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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXIV Issue XXIV February 15, 2018 “Telling My Utah Story” Letter Writing Contest Sponsored by Zions Bank N o w through Feb. 20, 2018, Utah students in grades 9th thru 12th can enter for the chance to see “Hamilton” this spring in April. Learn who represents you in public office and become engaged in the civic process by writing a qualified letter to an elected official. Think about what you are passionate about and what you can improve. In doing so, you can enter for the chance to see “Hamilton” with your elected official in April. Steps to qualify: • Review the Telling My Utah Story Letter Writing Contest Official Rules with your parent or guardian. • Select one elected official who represents you in the place you live, write in the name of that person, and send them a letter using the online submission form found at the website noted below. Helpful hint: Select the elected official that is most appropriate for the topic you select. • Select a subject category for your letter. • Briefly describe your issue in 100 characters or fewer. • Write a letter between 300 and 450 words in which you educate your elected official about your issue and propose a solution or improvement to the issue of concern. • Deadline for entries is 9 a.m. Tuesday, February 20. Winners will be drawn randomly from qualified entries. Download the official rules for more information about Hamilton dates and attending the performance accompanied by your elected official. More details and rules and submission form are available at <https://newnationproject.utah. gov/letter-contest> For questions, please email <TheNewNationProject.Utah@gmail.com> WSU’s Stewart Library to Explore WWII Impact on Northern Utah This spring, Weber State University’s Stewart Library Special Collections and the Ogden Union Station will host a lecture series to explore how WWII impacted civilian lives, particularly in Northern Utah. “The lecture series we’ve put together is significant because it touches on complex ethical issues that we’re still facing today,” said Holly Andrew, acting executive director of the Union Station Museums. “This is the first time that WSU has collected war stories on such a large scale and we are glad to be a part of the narrative and host discussions. The first lecture will be held Jan. 31 at 1:00 p.m. in the Stewart Library Hetzel-Hoellein Room 321 on the WSU campus. Scott Porter, a Utah filmmaker, will present “Splinters of a Nation,” a documentary about 8,000 German prisoners of war who were captured overseas and sent to Utah. For more than three years, German prisoners of war worked beside Utah civilians on factories and farms across the state. The relationships that developed between German POWs and the Utahns they met long outlived the conflict, and are the focus of the documentary. “I remember they were just laughing and jumping up and down,” said Vaunda Russell, a Utahn who interacted with the German POWs, “and I thought, ‘Boy, they don’t look like monsters.’” The lecture series is free and open to the public. Additional lectures include the following: Feb. 14 – Jennifer Robin Terry, a doc- toral candidate in the history department at U.C. Berkley, will present “Extraordinary Childhoods: Growing Up in a World at War” at 1 p.m. in the Stewart Library Hetzel-Hoellein Room 321. Feb. 28 – Luis Alvarez, a history professor at U.C. San Diego, will present “The Power of the Zoot: Youth Culture and Resistance during World War II” at 1 p.m. in the Stewart Library Hetzel-Hoellein Room 321. March 17 – Tim Gray, a national award-winning documentary film director, producer and writer, as well as founder of the World War II Foundation, will present “The Challenges of Chronicling the Personal Stories of the World War II Generation for a Global Television Audience” at 10 a.m. in the Union Station Browning Annex. Gray’s lecture will also mark the beginning of WSU’s Stewart Library’s Special Collections exhibit “All Out for Uncle Sam: WWII in Northern Utah,” a free exhibit highlighting Utahns’ experiences of WWII on both the home and war fronts. The exhibit, which will run March 17 thru June 2 and include photos, letters, diaries and artifacts from Utahns who lived through WWII and participated either in Utah war efforts or fighting on the war front. Visit wwii.weber.edu for more information about the lecture series and exhibit. To view the story online, visit <www.weber. edu/WSUToday/012518_WWIIImpact.html> February Fun @ the Ogden Valley Branch Library Zumba @ Your Library – Saturdays @ 10:00 a.m. Zumba provides an exhilarating, easy-to-follow, Latin dance fitness program designed to get you in shape while having fun! Cinema Tuesdays – 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 – Home Again (PG-13) Feb. 20 – Everything, Everything (PG-13) Feb. 27 – The Mummy (2017) (PG-13) Cinema Saturdays – 2:00 p.m. Feb. 17 – A Mermaid’s Tale (G) Feb. 24 – Kubo and the Two Strings (PG) Youth Chess Club – Tuesdays @ 4:00 p.m. Playing chess has many benefits, including improved reading skills, problem-solving skills, and optimized memory. Players ages 4 – 18 are invited to learn and play the ultimate intellectual game. All supplies are provided. After School Program - Wednesdays @ 2:30 p.m. Join our After School Program where you can learn science, math, technology, and art skills. This free program is recommended for children in Kindergarten thru 6th grade, and is offered throughout the school year. Younger siblings must be supervised by a caregiver. Book in a Jar - All through February during operating hours, test your detective skills. Deduce the title and author of the shredded book in the jar. The winner will receive a most excellent reward. LIBRARIES cont. from page 1 Weber County Library System Director Lynnda Wangsgard noted that one of the most stunning enhancements is the addition of a lighted sculpture in the central atrium area. The work was commissioned by an anonymous donor and produced by Gary Vlasic in collaboration with Prescott Muir Architects. It is destined to become an artistic icon in Ogden City, she predicted. Spencer Stokes, speaking as a Board member, noted the Main Library is well known throughout the intermountain area as an important example of mid-century modern architectural design. Renovations proceeded carefully to stay true to the original building’s quality and grand style. The Board, along with their partners EDA Architects and Wadman Corporation, is working diligently as a cohesive team to ensure completion of the Main Library in time for an April grand opening celebration, noted Diana Allison, Library Board chair. “We are anxious for our Weber County community to see the actualization of the vision they shared in saving this beautiful architectural structure and making it even better. Most importantly, we are looking forward to having the community back in the building and using all of what it offers. It’s not just about the books.” The Library Board, EDA Architects, and Wadman Construction have spent the past year and one-half balancing three elements: time, cost, and quality. The building will not exceed budget limitations, the quality will not be compromised, and it will be rededicated April 4. “Mark your calendars,” Wangsgard added. Renovation of the Main Library will be the third project completed with a $45,000,000 bond approved by the public during 2013. Additional parking and storm water sumps were added at the Ogden Valley Branch and a new Headquarters Library opened during 2016 in Roy. A complete upgrade and expansion of the North Branch is also expected to be completed during May of this year. basement floor; and the immense, structural T-beams that create the three upper, loadbearing floors and roof. While the building was stripped to its basic core, the entire structure was seismically braced to withstand potential earthquakes. Kevin Wilson, Library Professional Property Manager, noted the building sits in an “underground lake” and is constructed like a bathtub, except that the waterproofing is designed to keep water on the outside, rather than the other way around. The almost 50-year-old waterproofing was failing, and water had started seeping into the archives area. During 2012, a small hole in the elevator shaft was leaking 24 gallons of pressurized water per minute and had to be plugged with bentonite, employing the same basic technique used in capping flowing wells. During renovation, a moat was dug around the perimeter to facilitate replacing the foundation waterproofing and sewer lines. All the plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, lighting, and other building systems were also replaced during this massive upgrade. Although the building will retain its original grand style, Brennan reported, it is completely new again as upgrades were strategically integrated into the facility so they are invisible but make the Library so much more than it once was. The parking lot was expanded and an east entrance that opens onto Lester Park and a community programming space were also constructed. With the addition of a café, larger meeting room facilities, a teen center, and digital commons, the building features high-tech, highly-flexible spaces for all to enjoy. Kathleen Jensen, Library Board member, echoed Brennan’s sentiments stating, “The building is spectacular; great pains have been taken to preserve the original character but it is so much lighter and brighter with improved tinting on the windows and new LED lighting. It is a beautiful, technically-updated version of its classic self.” |