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Show Page 2 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIX Issue X September 1, 2011 The Ogden Valley news Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: 801-745-2688 Fax: 801-745-0062 Cell: 801-791-4387 E-Mail: slfrancis@digis.net Jeannie Wendell Tel: 801-745-2879 Fax: 801-745-2879 E-Mail: crwendell@digis.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. Letters to the Editor Are “Liberals” Really Conspiring to Overthrow the Government? After reading Dr. Lonnie D. Crockett’s vitriol-filled commentary of August 15, in which he insists he has no ill will toward liberals and “that ilk,” I had to ask myself “Wow, with friends like these who needs enemies?” According to Dr. Crockett and his fellow Social Darwinists, we liberals are conspiring to overthrow the government in order to establish a Socialist Utopia. That’s right. As I’m working out in my vegetable garden I spend half of my time contemplating the great mystery of why my zucchini didn’t come up this year and the other half trying to figure out how to steal the freedom of others. Dr. Crockett argues we liberals want to supply all seniors with a “lavish” retirement “free education” for our youth and have “the best health care” and then he adds “at no cost to themselves.” It’s the “at no cost to themselves,” part of his argument that the good doctor strays from sincerity to hyperbole. The no-new-taxes mantra comes from the Republican side of the equation not the Democratic. We “ilky” liberals recognize that in order to have a society that treats all Americans with at least a modicum of fairness, there will be a cost to all—including the wealthy. I doubt the average senior citizen living on social security would describe their lifestyle as “lavish”; the sharp decline in educational opportunities for our young people belies the claim that part of the “liberal” agenda is working; and who would honestly claim that health care in America, in either its current form or in the form some derisively call “Obamacare,” is the best? Dr. Crockett insists that liberals want to force people to do the right thing “at the point of a gun.” Again, he is confusing his parties. The only people waiving guns at political rallies in recent memory were the Tea-Party radicals of the Republican Party. A liberal Democrat would much more likely try to convince others by talking nice and offering them a big bowl of hummus. The claim often but wrongly asserted these days is that liberals believe everybody has a “right” to every conceivable entitlement program that can be conjured up in the mind of a Socialist. In reality, this debate is not about rights; it is about responsibility. The question is, “Do we as Americans through the logical mechanism of our government have a responsibility to ensure all are provided with some security in old age, educational opportunities in youth, and, yes, healthcare?” One thing I can agree about with my “friends” on the conservative right is the need for “limited government.” Of course, we define what that means differently. I believe government should be limited to making smart decisions and avoiding dumb ones. You know, like invading countries that haven’t attacked us. Dr. Crockett doesn’t want to be “forced” to do the right thing. Presumably, because he and clever people like him are fully capable of doing the right thing on their own. Unfortunately, not all of us are that clever. Smart government tells us to do things all the time. It tells us we must fasten our seatbelts, that we must protect our children with car seats, and that abusing illegal drugs will land us in jail. Is the government really “forcing” us to do the right thing in these instances or merely recognizing society’s need to protect itself? Dr. Crockett slides from sincerity, to hyperbole, to dishonesty when he claims the new health care program will result in rationing and death panels. This is right-wing rhetoric that has long since been debunked. It is further dishonest because it suggests healthcare is not being rationed right now. Healthcare managed by profit motivated corporations consistently results in decisions being made—not by health needs but by cost. This is rationing. Government programs in their current form are equally harsh. I’ve had clients forced to sell plasma in order to cover their Medicaid co-payments that otherwise would prevent them from accessing medicines they need to stay alive. Something is broken here and we need smart government to help fix it. I am not hopeful. The recent debt ceiling crisis brought to you by the Tea-Party, tells me that the likelihood of people of “that ilk” taking just a few steps to the center so we might have smart government, again, is next to zero. The country will fail but at least Dr. Crockett will have the satisfaction of knowing nobody “forced” him to do anything. Gary Anderson, Huntsville NPR’s Hit Show from the Top Seeks Local Talent—Pre-College-Age Classical Musicians Wanted From the Top with host Christopher O’Riley, the hit NPR radio program showcasing America’s best young classical musicians, is seeking local talent for its live radio concert taping on March 8, 2012 at Weber State University’s Val A Browning Center for the Performing Arts. The weekly hour-long radio program is heard on Classical 89 on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. as well as on more than 200 other stations nationwide. The show will be sponsored by the Browning Cultural Trust and Weber County RAMP. From the Top’s variety show format features serious musical performances, lively inter- views, and lighthearted parodies with some of the country’s best pre-collegiate performers. This unique blend of music, talk, and humor draws nearly 700,000 loyal listeners each week. At every broadcast taping, performers are invited to share their music, experiences, and related passions with their peers in schools and/or a variety of community settings through From the Top’s Arts Leadership program. From the Top welcomes audition entries from young classical musicians, ages 8 to 18, who have not graduated from high school. Solo performers on all instruments, composers as well as instrumental or vocal ensembles, are welcome. Of the more than 100 musicians chosen to appear on the radio program every year, approximately 20 will receive Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards in support of furthering their musical education. These up to $10,000 scholarships are given to deserving young classical musicians between the ages of 8 to 18 who have high levels of artistic achievement, demonstrated financial need, and have a solid academic record. Application and scholarship information is available online at <www.fromthetop.org> Applications and recorded auditions are accepted continuously and on a rolling admissions basis. Weber State University and Kimber Kable will be offering recording assistance to applicants. For additional information, call Diane Stern at 801-626-6570. Call for Entries: First Annual Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival Imagine Ballet Theatre (IBT) is pleased to announce the First Annual Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival to take place in Ogden, Utah at Peery’s Egyptian Theater. The Festival is open to both amateur and professional choreographers. Application deadlines are October 1, 2011 and September 1, 2011. The winning choreographer’s grand prize will include theater rental and crew for a performance night in October of 2012. Applicants may choreograph pieces for a range of dancers, including solo, duet, small group, and ensemble. Entries are accepted in the following categories: ballroom, classical, contemporary, ethnic, hip-hop, jazz, modern, tap, or other styles of dance. The Festival will take place in February of 2012. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the festival if they are chosen. The Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival is a unique opportunity for local and national talent to come to the heart of the Rocky Mountains to display their work. Accepted entries will compete at the historic Peery’s Egyptian Theater located in downtown Ogden. The historic district is ideal for hosting large groups and provides ideal venues and attractions for out-of-town guests. Imagine Ballet Theatre, along with Weber State University Dance Department faculty, the Utah Dance Educators Organization, and Peery’s Egyptian Theater are sponsoring the Festival. Interested choreographers may download application materials at <www.imagineballet.org> 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 September 15 issue is September 1. September 1, 2, & 3 Closed Sunday and Monday |