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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIV Issue XXII September 1, 2007 Nordic Valley Firewise Prevention Cleanup August 14 through August 18 crews from the Division of State Lands, Fire and Forestry cleared brush and dead trees from roads in Nordic Valley. The work was the result of a grant awarded to Nordic Valley Firewise Committee from the Western States Wildland Urban Interface Program. Future grants are contingent on submission of “in-kind matches” from local residents and community businesses. The Nordic Valley Firewise Committee has prepared a community fire prevention plan to mitigate the risk of wildfire and to prepare residents in case of fire. Community cleanups, education, creation of a firebreak, and preparation of an evacuation plan are included in the prevention program. Nordic Valley has been spared the tragedy of a forest fire for over 40 years. “Fire officials warn that our area is at high risk because it has been so long since the location has burned” stated Nicole Householder, Chair of Nordic Valley Firewise. It is hoped that the community can collect enough “in-kind dollars” so another spring time community clean up can be conducted. The clean up would include a brush crew with a large wood chipper available free of charge to dispose of branches, trees, and undergrowth cleared by Nordic Valley residents. Homeowners In-Kind Matching Work Summaries can be found on line at: www. ogdenvalleyfiresafety.org and are also available from Firewise street captains. Anytime residents conduct yard work that mitigates fire danger to their property, or purchase equipment or services to help in this type of work, they should fill out one of the work summaries. The Firewise Committee is required to match any grants 50/50 from the in-kind work from Nordic landowners and businesses. On September 13 at 6:30 p.m., the Firewise Committee will host a free landscaping seminar at Wolf Mountain. Utah State University Extension horticulturist Jerry Goodspeed will conduct the seminar. The time spent by residents at this seminar can also be turned in as an in-kind match. For more information, visit www. ogdenvalleyfiresafety.org, or call Nicole Householder at 745-1122. CONFERENCE cont. from page 5 Toliver states, “It’s really coming together, thanks to all the local support. Many businesses and individuals have come forward to offer help in one way or another, and we really appreciate it,” Wendy Toliver, vice president of Eden Writers, Inc. has had two nonfiction books published and her debut young adult novel, “The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren” (Simon Pulse), which comes out December 26. She will be leading a retreat for novice writers during the conference. Barbara Passaris, secretary of Eden Writers, Inc. and author of the historical romance “Through Tempest Forged” (Community Press) says, “We’re taking the best parts of conferences we’ve been to and adding what we think will really benefit writers; thus, creating an event unlike any other. We’re incorporating many ‘extras,’ from ‘Yoga for Writers’ sessions between workshops, led by Eden’s Rebecca Fox, to spine chilling stories around the ‘campfire’ as told by members of the Eden Writers Circle. We’re so excited about this! Other ‘extras’ include a raffle for a partial manuscript critique by New York Times best seller Susan Squires, door prizes donated by famous authors, a ‘goodie’ table, and a Short Story Contest. Attendees can also expect a panel discussion by publishing pro- fessionals, one-on-one agent/editor appointments, inspiring and educational presentations, a retreat for novice writers, and plenty of opportunities to mingle with other writers.” According to Hattingh, president of Eden Writers, Inc., the group is planning to host additional conferences in coming years. She states that there has already been an overwhelming response to this year’s event; the group is expecting it to sell out. Though most conference attendees are coming from Utah and neighboring states, word has spread nationally. “It’s very rare for a writers’ conference of this size to have meetings, discussions, and presentations with such an impressive group of professionals. So far, we have agents from renowned literary agencies such as Jane Rotrosen and Janklow & Nesbit Associates, an editor from HarperCollins, Hollywood screenwriter David Sheffield, and popular workshop presenters Kay Lockner and Louise Knott Ahearn. It’s not surprising that writers are traveling from near and far to be a part of our conference,” Hattingh explained. For more information about the First Annual Eden Writers’ Fall Conference, or to become a sponsor, visit <http://edenwriters.org> Utah’s Bridges Safe By John R. Njord, P.E. Executive Director Utah Department of Transportation We at the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) are saddened by the tragic collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims and their families. And our sympathy and support go out to our colleagues at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, who must sort out how and why this happened, and how to prevent it from happening again. Here at home, we want to assure Utahns and others who travel our state’s roads that there is no cause for alarm here; our bridges are safe. That said, I believe a bit of an explanation is in order. The Minneapolis bridge collapse introduced a new and ominous term into the American vernacular: “structurally deficient.” The Minneapolis bridge was rated “structurally deficient.” Thousands of other bridges around the nation also fall into this category. Does this mean that they are in imminent danger of failing? In a word, no. It does not. “Structurally deficient” does not mean “unsafe.” The term comes from the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS), a standard system of rating bridges in all states and municipalities and on federal facilities. The term is applied when the condition of one or more of three components—bridge deck, superstructure, or substructure—receives a rating of four or less on a scale of zero to nine, with nine being the best rating. These ratings result from biennial—and in some cases more frequent bridge inspections, our first line of defense for preventing the possibility of bridge failure. Simply put, the term is one used by engineers to indicate that the structure is, or will soon be, in need of some work. If the bridge were unsafe, we would close it to traffic until it was repaired or replaced. Nationally, more than 12 percent of bridges fall into the structurally deficient category. In Utah, only 8% do. This is due, in part, to major projects like the rebuilding of I-15 in Salt Lake County, which replaced 146 bridges. The I-15 NOW project in Weber County is replacing 24 bridges. The rebuilding of I-80 from State Street to 13th East, scheduled next year, will replace seven more of our bridges. But what of the older bridges? The Utah Department of Transportation has four principles that guide it in its strategic approach to our transportation system. The first of these is, “Take care of what we have.” That means maintaining a robust bridge inspection program that assures that any problems with aging structures are identified and repaired. UDOT employs four full-time bridge inspectors. We also hire consultants to handle yet more inspections, to provide expert opinions and advice, and to validate in-house conclusions. In the wake of the I35W tragedy, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman called on UDOT to reinspect several hundred of our older bridges. We are confident that these re-inspections will verify our conclusion that the bridges are safe. We are fortunate here in Utah to have strong leadership on bridge safety from state politicians who have given us the funding we need to ensure your safety. This past legislative session alone, the governor recommended and the legislature funded UDOT an additional $30 million for bridge repairs. “Take care of what we have” is one of UDOT’s primary strategic goals. Equally important is “Improve safety.” We are doing exactly that. When you drive across a bridge you are entitled to the assumption that the structure is safe and sound. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that assumption is correct. Photo courtesy of Katrina Stone. Want the facts on the current Valley real estate market? Go to www.NancysEden.com (click on Market Update) NANCY K. STUKAN Realtor®, e-PRO, GRI (801)-866-2848 Living@NancysEden.com |
