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Show Volume XXVI Issue I The Ogden Valley news Page 11 February 15, 2020 Olive, Again: A book review By Ray Wilmot Olive Kitteridge does not make a good first impression on people. They describe her in various derogatory ways. She is large, blunttalking, bossy and overbearing. Even Elizabeth Strout, her creator, complains about her. Apparently, Olive badgered Elizabeth to write a sequel to the original. So Olive, Again was created, a follow-up to Olive Kitteridge (Winner of the Pulitzer Prize). I have now read both books twice, and I have to admit, Olive is getting under my skin. Early on, I enjoyed her uninhibited outbursts, as when she is confronted by the chaotic security lines in the airport: “I will not take off my shoes,” she heard herself say. “I don’t give a damn if the plane blows up. I don’t give one goddam if any of you are blown sky high.” Needless to say, she got the attention of many TSA agents, who quickly converged on her. But she turns out to be way more complex and introspective than this. Olive is 76 when the sequel begins and 84 when it ends. She is a contemporary of mine, and we share many age-related maladies and indignities. But more than that, I appreciate her self-awareness and willingness to change. After the death of her first husband, Henry, she meets Jack Kenniston. They seem polar opposites in many ways; however, they are both widowed and both estranged from their children. Olive criticizes Jack for rejecting his gay daughter, and Jack suggests that Olive may have inadvertently offended her son. They eventually marry, even though their differences cause them to argue over many subjects, great and small. Jack introduces Olive to wine, pedicures, and firstclass airline seats. Olive charms Jack with her candid opinions and graphic story-telling. But the novel is named after Olive, and she is the focus. It is her transformation that is most fascinating. She has always been so sure of herself, a junior-high math teacher with a self-image as definite as the times tables. But gradually, she comes to confront her mistakes and misconceptions. When her son Chris is verbally attacked by his wife, Olive realizes that she is somehow responsible. She recalls publicly berating Henry this same way, in front of her son. It is a powerful, self-damning insight by Olive, causing her to re-think many things. Elizabeth Strout has an unusual episodic style, in which some chapters seem to have little or nothing to do with Olive. The setting is always rural Maine, though, and the characters do cross paths with Olive. So we come to understand the larger context. Suicide, physical and sexual abuse, drugs, dementia and dysfunctional families seem to appear everywhere. But the most pervasive and destructive element of the story is loneliness. Strout manages to highlight the small, subtle inroads some of the characters make in confronting that loneliness. After her second husband dies, Olive has a heart attack, and her son helps her get into an assisted-living facility. Olive’s body is failing, but her mind is still quite sharp. She meets a somewhat shy, withdrawn woman named Isabella. They hit it off, sharing their life stories, disappointments, and worries. They laugh about their mutual need for “poopie panties.” In an early chapter, a character explained her “faith” this way: “I think our job is to bear the burden of the mystery with as much grace as we can.” At the end, the reader is left with the impression that Olive has done just that. Snowbasin Ski Team Off to a Hot Season Start The Snowbasin Ski Team has welcomed with wins in Sunday’s slalom and Monday’s in 2020 with impressive back-to-back performances to start the season. In their first two races of the season, the local club bested Park City and Snowbird for a team title, and scored impressive individual performances at the first regional qualifier in Jackson Hole. The season started with the Park City South Series at Park City Mountain Resort January 11 and 12, where Snowbasin edged out Park City and Snowbird to win the coveted team title. Athletes, ranging in age from 8 through 14, competed in two giant slalom races over the two-day event. Snowbasin was led by a 2nd-place finish by Dyllan Guay on day two, and back-toback podium finishes (5th) by Anzley Dibble in the womens race. Callum Dawson Dibble notched back-to-back third-place finishes in the mens event. Avery Costello (6th both days), Alivia Collins (7th both days), and Ella Dressen (11th, 9th) also notched top-ten finishes for a Snowbasin womens team that was dominant at the top of the standings. The team award highlights the hard work of all the Snowbasin athletes and coaches, and demonstrates that the Snowbasin Ski Team is successful at developing top athletes throughout the program. The following weekend, January 18-20, the Snowbasin Ski Team once again impressed, this time against even stronger competition at the USSA Intermountain Division U14 Qualifier in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Skiers 13 and younger competed in two slalom races and a giant slalom over the three-day event. Reagan Harrison led the way for Snowbasin, following up a 2nd -place finish on Saturday giant slalom. Dyllan Guay joined Harrison on the podium with 3rd-place finishes on both slalom days. Kira Thomas (8th, 6th) also finished in the top 10 in the slalom both days. During the two slalom races, the Snowbasin ladies once again placed more skiers in the top 10 than any other program. Ashton Archuleta, who posted impressive second run times both days in Park City, despite not finishing his first run either day, led the Snowbasin mens team in Jackson Hole. Archuleta took 4th in the giant slalom, and was Snowbasin’s top male finisher (16th and 13th) in the two slalom races. The Snowbasin Ski Team will host the 2020 Jr. National Championships February 24-28. The race will feature 200 athletes between the ages of 16 and 21 competing in slalom, giant slalom, and super G. This will be the most significant ski race held at Snowbasin since the 2002 Olympic downhill and super G. About the Snowbasin Ski Education Foundation - The Snowbasin Ski Education Foundation is a community supported nonprofit dedicated to promoting the sport of skiing. Through the Snowbasin Ski Team’s race and big mountain programs, and developmental collaborations with the Snowbasin Snow Sports School, the foundation currently supports nearly 300 boys and girls ages 5 to 20 in their quest to become better skiers and more complete young men and women. According to a 2018 study by Weber State University, the Snowbasin Ski Education Foundation and the Snowbasin Ski Team contribute nearly $1 million in annual economic impact to the WeberClearfield metropolitan area. TRAILS cont. from page 1 nect Old Snowbasin Road to Huntsville Town. Once complete, there will be a 20-mile paved trail from Wolf Creek Resort to Snowbasin, mostly separated from motor vehicles. Only a short section of Old Snowbasin Road will be shared. The total cost estimate for this project is $1.1 million. Weber Pathways was formed in 1995 by three community activists who saw the need for a pedestrian trail in Ogden Canyon, according to Executive Director Mark Benigni. The founders’ concern for private property rights in the canyon, however, soon pointed them in a Weber Pathways constructed 40 miles of natural surface and 12 miles of paved trails, tunnels, and bridges with a combined construction cost of more than $4 million. These projects were funded through private donations and grants from RAMP and other government agencies and private foundations. For more information, contact Executive Director Mark Benigni at mark@weberpathways.org or 801-393-2304; or Board Chair Ron Thornburg, fcsronthornburg@gmail.com or 801-726-6377. Weber Pathways is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to plan, promote, construct, and protect a network of public pathways, trails, and related open spaces for nonmotorized users throughout the greater Weber different direction. They did not give up on their County area. underlying goal of a non-motorized trail in the canyon but they also could see the value that a network of trails and open space would have on the entire community. From 1995 to 2010, the founders focused on advocacy, fundraising, education, and preservation of open space, Benigni added. During this period, Weber Pathways purchased the rail corridor from the Union Pacific that is now the Rail Trail in western Weber County. Awareness and funding was raised for the Centennial Trail, Bonneville Shoreline Trail and Pineview Loop Pathway. Starting in 2011 through today, Benigni said, Snowbasin Ski team Steel Building Contractor ~ Residential ~ Agricultural ~ Commercial ~ Storage Units ~ Steel Siding and Roofing Huntsville, Utah 801-528-2318 Come join us for dinner! Happy Valentine’s D ay ! For a complete menu go to www.timbermine.com Mouth of Ogden Canyon 1701 Park Blvd. Ogden 801-393-2155 Open Daily at 5 p.m. Closed Sundays |