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Show Page The Ogden Valley news Volume XVI Issue IV February 15, 009 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. Letters to the Editor Ogden Christmas Box House Says Thank You Note: The following letter was received by St. Florence Catholic Church after parishioners donated packages of blankets, pillows, hats, and gloves to the Ogden Christmas Box House. We want you to know how much you are appreciated for your contribution of fleece blankets and pillows, hats and gloves for our children here at the Christmas Box House. We know you spent so much time working on these items and it was so easy for us in putting together the gifts because the hats and gloves were in sets--what a great idea! We had almost 400 children stay here with us during 2008, which is less than we had during years past. In 2008 we made a HUGE WINTER CLE AR ANCE SALE E x t r a 10% OFF ANYTHING * valen tin day es Feb 14 th BRING IN THIS AD FOR AN PR E S ID E N T S DAY W E E K E ND FEbruary, 13th - 16th 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 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. RED Eden Wolf Mountain Mon - Thurs, 9:30AM - 9PM Fri, Sat & Sun, 8:30AM - 9PM *Winter items only, no special orders Located just South of Maverick and the Valley Market, in Eden 2429 N. Hwy 158, Eden s 801-745-0101 s diamondpeak.biz Mon - Sat, 8AM - 8PM Sunday, 8AM - 6PM The deadline for the OVN March 1 issue is February 15. 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 two terms are very closely related and could be considered synonyms. Another major issue is apparent in regard to the resolution. State code requires action items to be listed on the meeting’s agenda and posted appropriately 24 hours in advance. This is required for transparency in government so one party is not disadvantaged by the lack of notice. In this case, the GEM Committee was not aware of potential action (the resolution), and therefore was not able to present their case prior to a decision. Additionally, based on input received of the entire neighborhood after a storm. He also spends much time painting park pavilions along with many other community projects that most never know about. He literally donates thousands of hours of his valuable time to help his neighbors and fellow valley residents. His only payback is the hope of preserving and protecting Ogden Valley. Valley residents, both old-timers and more recent transplants, feel protective about their own interests, and we all have our own view on the inevitable growth and how it should be managed. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. However, we could all benefit from being more open and inclusive of others’ points of view. To that end, the GEM Chairman has encouraged an open dialogue with critics and has even offered invitations to join the committee to allow the opportunity to participate and have a voice. Thus far, the critics have declined, but we are hopeful for open and productive dialog in the future. The GEM Committee is simply a citizens group that makes recommendations to Weber County. This is especially important since we do not have a Valley representative on the County Commission. After more than a year long study on Parks and Recreation that resulted in some 70 pages of recommendations, the Committee presented their recommendations to the Weber County Commissioners on February 3, 2009. While none would agree with ALL of the recommendations, Ogden Valley residents and Weber County Commissioners are faced with some difficult decisions. Currently, out of town Park users significantly outnumber the Huntsville residents who use the Huntsville park. The Liberty and Eden parks have similar statistics. If we don’t make some hard choices now with regard to the funding and construction of parks, then we will likely be facing a huge crisis twenty years from now when the Valley becomes more fully developed. Proper planning is the thrust of the GEM Committee’s Parks and recreation recommendations. 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. Webster’s offers these definitions: ! appoint: to name officially ! assign: to appoint to a post or duty during conversations between the GEM Committee and the Huntsville Town Council, the GEM Committee has either removed or amended all recommendations and references to Huntsville Town in the final Parks and Recreation proposal that was presented to the County Commission. With these points in mind, I urge the Town Council to rescind the resolution. Over the last several months, several conspiracy theories have been circulating with regard to the GEM Committee and their motives. Prior to joining the GEM Committee, I shared some of the same concerns; however, after participating with the committee for the past year, my concerns have been alleviated. One concern is that the group is heavily weighted with developers. The committee has some 40 members and several do in fact serve as representatives of large Valley developments such as Wolf Creek, Powder Mountain, and Snowbasin. I have also heard many undeserved personal attacks against the Chair of the committee. Having served on many committees, I can say that Steve Clarke is one of the best and most dedicated Chairs I have ever been associated with. Mr. Clarke has gone overboard to ensure there is representation from all possible groups and stakeholders throughout the valley and beyond. From the Forest Service to the State Division of Wildlife Resources, to the church camps of various faiths along with representatives from the Valley parks and so many more, Steve Clarke has made sure that all groups are involved and represented. Getting others involved and helping them work together is one of Steve’s greatest traits, and for that he has been criticized. When someone attends a meeting, Steve always welcomes them with open arms and invites that person to be a member of the committee. This receptivity has improperly fueled conspiracy theories. Steve’s neighbors say that he is dedicated to service and is the first to plow snow out 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. Rhett Fronk Shelter Program Director Division of Child and Family Services Invitation for Articles 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. The Ogden Valley news PO BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 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: Sincerely, Patty Conner-Rose, Community Outreach Representative Ogden Christmas Box House Ogden Valley GEM Committee an Open, Inclusive Organization By Richard Sorensen Issues surrounding the GEM committee were a hot topic in your February 1, 2009 issue, complete with a letter and resolution of opposition from the Huntsville Town Council. As a member of both the GEM committee and the Huntsville Town Council, I feel some clarification and insight is appropriate. The resolution states, “The Huntsville Town Council is not interested in being a part of the GEM committee’s proposal, nor has Huntsville Town ever officially appointed a Town representative to sit on the GEM Committee.” Here are some facts: ! In mid 2006, then Town Councilman Chris Stevenson was assigned to be the town’s representative on the GEM Committee. The assignment was in addition to many other town departments and assignments in which Mr. Stevenson was serving as a Town Council Member. ! In January 2008, Councilman Richard Sorensen was assigned to be Mr. Stevenson’s replacement as a town representative on the GEM Committee, and he continues to serve in that capacity today. The term “officially appointed” appears to be a matter of semantics. Announcements Sought So much can happen because of your support. Your generosity has allowed us to help these precious children and accomplish our ideal: Every child deserves a childhood. Thanks for putting love into action with your donation! Guest Commentary 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. change to have children under the age of 5, who do not have siblings, go directly into shelter homes instead of coming here, allowing them to have a specific caretaker. We were able to help approximately 770 children with Christmas gifts. These children were here in shelter, in foster care, or identified in our community as needing help with Christmas and at risk of being abused or neglected. The children who stay here come to us from abusive or neglectful situations and stay approximately 3 weeks. When they leave us it is generally to go into foster care or a kinship placement. We are able to provide so many wonderful things for the children here with the donations we receive. |