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Show Volume XXV Issue XIII The Ogden Valley news Page 3 August 1, 2019 Letters to the Editor Why a Cement Factory in Ogden Valley? Good morning, Commissioners, my name is Chloe Ludlum and I live in Liberty, and I’m here today to express my opinion about why I think that we should NOT build a cement factory anywhere in the entirety of Ogden Valley. Cement factories are a major safety hazard. They release into the air particles called silica. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, QUADCITY SAFETY.com said, and I quote, “Silica is found in soil, sand, granite and other minerals. It becomes a major health concern when it is chipped, cut, drilled or ground down and becomes smaller particles that workers can breathe in.” What guarantee do we have that the silica will stay in a little cloud over the factory only? Now, Ogden Valley is a beautiful place, with fresh, clean mountain air. It is a four-season tourist attraction, and many people come out here to ski, swim, hike, mountain bike and camp. Many of these tourists love being able to get away from the loud noises and huge factories of city life; they like being able to stay in ski lodges and enjoy the great outdoors. These tourists will not like having potential dangerous particles in the air and water. Because when cement is made, it releases silica into the air, contaminating it. Silica, when inhaled into our lungs, can cause: • Lung Cancer, • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, • Kidney Disease, • Plus, many other kinds of diseases and health problems. Now, the whole reason some people want to build this factory is because they think it will bring in a little more income for the county from Ogden Valley, but I don’t think that this will be the case. The county obtains a large percentage of its profit from Ogden Valley through tourism, and tourists will likely stop coming if the air and water is contaminated. The county will thereby lose money. I have nothing against cement factories, but Ogden Valley is not the place for them; it’s just too close to where so many people live and play in the outdoors. Now, I, as an eleven-year-old resident of Ogden Valley, will be affected by it, too, as will many other people. I’m very active and I love biking, running, roller blading, playing sports, hiking and camping, but I would be a little concerned about playing outside if the cement factory was put into place. I may be doing track at Snowcrest Junior High next year, but I would be also concerned of damaging my health if I participated if there were a cement factory nearby (next door). Building this cement factory will affect so much more than just the economy of Ogden Valley; it will affect the lives and health of every person who lives and plays here. This is why I think we should not build a cement factory in Ogden Valley. Thank you. Chloe Ludlum, Liberty Note: Eleven-year-old Chloe gave these comments at the Weber County Commission meeting, held July 23, during the public comment period on the proposal by the petitioner to rezone Agricultural property, on and surrounding an area on the North Fork River, to “G,” which would allow for a mining and cement batch plant factory. The property also abuts the property where Snowcrest Jr. High is located, literally, just a few feet from the school’s tennis courts and associated pickle ball courts, baseball field, and track. To view a live stream of the meeting, or other County Commission meetings, visit <www. youtube.com/channel/UCbWJtt7g8Zs56rDetaMLLw/feed?activity_view=1> What is Happening at U.S. \Detention Centers is Disturbing I am horribly disturbed by what is happening at our immigration detention centers. Regardless of our immigration policy, I expect: 1. That the U.S. treats people humanely and with dignity and 2. We have transparency in all aspects of the process to ensure this. What we have been doing by separating families, allowing squalid conditions and indefi- nite detentions, allowing and not punishing and correcting the disgusting culture of degrading talk and behavior among our border patrol—this is not okay by any standard of human decency in the world, and I will not have this done in my name as a citizen of the U.S. Deja Mitchell, Eden The Genie and the Bottle The Genie is out of the bottle; signs of its emergence appeared in the 2016 Presidential election when media bias and favoritism toward the Democrat candidates were exposed, acts that then candidate Donald Trump called “fake news.” Today, Trump haters are in full battle mode, attacking his administration with a plethora of questionable and outright false claims. Now a “fear” campaign is being used. One fear being touted by former high ranking officials of the Obama administration is that our country, our Constitution cannot survive another term of President Trump. It’s an interesting point in its similarity with the fear that Conservatives held when Obama sought reelection. The current fear is being expressed with desperation and alarm by left wing activists and most stringently by the 20-odd Democrat candidates for President who all seem to think that we should have open borders, free health care, free college, and anything else free that will sound good in a campaign slogan. What makes the current “fear bash” even more interesting is the revealing of past misdeeds of leaders in the Obama administration with the shenanigans of the Clintons heading the list followed by those of the “deep state” and the role of bias and dishonesty in the main stream media. There is no longer any doubt that our political arena is near crisis mode. Accusations are becoming more acerbic, acrimonious, and frequent; and we might wonder how this brouhaha can be peacefully resolved. Truth is, we have passed that stage with the opposition showing no interest in working for the common good; rather, it’s about posturing and political power and it’s a fight that has no winner—least of all, the average American citizen. In lambasting Trump at every turn, Democrats and much of mainstream media have dug themselves a deep hole of negativity and the only way out is if something disastrous happens; at least one candidate wishes for a major financial failure even if it destroys millions of families’ livelihood. The good news? The American public is smarter than naysayers believe, and they see through the campaign of negativity and will turn the tables on Democrats and their unbridled quest for power in the Legislative and Executive Branches. A resounding defeat of Democrats is predictable in 2020 unless their leaders can cause a realistic course correction—something unlikely to happen. The Genie is out. John W. Reynolds, Pleasant View Ogden Valley Land Trust Hosts Summer Weber County Seeks Applicants to Concert: Community invited to attend Serve on RAMP Committee to this incredible mountain valley we call home, The Weber County Commission Office, 2380 By Shanna Francis, OVLT Board Member August 10, Ogden Valley Land Trust will host a summer concert fundraiser event at Huntsville’s Kelley Creek Farm, which overlooks much of beautiful Ogden Valley. OVLT’s all-volunteer board members would like to graciously invite the community to attend this event, as funds raised assist in the acquisition and maintenance of conservation easements in Ogden Valley, which protect open space, a highly-treasured commodity. As the pressures of growth and development continue to threaten the pastoral and wild, natural spaces that attract residents and visitors the value and benefit of conservation easements proportionally increase because of their ability to lower density through volunteer relinquishment of development rights in return for potentially substantial state and federal tax benefits. Your attendance at this summer evening event is critical in regards to revenue generation that supports future acquisition of conservation easements. Ogden Valley Land Trust oversees conservation easements on almost 6,000 acres of open space in the Valley—properties that are either viable agricultural lands; watersheds; host to endangered, threatened, or ecologically significant species or natural systems such as critical wildlife habitat or migration corridors; significant view corridors; or other open space LANd TRUsT cont. on page 10 Forest Officials Remind Campers to Please Keep a Clean Campsite & Make Sure Campfires Are Out As more people recreate on Building and Putting Out a Campfire: the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National • Keep plenty of water handy and have a shovel Forest, keeping a clean campsite for throwing dirt on the fire if it gets out of is becoming more important for control. outdoor visitors. • Never leave a campfire unattended. • Drown the fire with water. Make sure all • Never leave food out. embers, coals, and sticks are wet. Move • Secure your coolers at night, and put dry rocks around to check for burning embers foods in your vehicle. underneath. • Never store food or eat in your tent. • Stir the remains, add more water, and stir • Never put grease or leftover food into the again. Be sure all burned material has been fire pit or areas adjacent to your campsite extinguished and cooled. Use dirt if you do • Clean up after your pet. not have water. Mix enough soil or sand with • Keep picnic tables clean. the embers. Continue adding and stirring until • Dispose of grey water properly. all material is cooled. • Contact your local agency for fire restrictions Even though there are no fire restriction and closures. in place on the forest, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, officials also remind Forest fOREsT cont. on page 7 visitors to follow the tips listed below. PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE THURsdAy, AUGUsT 8, 2019 6:00 p.m. Eden Park Community Center 2100 N. 5600 E., Eden, UT 84310 WOLf CREEk WATER ANd sEWER ImPROVEmENT dIsTRICT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELd TO dIsCUss: IRRIGATION ImPACT & CONNECTION RATEs All district residents are invited to attend. For more information call Annette Ames at 801-745-3435 Commissioners are accepting applications for Recreation, Arts, Museums and Parks, (RAMP) committee members. Applications are due by July 31. 2019. Please turn them in at the Weber County Washington Blvd., Ste. 360, Ogden, UT 84401. Applications are available on the RAMP website at www. webercountyutah.gov/County_Commission/ ramp/ or in the Weber County Commission Office. For questions, please call 801-399-8405. Fire Restriction Now in Effect! Utah State Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands, in cooperation with Weber Fire District, is enacting fire restrictions beginning July 19, 2019, which affects all of unincorporated Weber County east of Harrison Blvd., including the upper Ogden Valley. These restrictions will remain in effect until conditions improve. The current weather conditions and the conditions of vegetation in the affected areas have created risk of wildland fire. Due to these conditions, a ban of the use of all fireworks and campfire (primitive fire), open burning, welding, grinding, etc. in the restricted areas has been implemented (unless specifically approved). Although this notice allows for campfires in approved fire pits, it does not mean that we can let our guard down. Conditions vary greatly throughout Weber County and it is important that everyone use good judgment when deciding to have a campfire in approved fire pit. If a campfire gets out of control and creates a wildland fire, the individuals responsible for the campfire may be held responsible for the costs associated with fighting the fire. We ask the public to please exercise good fire safety practices when having campfires in approved fire pits. Here are some tips: • Ensure that your campfire pit is in an area where the fire may not spread to other vegetation. A distance of 25 feel is recommended from the fire pit to other combustible materials. • Keep the fire no larger than 3 feet in diameter, and 2 feet in height. • Have a means to extinguish the fire. • Fires must be attended by an adult at all times. • Completely extinguish the fire when done with the activity. If you need further assistance, please contact Weber Fire District at 801-782-3580 or visit <www.weberfiredistrict.com> Sincerely, Rick Cooper, Training Captain/Fire Warden Weber Fire District/FFSL |