Local Color
Photography and Concept: Dan Campbell
Nicco Quinones
13 years old. Videographer and editor for Park City Television. Won a national contest last June sponsored by C-SPAN with his documentary, “An American Dream,” exposing issues surrounding Park City’s largely Hispanic workforce. The Grand Prize (out of all of the kids in the nation who entered) was $5,000 and a viewing of his film before a six-million-strong C-SPAN audience.
Greatest joy gleaned from the honor of his award: “I never felt better than when a guy stopped me on the street and said, ‘Are you Nicco?’ When I said yes, he told me he’d just wanted to thank me for all of the good things I’d said about his people on TV.”
Worst part gleaned from the honor of the award: “Mayor Dana Williams, who was in my film saying that Park City couldn’t exist without the contributions of the Hispanic workforce, has since received hate mail.”
How to make lemonade from lemons: “After I thought about the hate mail, I was actually psyched. Because it means people saw my documentary and it made them mad. And they took the time to comment on it. That’s great! Just stating the obvious is not interesting to me. I like controversy.”
Of his filmwork: “I try to recognize what’s right in front of me,” and “I can get lost in making film for hours and hours. Everything changes when you have the mindset of video. When I hear music, I think, what scene would that go with in a film?” and “I’m not into the ‘I’m an artist’ thing. You’re not an artist by saying that. You have to become one.”
Guiding Principle: “To shine my light on people or places that aren’t so privileged.”
Bonnie Park
District Administrator for Basin Recreation. Committed community volunteer (Cub Scouts, Community of Caring at Treasure Mountain Middle School, Extreme Soccer Board member, named Rotary Club’s 2003 Professional Citizen of the Year). Avid early morning trail runner. (“That’s my stress management. I have a best friend who’s been my running partner since our kids were babies. We run, talk, laugh and when I walk into work, as busy as I am, I feel like I’ve done something for myself.”)
Moved to Park City in 1979 after attending the University of Utah. Was one of four staff members at the Chamber of Commerce when it was housed in the old sheriff’s office on Main Street. “At the time, Park City was relatively unknown and we were trying to convince people this was a great place.” Bonnie worked at the Park Meadows Country Club and managed the Racquet Club before it went public. In 1996, she started working halftime for the newly created Basin Recreation. “The observation was there was all of this residential growth going on, and nothing being developed for parks and recreation. I started the office in my laundry room. People still tease me about my flat file – the washer and dryer.”
Greatest rewards of the job: “Seeing how this whole trail system continues to come together. With the help of a few committed volunteers, we sat down with a big map, identified critical link points, started drawing conceptual alignments, and introduced it as a planning tool in 1997. The Mid-Mountain Trail is just one example of how amazing it is – all three resorts are now linked. When you see an idea like that turn into something that’s real, that’s the reward and it’s easy to forget however hard it was getting there.”
Quirks: The Parks’ pet collection includes, “a lizard, crickets (to feed the lizard) a turtle, a bird, a dog, a Chinese waterdragon named ‘Bing’, and a missing snake.”
Guiding Principle: “My family is hugely important. I have a husband who’s very supportive. My kids are the motivating factors in pursuing and sticking with this job. But family is first, and I consider myself lucky to have a job creating places for families to play.”
We wake to their voices. John “Bish” Neuhauser (The Canyons), Sandy Hatch (Deer Valley) and Candy Erickson (Park City Mountain Resort). Every morning on KPCW, they frame our ski days by calling in the daily, and all-important snow reports from each of our three resorts.
Why do they do it? “The ski passes!” (unanimous answer)
Best part of the job: Bish: “Sunrise up on the hill.” Candy: “Skiing down by the light of the snowcat at dawn.” Sandy: “Getting nice feedback from people; making them feel like they have the inside scoop on conditions.”
Worst part of the job: “The ‘F’ word: Four-Thirty” — as in a.m., the time they get up to prepare their reports. (unanimous answer).
Do they really use snow stakes up there? Actual, wooden rulers? “Yes.” (unanimous answer)
Would they share the locations of those snow stakes? “No.” (unanimous answer)
Best complaints received: “We love it when people say, ‘Hey! There was a lot more snow up there than you said!’”
Other: “We love our jobs!” (unanimous answer)
Guiding Principles: “Let it snow!”
Rob Slettom
Park City’s “father of lodging.” Owner of Identity Properties, celebrating its 25th anniversary this season. Arrived in Park City from Minnesota in 1971 in a VW Bus, where he “learned to play harmonica along the way.” Almost took a job renting bowling shoes at the Sun Valley Lodge on his way here. The Midwestern skier was so out of breath his first day on Park City slopes, his brother told him he’d better go home.
History: “When I first moved here, Park City was a community of about 1,000 people. You almost thought you had to keep your hand out the window to wave at everybody or they’d think you were in a bad mood that day.”
Business philosophy: “I listen to everyone.”
Community involvement: The Lodging Association, Ski Utah, Utah Tourism Industry Coalition, Park City Chamber/Bureau, Park City Performing Arts Foundation, Park City Citizens Advisory Board and more. “Some people refer to me as ‘Mr. Committee.”
Fetish: Rob’s a collector of trucks, tractors, antique toys and motorcycles, and the mini cars you’ll see him drive in the Fourth of July parade each year. Has a warehouse in Kamas to store it all. Also owns two laundromats, the Trout-O-Mats.
On his nickname: “It doesn’t have a whole lot to do with fishing. It came from my brother, and has more to do with the telling of trout tales. When people ask me where I have the best success fishing, I say, ‘the market.’”
On Park City: “When you think about where we live, we just don’t have anything to complain about. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Guiding Principle: “Sometimes we get too serious, too wrapped up. Throughout the day, whether it’s personal or business, I look to pick out the light side.”
Bill Brown
retired contractor and businessman, now avid community volunteer. Lived in Hawaii and Hong Kong for more than 25 years. In Hong Kong, he helped build twenty-two 34-story buildings housing 25,000 people on 11 acres, and the Jockey Club – a 70,000-seat betting facility. In Hawaii, he built luxury hotels. “Hotels are fun. They’re high intensity – they usually set the opening date before you start.”
Grew up in Yosemite National Park – his Dad ran the general store there. “I went to high school in Mariposa, an old gold mining town. I went around the world twice on a school bus.” Worked on Yosemite trail crews during high school and college. “Between July and September, another fellow and I spent the entire summer on horseback at 9,000 feet, building trails and bridges.”
Graduate of both Dartmouth and Stanford. Honed his skiing at the legendary Tuckerman’s Ravine in New Hampshire. Now skis 65 days a year from his Park City home, where he’s lived since 1985. Serves on Park City’s Water Reclamation Board (“I’ve built 20 reclamation plants in my career – the system here is excellent”), the Glenwood Cemetery Board of Trustees (“We’re working to catalog all of the graves, identify the veterans and create a walking tour guide”), helped create the Olympic Plaza and managed 40 Main Street warming cauldrons during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games (“We went out every morning at 6 a.m. to keep them fueled – changing out 40 propane tanks every day”).
On Park City: “There are a lot of interesting folks in Park City. This is a good place to be.”
Guiding Principle: “Be positive. Try to work out conflicts. Stay out of lawsuits.”
Ira Sachs
Made his fortune building Holiday Inns back East. Arrived in Utah in 1971. Skied Snowbird’s opening day in 10 feet of powder, helicoptered over Park City on his way out, and liked what he saw. Moved to Park City and lived for two winters in a Winnebago parked behind then-Utah Coal and Lumber restaurant. With local partners, built The Yarrow Hotel. Has palled around with Hunter S. Thompson and Bali’s three royal princes, for whom he served as hotel advisor. Lives at Deer Valley’s Stag Lodge. Owns a 14-passenger Swedish Army snowcat. Skis daily, wearing a radio pack and Balian luck bells, which he distributes in the thousands to friends and strangers alike.
Jokes that, “I’m a Jewish Robin Hood. I take from the rich and keep it.” Then contradicts himself by revealing that he financially supports Planned Parenthood, the Food Bank, and, along with other Park City residents, the annual purchase of 700 sleeping bags for the homeless, amongst other causes.
Addictions: Hot tubs, beautiful women and his children (seven of them).
Of the 45-foot waterfall at Rose Sachs Gardens in Parley’s Canyon, which he opened in 1991 and named for his 92-year-old mother: “If you can’t get lucky at your own waterfall, you’ll never get lucky.”
Of Park City: “Compared to how this town was run in 1971, it’s a thousand times better. It’s a truly cutting edge community. There are no negatives. There’s something about the quality of the people here, moving from elsewhere, that makes them more adventurous.
Hobbies: “Hiking, skiing and the pursuit of beautiful women.”
Guiding Principles: (printed on his business card) “Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy” and “Be more, appear less.”
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