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Show Page The Ogden Valley news Volume XV Issue VI March 1, 008 The Ogden Valley news Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: 745- 688 Fax: 745-006 Cell: 791-4387 E-Mail: slfrancis@att.net Jeannie Wendell Tel: 745- 879 Fax: 745- 879 E-Mail: crwendell@att.net 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. Announcements Sought As a community service, The Ogden V alley n ews 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 OgdenValley 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. Note: The contents of The Ogden Valley News are copyrighted. To protect this publication and its contributors from unlawful copying, written permission is required before any individual or company engages in the reproduction or distribution of its contents, by any means, without first obtaining written permission from the owners of this publication. The deadline for the OVN March 15 issue is March 1. Letters to the Editor Please, No Powderville! Marshall Thompson, I would like to shake your hand for exposing all the greedy people who are behind the new Powderville town. Erin Stokes, it is obvious why you want Powderville to be developed—greed! You’re a realtor! You have a conflict of interest. You probably already have potential “buyers” lined up to invest in future properties. Shame on you and your obvious greed! You stated that you have to drive your children to the park in Huntsville to play— what the heck is wrong with the Eden Park? Right now, both are packed with snow so it’s a moot point. It is also obvious you have never driven that lovely Powder Mountain road. It has as many thrills and spills as a roller coaster except the “car” isn’t attached to rails. Once you spill on that road, you know it! What about the wildlife that will be displaced? Do you enjoy seeing dead moose on the side of the road? I hope you do, because that will become the norm. What do you think of all the congestion on Riverdale Road? I hope you like it because that’s a taste of what it’ll be like up here. Me? I moved to Eden because of the rural factor. If I had wanted stoplights, congestion, and greed I would have moved to Los Angeles. Cynthia Maher, Eden Citizens Lose Voting Rights—HB466 Should be Retroactive Citizens Lose Right to Vote! Citizens of Ogden Valley and Weber County are outraged at the loss of individual rights guaranteed by the constitution, yet are being denied Eden residents who are being forced into an incorporation boundary proposed by Powder Mountain developers. We believe that HB466 can be challenged on the basis of its unconstitutionality—taxation without representation. Is it legal to force citizens into a new city then tax them when they have no right to vote for their legal representatives or the taxes they will be assessed? While we greatly appreciate the Utah legislature’s efforts to pass HB466, which will fix a broken law passed last year, we urge you to pass the bill with a retroactive provision. Because the law you are changing was fundamentally flawed to begin with, the retroactivity should not be a problem since it is amending a law so it can pass constitutional muster. HB466 should not shelter the developers who snatched away the legal rights of citizens. Whose Property Rights? Powder Mountain maintains that their private property rights are at stake in the dilemma. They believe they should have the right to develop a high density city on the top of a mountain. We contend that their rights have never been violated. On the contrary, the Ogden Valley Planning Commission approved their application, though with stipulations—a fundamental right of government powers. The stipulations were based on solid planning concerns pertaining to health and safety. The incorporation petition came on the heels of the requirements outlined by the county, and is an effort to circumvent local planning decisions so developers can increase density levels that far exceed the carrying capacity of the Valley’s infra- structure, and the capacity of sensitive lands to support heavy commercial and residential development. It is comparable to putting a town the size of Brigham City on the top of a mountain, which can only be accessed by one very narrow and steep road that doesn’t conform to today’s construction standards. Not only has Powder Mountain involved unwilling citizens, they have also included as part of their proposal 160 acres owned by Wolf Creek Resort, whose representatives have asked that the property be excluded from the proposal. Now they too have to defend their right to be excluded. Powder Mountain’s subversive and unAmerican actions are an alarming infringement on the private property rights of local citizens and property owners. Sharon Holmstrom, Eden To Save a Farm, We Must First Save a Farmer Morgan County. He married Casa Lewis farmer, is full of pride and would rather Ogden Valley began as a farming community and held that distinction for well over a century until dirt became worth more than alfalfa. During the 1980’s, the federal government subsidized farmers to stop or reduce the production of milk as well as crops. The local effect of that decision meant that many lifelong farmers sold their herds and ultimately cashed in by selling and subdividing their property. Fast forward to 2008, and there are very few full-time farmers or ranchers left in the Valley. It seems Holsteins have been replaced with homes. Farming is a tough way to make a living and the profit margin is slim. Often, farmers have to mortgage everything they have just to plant the spring crops. Farmers today face even more challenges. New neighbors, wanting to enjoy the rural atmosphere, move onto what was once farmland and then complain about the stench and noise from the bordering land. Or, the farmer lives in fear of legal action if an animal escapes from the field and gets hit by a car or causes other property damage. Tracy Woolsey grew up on a farm in from Liberty and they chose to raise their family in Huntsville. Tracy decided to give his children the same type of farm life he knew growing up. While that path has not been easy, it has been fulfilling, as the Woolsey’s farm hundreds of acres in the Huntsville area. He has a genuine love for the land and has imparted that love to his children who tirelessly work by his side. The Woolsey’s may well be the hardestworking family in Ogden Valley. The Woolsey’s suffered a devastating loss recently as a result of the near-record snowfall this winter. Their farm equipment has been stored in one of the Monastery’s outbuildings. The building collapsed under the snow load causing substantial damage to the Woolsey’s equipment. To add insult to injury, much of the equipment was self insured (i.e., uninsured). In true Valley spirit, and in conjunction with the Ogden Valley Forum and The Ogden Valley news, we are urging everyone to dig deep and offer anything you can to help the Woolsey’s rebuild, repair, and replace. Tracy, always the tough and stoic handle the issue silently and solely, but we cannot sit back and watch our neighbor suffer alone. The Ogden Valley Forum, www.OgdenValley.blogspot.com, has created a donation link where you can submit donations electronically. An account has also been created at Zion’s Bank for the effort, and you may send checks made out to “The Woolsey Farm Relief Fund” in care of Zion’s Bank, 2555 Wolf Creek Rd., Eden, Utah 84310. While you are at Valley Market, you may also stop by Zion’s Bank and make a deposit directly to the account. One hundred percent of your donations will go toward helping the Woolsey’s rebuild (excluding nominal fees charged by PayPal for electronic donations). There is no overhead. We also urge scouts, church, and school groups to remember the Woolsey’s in their fundraising and service projects. Watch the Ogden Valley Forum and The Ogden Valley news for updates and more information. Thank you for your support. |