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Show The Ogden Valley news Your Community Newspaper February 1, 2008 PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Photo by Dennis Maher -PUBLIC NOTICEFire Hydrants Need Snow Cleared Due to the heavy snow fall this winter, fire hydrants in the upper Ogden Valley have become buried. In an effort to ensure quick access to these fire hydrants in case of a fire, we are asking residents to clear the snow away from the fire hydrant closest to their home. A space three feet around a fire hydrant will provide needed access in the event of an emergency. This is a public service residents can provide to the community; the home you save may be your own. Ted Black, Weber District Fire Marshall OVBA PHONE DIRECTORY INSIDE! Guillaume “Chasta” Chastagnol snowkiting at Powder Mountain. Photo by Erin Smith. See article on page 5. Powder Mountain Resort Petitions for Incorporation By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News Residents throughout Ogden Valley are up in arms regarding a recent application by Powder Mountain Resort owners filing for incorporation. The proposed town would by called Powder Mountain, and would include much of the resort, and residential areas at the base of Powder Mountain Road in Eden. The lines were drawn to encompass lower valley residents that are needed to satisfy a requirement that an incorporated town must have at least 100 residents. All of the land area being proposed for incorporation is located within Weber County. Members of Valley Citizens for Responsible Government (VCRG) and property owners located within the proposed boundaries met in separate meetings—one in Eden and the other in Huntsville—on Eagle at Powder Mountain. Photo taken by Dennis Maher of Eden. Monday, January 21 after learning of the petition that was filed on Friday, three days earlier. Most learned about the resort’s move by reading about it in the Standard-Examiner newspaper that same Friday. Eden resident Shelly Morrell expressed the feelings of many, “It would have been nice to have been invited to become a part of the town. We didn’t have a say in it, or even know about it until after the petition was already filed.” Valley residents met, almost in a state of shock and disbelief, trying to make sense of the surprise move by Powder Mountain owners. The action came on the heels of a decision by the Ogden Valley Planning Commission that approved Powder Mountain owner’s new destination resort master plan, but with about 19 stipulations, two of which were particularly unpalatable for the developers—construction of a secondary access route in and out of the resort, and a cap on proposed density levels. Many believe that the incorporation procedure is now being pursued to bypass these restrictions. A new law passed recently by the Utah State legislature—House Bill 466—opened a loop hole that allows communities, and even corporations with large tracts of land, to file for and be granted incorporation with relatively few restrictions. Originally intended to help small, disenfranchised communities, the legislature realized too late the unintended consequences of the law, and are now scrambling to change it through HB 466 during this session of the legislature. But even if the law is corrected, it may be too late for residents being swept into a new town against their wishes. Business owner Jim Halay, who lives at the bottom of the mountain, commented, “We’re just pawns; we have nothing to do with Powder Mountain resort other than we may ski there once in Weber County Passes Sensitive Land Ordinance for Ogden Valley By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News After years of heated debate and numerous revisions, the Weber County Commission has finally approved a Sensitive Lands ordinance for Ogden Valley. The Commission approved the controversial ordinance Tuesday, January 22 at a regularly scheduled commission meeting with relatively little fanfare. The ordinance is one of three that the county has steadily been working on over the course of several years. The others currently being developed by the Ogden Valley Planning Commission are a Recreation Resort ordinance and a Transfer of Development Rights ordinance. Ogden Valley GEM Committee Chair Steve Clarke stated, as quoted from the Standard-Examiner, “It’s a great day to see an ordinance like this go on the books. There are some who think it doesn’t go far enough, and there are some who think it’s too restrictive, but I think it’s a good compromise and a good place to start.” The Sensitive Lands ordinance regulates protection of critical and sensitive natural resources within the Valley, such as scenic corridors, stream corridors, and wildlife habitat. After a few minor revisions are incorporated that were adopted on condition of approval, the final draft will be made available on the county’s website, or for view at the Weber County Planning office. The Sensitive Land Ordinance was approved unanimously by commissioners Ken Bischoff, Craig Dearden, and Jan Zogmaister. If Powder Mountain Resort becomes incorporated, the new town will not be regulated by the newly approved ordinance. Visitors to Ogden Valley Boost Commercial Sales—Valley Market announces plans for new store By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News Have you been shopping at the Valley Market lately? At around, say, 5:30 p.m. when the skiers are coming off the mountain? Watch out, it can be a regular traffic jam—inside the store as well as outside in need to be recycled. The soldiers get to call the parking lot! home, and our environment is protected. A few weeks ago, on New Year’s Eve Everybody wins with this program.” The local phone drive will run through June 2008. In addition to cell phones, Jones said the drop-off locations also will accept compact fluorescent light bulbs, small toner cartridges and batteries-items that typically are hard to recycle in the Ogden area. The collected cell phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers enough to provide an hour of talk time to soldiers abroad for each donated phone. Approximately half of the phones processed by ReCellular are reconditioned and resold to wholesale companies in more than 40 countries around the world. Phones and components that cannot be refurbished are dismantled and recycled to reclaim materials, including: • Gold, silver, and platinum from circuit boards • Copper wiring from phone chargers • Nickel, iron, cadmium, and lead from battery packs • Plastic from phone cases and accessories Environmental Club Launches Cell Phone Drive to Support Troops Deployed Overseas Weber State University’s Environmental Club, in partnership with Cell Phones for Soldiers, has launched a recycling campaign to collect deactivated cell phones that are no longer used. Proceeds from the collection drive will help purchase prepaid calling cards for U.S. soldiers deployed overseas. Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to collect more than 50,000 phones nationwide, so soldiers can stay in touch with their families back in the States. “We’re asking Americans to make a small sacrifice of support by donating their unused cell phones, providing families with a much-needed connection to their loved ones overseas,” said Brittany Bergquist, Cell Phones for Soldiers co-founder. Locally, people can support the collection drive by donating their phones at WSU Environmental Club drop-off locations in the Shepherd Union Atrium and Student Association Offices on WSU’s Ogden campus. “The WSU Environmental Club is excited to promote a cause that not only helps our soldiers, but our environment as well,” said Brett Jones, Environmental Club secretary. “Cell phones contain chemicals that are too dangerous to be placed in landfills, so they awhile. They just needed to include us in the town to generate their population numbers.” Representatives of Powder Mountain held an informal meeting on the proposed incorporation on Tuesday, January 22, inviting residents that would be impacted by the POWDER MTN. cont. on page 17 If phone book is missing, you may obtain a copy by visiting the OVBA office at the Great American R e a l t y Building located at 5460 E. 2200 N., Eden or at other local Valley businesses. Out of area residents may order a copy by visiting <www. ovba.org> See page 8 for article. day, the Valley Market hit a new record in sales with a 40% increase in profits compared to a typical week. There was, at least, a similar percentage increase in the number of customers trying to make their way down aisles and through the checkout line with some lines winding almost as far back as the meat department. Some customers were parking across the street at VALLEY MARKET cont. on page 17 Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded TROOPS cont. on page 8 Cold temperatures create an artistic display in front of Valley Market. Photo by Debra Cole. |