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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 2 Volume V, Issue IX February 15, 2002 The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: 745-2688 Fax: 745-0062 Cell: 791-4387 E-Mail: shannafrancis@att.net Jeannie Wendell Tel: 745-2879 Fax: 745-2879 E-Mail: crwendell@msn.com Opinions expressed by advertisers, columnists or letters to the editor are not necessarily the opinions of the owners and staff of The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS. Guidelines for Letters to the Editor Letters should be 300 words or less. Letters must be signed and the address of the writer submitted. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS reserves the right to edit or decline printing of any submissions. Letters to the Editor Animal Rights . . . I Agree! I think animals should be treated just like a person. Dogs in Kennels, cats on the street, birds without homes. I think it’s horrible. If I could change the world, this is what it would be like: All dogs have homes without kennels. All cats are in a home with a loving owner. All birds have somewhere to go. I know everyone has time to do something good, so why don’t you try going to a pound and checking it out. Or even giving an animal their shots, or even spaying or neutering them. You could also donate to a local shelter or even end up finding yourself a friend. I know I wouldn’t be able to change the world, but can’t a person dream? Animals are the greatest; why not treat them like it? China Barnes Eden Announcements Sought As a community service, The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS will print local birth, wedding, obituary, anniversary and missionary farewell & homecoming and Eagle Scout announcements free of charge. We invite residents to send their announcements to: The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS PO BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 If you would like your submitted items returned, please send a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS, while respecting all property received, will take no responsibility for lost or misplaced items. Please remember to keep a copy for yourself. Invitation for Articles The staff of The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS welcomes the submission of articles by our readership. We invite you to submit local historical accounts or biographies, articles pertaining to contemporary issues, and/or other material that may be of interest to our readers. We also invite you to submit to the paper, or notify the staff of local events. Awards that have been earned by the reader, family members, neighbors or friends are also sought. While the staff of The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS invites the submittal of information and articles, we reserve the right to select which material will be considered for publication. All material, to be considered, must be submitted with the full name, address and telephone number of the person submitting the material. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS’ liability on account of errors in, or omissions of, advertising shall in no event exceed the amount of charges for the advertising omitted or the space occupied by the error. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any product or service advertised in this newspaper. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS hereby disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS is not responsible for any claims or representations made in advertisements in this newspaper. The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS has the sole authority to edit and locate any classified advertisement as deemed appropriate. It also reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Ogden Valley Land Use I am a former resident of Ogden Valley, currently an active duty Air Force officer and a highly concerned citizen— viewing from a distance what is transpiring in Ogden Valley with land utilization and commissioners, people treating other people badly, disrespecting land and persons, libelous behavior, conflict of interests— for short term gain (selling out for a buck). More than a little surprising in light of 9/11—people ought to have a better perspective on what is important in life. Family, friends, truth, human dignity— all good values worth sacrificing for. There is only one Ogden Valley— used to be a pretty nice place to raise kids and horses (still could be). The direction land use is heading is precarious, following a negative trend. Last time I checked they stopped making more land, and the creator is darn sure not making any more pristine Ogden Valley’s. So guess what folks, what you have is all there is . . . so good stewardship is the bottom line, not dollars. There are many ways to make dollars. They come easy and go easier. Very temporal . . . but the character of a valley, of a person, and a community—that is a precious thing that takes a lifetime to develop and, sadly, can be desecrated in an instant. The drama that is unfolding in the Valley is comprised of many acts and players, it only takes one bad actor to sour Inspirational Thought “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true.” the theater. The same is true of land use commissions. Unfortunately it only takes one bad actor to pervert the use of power and influence. The reason for several commissioners is to have a check and balance, preventing “conflicts of interest” and one individual from instilling “groupthink,” or riding roughshod over the Valley citizenry, imposing their values (quick $ gain), erecting structures that will not stand the test of time and climate, destroying relationships, personal character, pride and reputations and then moving on. In the old west they were called carpetbaggers, (now speculators) wise folks kept their distance and often removed them from their towns before they did their damage. Oh, yes it is possible to recover from such an assault, but the character of a community will not be the same, ever, and you will have settled for something second best, yes—second class. The choice is yours, the time is now. Do the right thing! You have the authority to change the script/actors and change the direction of the drama. Brian Anderson One Person’s Gain, May Contribute To Another’s Loss In response to the mystery author’s paid advertisement, “Olympic Size Games at Nordic Valley,” the writer obviously misread and misjudged his/her audience. Additionally, one has to question the motives behind penning an anonymous letter. Believe it or not, I was somewhat sympathetic to the author’s cause, but the sympathy quickly waned after reading the last paragraph, “We desire all of [our] neighbors to realize their dreams whatever they are. We hope they make a fortune along side us.” It is quite obvious that the author is fairly new to the Valley because he/she would know we are all living our dreams to be fortunate enough to live where we live. Many are second, third, fourth, or even fifth generation residents who are simply doing anything possible to leave the Valley a better place in hopes that their children will also be able to enjoy a life here. We realize the potential to “make a fortune,” but recognize the fortune is made when we ultimately are forced to sell our prized property and leave our homesteads. Moreover, why would someone go to the effort of placing a “Paid Advertisement,” but not have the courage to sign their name. Two answers surface, but they generate additional questions. OVN has two basic requirements for submitting a letter to the editor: 300 words or less and the writer’s signature/address. While the piece didn’t comply with either, certainly it could have been submitted as a guest article, but once again you must sign your work. Was the author trying to build credibility through anonymity? Was he/she trying to protect their professional image by lashing out irresponsibly? A quick audit of the article reveals that the author used I, me, or my, an astonishing 38 times. Sympathy from this audience for your greed will be hard to attain. Richard L. Sorensen Eden Reader Feels Article Was Biased After reading the article “Weber Commissioners Approve Zone Change for 70-Room Hotel” in the February 1, 2002 Ogden Valley News, I felt I must write. The article was slanted and left out key information. Importantly, it was not clear the project was a multiuse development, meaning it would include not only the lodging discussed in the article, but small specialty shops, offices and a restaurant. I don’t mind being quoted, even out of context, but feel the side comment, “Kris Wilkerson, who recently moved to Huntsville from out of state,” was added to bias readers. It is true I recently moved back to Utah, but that does not mean that in my absence I have not had a presence here. This valley became my intended home over eight years ago. My husband and I purchased property here five years ago. This Valley and its development are important to me. Important enough that I investigated the proposed project. I reviewed the site plan. I talked with people regarding the project, including the Catanzaros. Growth in our Valley is going to occur whether we want it or not. We can bury our heads in the sand and refuse all proposals, or we can get involved. Properly controlled growth can enhance a community—educationally, economically and culturally. Everyone has the right to an opinion. It is okay to feel strongly about that opinion. However, in doing so, it is not okay to twist facts, or judge other people’s opinion based on whether they lived somewhere else part of their life. Prejudging someone based on amount of time in the Valley, their religion, or their politics is just as wrong as any other prejudice. Kris Wilkerson, Huntsville, Utah -Richard Bach, from Illusions The deadline for material for the March 1, 2002 issue is February 20, 2002. Come V i sii t U s Valley Junction Inn E-mail: VJInn2002@hotmail.com www.valleyjunctioninn.com Natalie Chambers, Manager 801-745-1259 2547 N. Valley Junction Dr. Eden, UT 84310 |