased my share of ambulances … but I never did catch one. Then I broke out. I wanted to get as far away from the culture of L.A. as I could. I thought, what’s the extreme opposite of L.A.? Utah.” Frank moved here in 1994, working as an appraiser, lawyer and producer of his own PCTV documentary program, “The Dog and Pony Show.”

He got involved with the Film Series because “it was the easiest way to meet women in this town. I didn’t enjoy the bar scene. The ratio of 30 drunken men to one drunken woman wasn’t working out.” He started out by taking tickets at the first Film Series movies. Before he knew it, Frank was the designated Park City Arts Council person, then president of the Park City/Summit County Arts Council, then director of the Film Series. “I’m looking to stoke those artistic embers we all have in our souls, trying to excite dialogue by showing films that will bring about conversation. I like to see myself as an exhibitor of cinematic art who pushes the envelope of interest.”

Fairy tale ending: Frank met the woman of his dreams at the Film Series. In 2003, he proudly married Melissa Nibley, at Burning Man, both of them wearing nothing but white cake frosting as wedding attire.

7-Eleven Sisters

Most of their customers assumed they were sisters. Who could blame them? When Sandy Tison and Melody “Mel” Guerrero worked together, they did so with a comfortable style usually reserved for siblings. “We’ve been through so much together,” explains Sandy in her trademark deadpan delivery. “When you work together for that long, you can talk about anything,” she adds.

Sandy and Mel are the dynamic duo who basically ran the 7-Eleven store at the base of The Canyons Resort for the past seven years. Sandy was already a clerk there when Mel showed up on the scene as the store’s new manager. Mel has a fireball style, a grand laugh, and a take-charge attitude that’s impossible to ignore. She was the kind of manager who was welcomed by the more reserved Sandy. “She would always make me laugh, even if I had a bad day,” says Sandy.

The 7-Eleven store is a hub for employees of The Canyons and visitors of the resort. Customers knew and loved Sandy and Mel for their service and for Mel’s quick-witted remarks. “I always tried to get people to laugh,” she explains. “There are few things I wouldn’t do or say when [I was] running that store.”  Her wild and forward style has definitely rubbed off on Sandy, who, before spending so much time with Mel, wouldn’t think of speaking her mind. “Oh yes, she rubbed off on me. I can really get out of my shell now when I need to.”

Recently, Mel took a different position at the 7-Eleven on Sidewinder Drive, giving her the professional challenge she was craving. Customers still ask Sandy about Mel – and she tells them where they can find her. Both say change is good and that their professional camaraderie has translated to a lifetime friendship.

“I know if I call her up for anything, she’ll be there for me,” says Sandy about Mel. “That’s just how she is.”

Matt Jones

Park City freshman Matt Jones stands out in a crowd. And it’s NOT just because, at age15, he measures in at 6’3” and 180 pounds. Matt stands out because he’s a true Renaissance man.

A Park City native (parents are Randy and Lisa; older brother Will is a mentor), Matt has taken advantage of just about everything Park City has to offer. He is captain of the freshman football team, plays on the freshman basketball team, and is one of the youngest kids on the varsity water polo team (he started playing on the team in the 6th grade!) He has played rec league baseball, has been on the swim team; he snowboards, skateboards and has recently taken up trapshooting. His favorite sport of all? “Whatever sport I’m playing at the time.”

About his teams he says, “When everybody starts paying attention and talking to you, you feel like a real member of the team. You feel needed. If the coach takes you out and tells you what to fix, don’t get mad at him. Stay calm, take a few deep breaths and get ready for when he puts you back in. Just listen to what he says.”

Aside from his passion for sports, Matt will become an Eagle Scout this September. His final merit badge will come from repairing a trail in Pinebrook, “taking out hazardous things that would make old people fall down.” He’s also an honor roll student whose favorite subjects are math, geography and Mandarin Chinese. “I tried Spanish and didn’t like it. I messed around too much in class, sitting by my friends. Chinese is fun. People think it’s hard – but it’s just memorization.” He also sings in the school concert choir, enjoys camping with his family (“just being outside and cooking over the fire”), and though he “hates fish with a passion,” he likes to fish. He loves river rafting trips, all kinds of music, a good night’s sleep, and Super Smash Brothers video games (“I’m unstoppable. I can’t be beaten. If there’s anybody out there who wants to challenge me …”).

Of growing up here he says, “There’s a lot of stereotyping about how everyone in Park City is rich, but a lot of my friends have just enough to get by. But we do have a lot better life than a lot of people do, so I’m just thankful for that.”

Taped to his bathroom mirror, where he can see it every morning, is a dog-eared copy of the Miners Football Team credo, the “Four I’s”: Intelligence, Immediacy, Intensity, Individual Responsibility. “This is what I live by,” says Matt.