The Zoo and the Aviary

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KSL has always been a strong supporter of Hogle Zoo. It's a wonderful facility and deserves all the attention the community can direct its way.

However, timing is everything, and in a year when the economy is receding and family budgets are being stretched, we have a difficult time asking voters in Salt Lake County to approve the $33 million bond the zoo is seeking.

KSL isn't against the bond. We simply can't endorse it.

The $19.6 million bond being sought for improvements to Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park is another matter. Where the zoo would survive without the money being sought, the aviary likely would not. The aviary is in such bad shape that it lost its accreditation a couple of years ago from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It has suffered from decades of fiscal neglect.

Yet, it is a community gem. It is the largest and oldest freestanding public aviary in the nation, actually one of only two in the U.S., and the only public aviary west of the Mississippi. Passage of the bond would allow much-needed renovation of Tracy Aviary with the goal of regaining its AZA accreditation.

So, vote your preference on Hogle Zoo, but KSL believes a "yes" vote on the bond for Tracy Aviary is a must.