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Show The Ogden June 15, 2007 Valley news Your Community Newspaper PRSRT STD STD PRSRT POSTAGE PAID PAID POSTAGE PERMIT NO. NO. 11 11 PERMIT EDEN UT UT EDEN POSTAL PATRON PATRON POSTAL EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYONCANYON- 84401 84401 OGDEN HCR 843AO 843AO HCR Think Globally— Think The Ogden Valley Land Trust Biodiversity is simply a term for all the variety of life that has evolved on earth, from algae and ants to mule deer and moose. Biodiversity is not just the end result of millions of years of evolution; it is the foundation for continuing the miraculous process of life. In this case, variety is not only the spice of life, it is a key ingredient. A decline in biodiversity may not seem too critical to us. We fight to save a few endangered species and occasionally bring animals back from the brink of extinction, but life in general goes on. Unfortunately, LAND TRUST cont. on page 17 New Agriculture Protection Areas Adopted —Grants Approved for Park Improvements Compiled by Kera Erickson Participants in Memorial Day cemetery services held in Ogden Valley included Steve Balek – Commander; Mack Stallings - Squad Leader/Sgt of Arms; Haynes Fuller – Speaker; Lance Quinn – Soloist; Troy Brunker – Bugler; Leon Fielding – Chaplain; Lon Castelton; Theron Wakefield; Clay Poulter; Bill Poulter; Brad Brooks; Paul Wright; Mike Formica; Larry Faulker; and Fred Olenberger. Local Women Honored with YCC Awards Each year, Your Community Connection (YCC) of Ogden and Northern Utah recognizes the strength and courage of individuals who have overcome barriers in their lives, or those who have moved on to achieve success in their career, personal lives, in community involvement, volunteer service, education, leadership, advocacy, and/or have served as role models to others says Raquel Lee, YCC assistant director. Those who have been recognized by YCC through the years—nearly 550 individuals and organizations thus far—are honored with the Spirit of the American Woman award. For 2007, two women from the Ogden Valley were honored—Michelle Evans and Cindy Purcell, both of Eden. Evans was honored with the Spirit of the American Woman Public Education award, while Purcell was honored with the Spirit of American Women Professional Woman award. Michelle Evans is a 6th grade teacher at Valley Elementary School in Huntsville, Utah. Parents and students describe her as challenging the children in a way that builds confidence and excitement in their learning process. She inspires students to believe in themselves through her encouragement, inspiration, and support. Children begin to believe in themselves because she believes in them. “Working miracles” are words used by many parents of children who would otherwise have just given up if they had not been fortunate enough to be in Michelle’s class. Michelle received her Bachelor of Science Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in 1987 from Weber State College and her Master’s Degree of Education in 1991 (Magna Cum Laude) from Weber State University. She was the first teacher in the Weber School District to complete her National Certification, which she achieved in 2002. Some of her awards and honors include USA Today National Teacher Team Award (2004), Toyota Tapestry Grant Award – National Science Teacher Association (2002), Utah State Economic Teacher of the Year – Elementary Division (2001), R.C. Willey Top 10 Educator Award for the State of Utah (2001), Toyota Time Grant National Award – National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000), 1998 Eden Post Office Receives Damage at the Hands of Vandals Jim Oaks, Field Maintenance Technician for the U.S. Postal Service, inspects window at Eden Post Office that was vandalized sometime between Saturday evening, June 3, and Sunday morning June 4. Oaks stated that it looks like a rock was thrown at the window, or someone took a heavy object to the glass causing it to splinter. Eden Postmaster Jeannie Marsell stated, “It’s really sad that this had to happen here in the Valley. That’s one thing we’ve always been able to count on in the past here in Eden--low crime rates. It’s just really sad.” If you have any information regarding the incident, please call 745-2568. National Milken Award, 1998 Huntsman Award for Teacher Excellence plus many, many more. For many years Michelle has been involved in community service including participation as a member of the YCC AWARDS cont. on page 14 Weber County Commissioners have approved two new agricultural protection areas. One of these sites is located in the Huntsville area near 2000 S. 800 E., and is currently owned by The Flint Place, LLC, of Billings Montana. Land within an Agriculture Protection Area is protected from any zoning challenges or other regulations that could restrict or inhibit farming, or other local laws that might unreasonably restrict farm structures or farm practices unless they AGRICULTURE cont. on page 13 Western grebes prepare to take flight on Pineview Reservoir. Photo by Larry Zini of Huntsville. Teachers’ Union Lawyers Ask Utah Supreme Court To Ignore Utah Constitution on Voucher Vote Today, Utah legislators, parents and voters filed a motion to intervene in a second Utah Supreme Court challenge to the ballot language for the school choice referendum. Lawyers for the National Education Association and the Utah Education Association, representing sponsors of the referendum on vouchers in Utah, recently filed a petition asking the Utah Supreme Court to sweep aside the state Constitution and 70 years of Utah law. Incredibly, the unions’ lawyers want the Court to decree that H.B.174 is now magically subject to the referendum, even though it is a referendum-proof law under the Utah Constitution—and was not mentioned in the referendum petition. “Everyone now agrees that the school choice opponents’ referendum is hopelessly confusing and misleading to voters, but the responsibility for this legal mess lies squarely with the referendum sponsors themselves,” said Doug Holmes, chairman of Parents for Choice in Education, which represents thousands of Utah families eager to apply for vouchers. Holmes continued, “They filed an invalid and misleading referendum petition from the start, and ever since they have asked everyone from the Legislature, to the Attorney General, to the Governor to ignore the law and try to fix their mistakes. Now they are asking the Utah Supreme Court to sweep aside 70 years of legal precedent and the Utah Constitution so they can get a do-over on their flawed referendum.” “The Utah Constitution is every bit as important as the right to vote and should not be cast aside because voucher opponents filed a flawed and misleading referendum,” said Holmes. “There is a constitutional way to put the entire voucher program to a vote—a citizen initiative. Voucher opponents should stop asking others, like the court, to fix their mistakes. If they want to pursue an up-or-down vote on school choice, they should follow the Utah Constitution and file an initiative.” The unions’ lawyers also asked the court to take H.B. 174 off the books altogether. “It is completely outrageous that the unions’ lawyers are asking the Utah Supreme Court to simply remove a law from the books just because they don’t like it,” added Holmes. “No matter your VOUCHER VOTE cont. on page 14 |