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Show The Ogden Valley news Your Community Newspaper December 15, 2011 PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO Illegal Bike Trail and Jump System Discovered on Forest Service Property Near Powder Mountain By Shanna Francis A very extensive bike trail that includes numerous difficult, technical jumps and twists has been called a clandestine operation by USDA Forest Service Uintah-Wasatch-Cache Ogden District Ranger Robin Redman. Late this summer, the illegally built trail and jumps, located partially on Forest Service property, was identified and reported to Forest Service personnel. A number of individuals from the UintahWasatch-Cache National Forest agency hiked to the obscure site located below Powder Mountain in Eden to investigate and measure possible damage to Forest Service property, which is located in the Middle Fork Wildlife Management Unit. According to District Ranger Robin Redman, a hike into the remote area where the trail and jump system was located was undertaken by Redman and a Forest Service wildlife biologist, fisheries biologist, landscape architect, hydrologist, and Forest Service law enforcement officer. The hydrologist and fisheries biologist were included in the investigation because of watershed issues and because the trail crosses over a creek—presumably Wolf Creek. Commenting on what the crew found, BIKE TRAIL cont. on page 13 Dusky Grouse. Photo by Dennis Maher of Eden. Veteran’s Eden Home Vandalized: Valley Students Help Make Thanksgiving Sheriff’s office is asking for result, leads from the community the 1,500- to 1,700-squarefoot basement a Memorable Day for Veterans ters to the 120 veterans living there, about what By Shanna Francis By Kate Heward of the home began receiving the unleashed torRandom, senseless, and selfish criminal acts rent of water. Saturday morning, at about 10:00 a.m., Jay against others and the community are reprehensible, but are even more heinous when perpe- Bachman’s son Robert arrived at the home. trated against an individual who has lived, even Stepping inside, he stated that he could hear dedicated their life to living in a manner that can water running. His first thought was that a pipe be described in terms that are completely con- must have frozen and burst. Quickly checking tradictory—a life that is purposeful, meaningful, the home, he couldn’t find any broken pipes, but he did find that and unselfish. the entire baseThis sad ment was filled contradicwith about tion played 2½ inches of itself out on water, and he Thanksgiving could still hear weekend in the sound of Eden. While running water. Jay Bachman He went outof Eden, an side to walk honored vetthe perimeter eran, was away of the foundawith his famtion. That’s ily enjoying when, he says, the holiday, he found the a senseless open spigot, perpetrator flowing freely, violated the the water runBachman famdown ily and their Friends and family of veteran Jay Bachman of Eden helped ning home by lurk- clean up water and damaged property caused by vandalism. On the side of the ing around the Thanksgiving weekend, someone turned on a water spigot against foundation and grounds, then the house while the Bachmans were away for the holiday. The into the basefinding a water unleashed water ran down the foundation and into the basement, ment. After turnspigot on the filling the bottom floor with approximately 2½ inches of water. ing off the back wall of the home on the northwest corner. Here, the water spigot, he called family members to come perpetrator reached over some bushes and fully and help begin the clean-up process. He also opened a water valve, then skulked away, probVANDALIZED cont. on page 10 ably in the dark sometime Friday night. The they were currently learning in school and their At the beginning of November, my family own experiences with relatives serving in the committed to a service project for Thanksgiving. armed forces. The children’s bags were then filled with We were standing in line at the Valley Market trying to come up with ideas to make our project snacks and treats and delivered to the veterans truly meaningful when Carolyn Olsen, a teacher home on Thanksgiving day. The veterans were at Valley Elementary, walked by. When we told thrilled with the bags, partly because they were her about an idea for a project that we had come full of chocolate and Coca-Cola, but mainly because Thanksgiving up with, she was very at the home was celenthusiastic and said ebrated on the 16th of that it was a wonderNovember and the ful way to incorporate 24th was treated as just upcoming curriculum an ordinary day. into a significant projThe door had ect. barely closed before While learning about the sounds of popped veterans and everything cola tops and crinthey have done for our kling candy bags were country, her 5th gradheard down the hallers decorated paper ways. Many residents bags with turkeys and reminisced when they American flags for the residents at the newly Chuck Heward of Eden visits with veteran at saw the bags and read the students’ letbuilt George E. Wahlen George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home. Ogden Veterans Home VETERANS cont. on page 12 in Ogden. In addition, they wrote wonderful let- State of Utah Weighs in on Elk Processing and Packing Activities in Liberty: County rescinds Land Use Permit for cutting and packaging operation By Shanna Francis An Advisory Opinion issued and dated November 8, 2011 from the State of Utah Department of Commerce, Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman in response to a request by Liberty resident Bret Barry, was recently handed down to address elk meat processing and packing activities undertaken by family members related to Weber County Land Use applicant and property owner Rulon Kent Jones. The opinion was handed down after several months of effort by Barry and many of his neighbors to get various county and state offices to shut down the operation due to their contention that the elk processing and packaging activities were illegal on various levels. After a number of issues raised by Jones’ neighbors were addressed and corrected, the Joneses were allowed to operate the processing and packing business in Liberty near 3788 E. 4100 N. under a Weber County Land Use permit. After county’s approved of the permit, Barry filed an appeal to the Weber County Board of Adjustment. A meeting by the Board to hear the appeal was cancelled on the counsel of Barry’s attorney Jodi S. Hoffman, Hoffman then requested an Advisory Opinion by the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman, which can be sought prior to the rendering of a final decision by a local land use appeal authority under Utah State Code. An advisory opinion by the state is meant to provide an early review, before any duty to exhaust administrative remedies of significant land use questions are sought, so that those involved in a land use application or other specific land use dispute can have an independent review of an issue before long-term costs of resolving such issues in the courts is undertaken. The Ombudsman opinion held that related to farming, the landowner and business participants, the Joneses, “are in the business not just of selling livestock produced on a farm, but of selling the opportunity to hunt an elk on private property, under a guided hunt, and offering cutting and packaging services when an elk is successfully obtained.” The landowners, in their submitted documentation, acknowledge that very few elk are kept on the property where the meat cutting business was operating, and that the vast majority of elk processed in the Liberty neighborhood are obtained and killed elsewhere. The opinion continues, “The elk are then brought to the parcel for processing. It does not appear that the Landowners are farming domesticated elk as that term is defined in Utah Code Section 4-39102, and processing that elk for consumption on or off of the farm. Rather, the Landowners are offering for sale guided hunts of wild elk on private lands, and processing and packing that elk meat as part of that business. This is very similar to a business that permits customers to pick their own fruit on or off of the parcel, and to bring it to the parcel for processing and packing. A fruit packing business or industry is expressly ELK PROCESSING cont. on page 7 High Winds Cause Dramatic Damage along Wasatch Front two; broken signs and windows; tree limbs By Shanna Francis High winds blew over the Wasatch and other debris littering the landscape, in Mountains with a vengeance Thursday morning some cases, blocking roads; and skewed and darkened street lights. and throughout the remainPower was lost to hunder of the day, December 1, dreds of households, causing damage, probably some for more than two in the millions of dollars, days, and even gas lines to homes, businesses, and were ruptured, primarily personal property. While by uprooted trees. Davis County took the By now, most are brunt of the storm, strong familiar with the dramatic and steady wind gusts scene of a large stately created havoc in Weber deciduous tree growCounty, too. Anyone driving along the east side ing through Ogden in the of Harrison Blvd on the aftermath of the storm, block of 2600 in Ogden witnessed what meteorologists are calling a once-in- Car damaged by tree felled by high winds that snapped in two, flata-decade event—uprooted that blew through Ogden on December 1. tening a Toyota parked trees or trees snapped in HIGH WINDS cont. on page 7 On December 1, this Liberty tree’s roots snapped, even though Ogden Valley was somewhat protected from the fierce winds blowing over the top of the Wasatch Front range. |