Ogden Valley News | 2017-06-01 | Page 2

Page 2 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXIV Issue X June 1, 2017 The Ogden Valley news Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Cell: 801-791-4387 E-Mail: [e-mail] Jeannie Wendell Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-Mail: [e-mail] [e-mail] 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 June 15 issue is June 1. Letters to the Editor An Open Letter to Ogden Valley Businesses I am going to preface this by saying that I try my very best to support OV businesses— from restaurants to gift shops to grocers. Some business owners recently petitioned the Ogden Valley Planning Commission for larger and brighter signs. Others of you have petitioned for wayside signage. As an FYI, for decades, the people of the valley have over and over again attended meetings and given input as to how we want our valley to look—including signage. We developed a Master Plan after two years of public planning, which is very specific about signage. We expect our planning commission and county commission to uphold the ordinances that protect these values. If you put up a bigger and brighter sign, I guarantee, you will not sell more “hot dogs.” In addition, you offend all of us who do not have a vision of Ogden Valley that looks like “Ogden” and I, for one, will no longer patronize your business. That said, you need to realize that over half, and perhaps much, much more (and in the future at least 75%) of your clientele do not find you by your large, brightly-lit signs. They Google, for example, “flower shops in Eden, Utah,” which my kids did on Mother’s Day. They found the Red Bicycle. I didn’t even know about the Red Bicycle. They called the number listed. They ordered. If they wanted to actually “go there,” they put the address into their “maps.” They do not shop by signage. They do not locate by signage. And this is not just our kids. This is how I shop as well. Google anything you want to buy. See the ratings on YELP or other sites. If merchants really want to help your customers find and patronize you, get folks to give you a great online rating! There is a new world of marketing out there. We don’t want larger and brighter signs! What we want is an identity for Ogden Valley that makes us unique. We don’t want to be “Welcome to Eden, the used junk yard.” Businesses, please support Ogden Valley in our desire to be something more—a place that is not quite like any other. Come on! You can do it. Get creative! And we will support you. Sincerely, Sharon Holmstrom, Eden Legalization of Marijuana? Utah should wait for better science before following the crowd The message form Sheriff Terry L. Thompson was a correct message for Utah in spite of the one-sided list presented by Connor Boyack in the Standard-Examiner (see article dated March 16). Opium, cocaine, and marijuana have been used and evaluated for medical use for at least one-hundred years. None have been found to cure conditions—only to mask problems as a pain reliever. The use of these drugs could very well stop or delay the cure that is needed to correct the true medical problems they tend to mask. Dr. David Blodgett, MD MPH has stated there is very little evidence that marijuana provides a cure. He stated that the endocannabinoid system in the body has receptors that respond to two compounds found in marijuana—cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This system is widespread, affecting many systems in the body, so the impact of CBD and THC can be profound. He says this is true because of the negative effects of marijuana. The National Institute of Health (NIH) currently has 213 projects related to CBD and another 13 are analyzing other marijuana compounds for potential medical use. There are already standardized extracts and synthetics of THC and CBD available on the market—with a prescription. No one is being denied the legitimate use of these potentially beneficial compounds. Research continues, but any potential benefit has not been proven; however, the adverse— sometimes devastating effects of marijuana— have been well documented, as illustrated in the New England Journal of Medicine. These include short- and long-term effects. Shortterm effects noted: • Impaired short-term memory, including difficulty in retaining information. • Impaired motor coordination, including impaired driving skills. • Altered judgement • Paranoia and psychosis, especially at higher doses. Long-term effects include: • Addiction • Altered brain development • Poor education outcome • Cognitive impairment with lower IQ • Diminished life satisfaction and achievement • Symptom of chronic bronchitis • Increased risk of chronic psychotic disorders Dr. Christian Thurstone, professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado and medical director of Colorado’s largest adolescent substance abuse treatment center program said, “In the absence of credible data, this debate is being dominated by bad science and misinformation from people interested in using marijuana as a step to legalization of marijuana for recreational use.” The science is still out on the effects of marijuana on the central nervous system, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the immune and reproductive systems, and the psychological systems of the body. Marijuana activists are using phony science, insisting that the weed is not addictive, when every addiction scientist says that it is addictive. There are several states that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, and we have a great tradition of moving to the state that best meets our need for a job or for medical reasons. In Utah, we should wait for the science to become clear before we follow the crowd. Doug Olson, Eden Accountability and Responsibility This is a tale of corporations, nonprofits, and veterans. Recently I was charged, given a trial, found guilty on both counts, and expelled from The American Legion. Could be a sad story but after some thought, it’s now a badge of honor. In Utah, the Legion is operated under the Department of Utah (“Dept.” is the state level). One has membership from being a member of a local post. The Legion promotes ideals, principles, and purposes under their motto of “Still Serving America.” I was a member for 23 years and, to my knowledge, no one was ever expelled from membership before. This is not against veterans, which being a war time, one allows you to request membership in the corporation. The Dept. is a registered 501(c)3(19) type nonprofit corporation with the state Division of Commerce and with the IRS. Under these categories, I consider the corporation a “public” institution. In its Preamble for its national constitution, it contains ten purposes that include these three: to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution; to maintain law and order; and to make right the master of might. The Armed Forces, and veterans in particular, have one of the highest ratings of trust and confidence in the country… and it’s welldeserved after being well earned. Veterans meet and exceed that definition of integrity…doing what’s right no matter if anyone is looking— including God. My problem started years ago when I questioned leadership over not following our own rules, regulations, procedures, and the general provisions of our Dept. constitution. I was ignored. I pursued this, believing many others besides me, if aware of the situation, would agree and support my efforts. I was sadly mistaken. I subsequently filed a law suit; it was dismissed but I continued my efforts, as much in house as I could. Whatever I tried, I was thwarted, blocked, delayed, and stifled. The action that eventually led to the charges against me dealt with my questioning why the Dept. not only had an office in the state Capitol but had it at no cost. During the filing of the lawsuit, it was discovered that the Dept. also did not renew its nonprofit status with the state or IRS. The threat of lost cost-free office space and possible nonprofit, tax-exempt status was too much for the corporation to bear. I was charged with disloyalty and conduct unbecoming (a Legionnaire). Another part of the story was my being denied the most basic records of the corporation, including a financial accounting of where all our dues went, how they were spent, who authorized their expenditure, and other fiscal information. Most monies are from dues that vary from around $20 to $35 per year, and which are, generally, split between the post, the Dept., and the national corporation. My reputation within the Dept. was fair. I was active in some activities more than others, my service was more than some—less than others, and my respect of what we stood for (or should have been standing for) was definitely more than most. The Legion is clear, it’s a civilian organization; however, in my opinion, it should be better than the normal, average civilian organization because it’s run by veterans. Veterans, while active upheld the highest standards of conduct, behavior, honor, commitment, integrity, moral courage, and, to me, the most important, duty. Being on active duty, blind obedience to duty, faith, love, and truthfulness never has an exception. Those values remain steadfast and one does not sacrifice or exempt an action if someone in authority gives an illegal or immoral order. In trying to obtain records, at least three people at my trial testified that it was acceptable and proper for the person whom was charged in the Dept. constitution in providing me the requested information to deny me the information based on the order of the people that hired him and paid his salary. That the general membership had no right to know where, why, how, or to whom their monies were expended and that as long as the books were balanced, the corporation was in the black, it was not important to understand an accounting or audit of the financial ledger. If someone wants to renew their membership in, or is considering being a new member of the Legion, please consider this. Do you want to know where the money goes? Are you “ok” with those who show up to a meeting getting to determine what happens without regard to established, membership-approved protocols? Do you believe that having only .07% (of some $170K) of your dues going to the programs you run is acceptable? Are you willing to pay for the privilege to play under rules you have no say in? With all due credit to Mr. Zola, and full acknowledgment that I’m no Dreyfus, I accuse The American Legion Department of Utah of being un-American. If you are familiar with and want to support any of the various programs the Legion runs, by all means do so. In many cases, you don’t have to join to lend a hand and help out. But if you join, or rejoin, don’t say I didn’t warn you. JH Thompson (John), Ogden Dyer’s Woad = Trash The Community Rallied When People Left Trash Around Pineview Reservoir. Don’t Let Dyer’s Woad Take Over Beautiful Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon. It is an Insidious Trasher and Killer. a a PuLL ThIs NOxIOus WeeD! In a few weeks, this yellow flowering plant will turn into thousands of seeds. Fast forward and dyer’s woad will be the equivalent of trash to our beautiful pristine Valley and Canyon. It is not palatable to livestock or wildlife. It crowds out other edible range vegetation, and dies early in the summer, leaving no food for grazing. In addition, the seed pods rot on the ground and exude a toxin that kills the roots of nearby plants. Dyer’s woad can be hand pulled while soils are moist in the spring; the crown of the plant is approximately an inch below the soil surface. If the root is broken off or cut below the crown, the plant will not survive. Plants pulled while they still have yellow flowers can be left in the field. Once they have gone to seed, the plant must be bagged.