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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XXVI Issue II March 1, 2020 It’s Time for Kindergarten Round-up at Valley Elementary! O n c e again it is time for “Kindergarten Round-up” at Valley Elementary. Kindergarten Round-up is for children who will turn 5 years old on, or before, September 2, 2020 and their parents. This year’s Round-up is planned for April 22 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the gymnasium. RAILROAD cont. from page 1 as well as my best friend) came to me a couple of months ago and said he was inspired by my bike ride and said he wants to help raise more awareness and donations to go to Operation Underground Railroad. He came up with the idea of a trek to the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal. We are now planning on leaving for Nepal April 15, and will hike to 17,600 ft. above sea level with a goal of raising $8,848, which represents the elevation of the Mount Everest base camp meters—8,848 meters). “We believe this is a very underrated and less-known issue in the world—more particularly in Utah and the United States in general. Mount Everest’s base camp in Nepal. If I had not seen ‘The Abolitionists’ film back in 2017, I wouldn’t have understood just how abundant and even local this issue is. It’s everywhere, and it’s sad that there are so many people who will ‘purchase’ a young child to rape them over and over. I personally don’t think these things get covered enough in the news, or that we are doing enough to stop modern-day slavery. When asked why he sees himself as an “abolitionist,” Wyatt stated, “Americans are the number one consumer in porn, as well as human trafficking! Trafficking stems from pornography, and the consumer wants more and more. Just ask Ted Bundy why he raped and then killed all those women. In an interview, he said he believed his actions stemmed from porn and a desire to want more; he needed his rapings to be more violent because it was a bigger rush for him. He eventually went from raping to killing to satisfy his desires. “Some people say, ‘If I lived in Lincoln’s If your child’s age requirement qualifies, please come into the school and register your student. To register, a copy of the child’s birth certificate and immunization record is needed, along with photo identification of a parent. The staff at Valley Elementary looks forward to serving your child in the upcoming school year—“Where Children Come First!” For more information, please call Valley Elementary at 801-452-4180. era, I wouldn’t support slavery’ but many people aren’t doing much of anything to stop slavery today. Slavery exists now more than during Lincoln’s time. A child at the age of 12 or younger can be raped more than 40 times by different men per day!” Why Josh Is An Abolitionist... “I was first introduced to Operation Underground Railroad in early 2017 as Wyatt launched his coast to coast bicycle campaign. Wyatt and I have been friends forever; we grew up together, and to this day he is still one of my closest friends. I was amazed and inspired at Wyatt’s dedication to this cause when he announced his bike ride. To see the amount of money he was able to fundraise, as well as his willingness to spread awareness about such a dark topic was so impressive to me. During his fundraising campaign, I was also able to learn a lot about the evils of human trafficking and its prevalence in our world today. Since that time, I have wanted to get involved and do my part to fight against this darkness. “Human traf“The only thing neces- ficking is a modern sary for the triumph of day form of slavery. evil is for good men to Millions of innocent people around the do nothing.” – JFK world, including children, have had their rights and freedoms taken away because of human trafficking. I am an abolitionist because I want these people to have their lives back. I want their cries to be heard, and I want them to be rescued. For this to happen, it starts with you and me. It starts with normal people living normal lives showing the willingness to talk about it. Human trafficking is a dark topic. It is difficult to have conversations about it. It is difficult to even think about it! But this is part of the reason why it exists, and why it has become far too common in our modern world. We all have the responsibility to shed light on the darkness of human trafficking; because, this is how it will be abolished.” You can follow Wyatt and Josh’s journey on Facebook at <www.facebook.com/ OURTrektoEBC/> You can make a donation towards the O.U.R. campaign at <https://my.ourrescue.org/ fundraisers/our-trek-to-everest-base-camp> Please note that no donations will be used to sponsor or pay for Wyatt and Josh’s trek to Mount Everest’s base camp in Nepal. For more information about human trafficking, visit #endhumantrafficking WILDLIFE cont. from page 1 occur directly through contact with an infected animal or indirectly through environmental contamination (for example, a dead carcass can spread it to the soil). These prions are highly resistant to chemical and environmental degradation, and once the environment becomes contaminated with prions from shedding deer or infected carcasses, it can be a source of infection for years into the future. Because the prions are shed in saliva, urine, and feces and can persist in the environment for a long time, CWD is easily transmitted in areas where a large number of deer congregate. Feeding deer can cause large groups of them to congregate into one area, increasing the chance of the disease spreading from one animal to the next. “Because the disease is so contagious, it is essential that residents do not feed wildlife,” DWR Regional Outreach Manager Aaron Bott said. “This includes putting out corn, hay, dog food or birdseed that deer might easily access. Although it may seem like a beneficial thing to do, feeding deer actually accelerates the spread of this disease. In the most recent CWD deer fatality in Moab, biologists found corn kernels in the deer’s gut, suggesting it had been feeding on food provided by humans.” Fortunately, the disease is not widespread throughout Utah, and is primarily found in a few counties in central and eastern Utah. The DWR takes CWD very seriously and conducts extensive monitoring each year to stay on top of the disease and its prevalence in the state. The recently updated and approved Mule Deer Management Plan includes a section on CWD that addresses ways to slow the spread of the disease in Utah. “We want to remain as proactive as possible to slow and prevent the spread of this disease,” Bott said. “Currently, the La Sal Mountains have one of the highest concentrations of CWD in Utah, located right in Moab’s backyard. This is why it is essential that the community of Moab help us in fighting the spread of this disease by not feeding the wildlife or causing them to congregate.” Studies have shown that humans, dogs, cats and other species are unlikely to contract CWD. However, the DWR recommends avoiding diseased deer. Any deer that looks sick (i.e., has trouble walking, drools, has drooping ears or looks emaciated) should be reported to the nearest DWR office. Learn more about CWD in Utah on the DWR website. Other Biological Harm to Wildlife Introducing the wrong type of food to wildlife can harm them, especially during the winter. Deer are ruminants—mammals that acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach before digestion. Deer have four-part stomachs, and each stomach chamber progressively breaks down woody, leafy and grassy foods into smaller particles. These stomach chambers contain microbes that are essential to digesting food. The type of microbes in deer digestive systems gradually change throughout the year and are very specific to the food that is available. During the winter, deer primarily feed on sagebrush and other woody plants. Suddenly changing a deer’s diet can easily lead to the deer eating food that it cannot readily digest. In these situations, deer often die from starvation with full stomachs. And when deer congregate to feed, it’s every deer for itself. The larger deer often push the smaller deer—the fawns—aside, and they often end up receiving less food than they would have received if people had left them alone. “This is why feeding deer and other wildlife is usually not a good idea,” DWR Big Game Coordinator Covy Jones said. “Although it sounds like an act of kindness and may sometimes help some animals get through the cold months, it can create major problems.” The DWR does occasionally feed deer in specific emergency situations when supplemental feeding is beneficial. For example, deer herds in critical wintering areas that are caught in unusually deep and long-lasting snow might benefit from winter feeding. When the DWR considers supplemental feeding, biologists carefully analyze whether the benefits will outweigh the disadvantages. If a decision is made by the agency to proceed, resources are allocated, special food mixtures are determined and the feeding takes place in an organized, targeted and strategic way that maximizes the benefits to the deer while minimizing the possible adverse consequences. The DWR also feeds elk during the winter at the Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area to help prevent local agricultural damage from the large elk herds. However, the elk are routinely monitored and tested for disease, and the feed is specialized so as not to harm the animals. Public Safety Concerns - Whenever someone feeds wildlife, those animals will frequently return to that area in search of food. These areas are often near highways and towns. Concentrating deer and other wildlife near inhabited areas can sometimes result in increased traffic accidents and other human/ wildlife conflicts. Attracting deer to your property through feeding can also attract predators, like cougars that follow deer herds. And while deer are not predators, they are still wild animals and can be aggressive. “Help yourself and the wildlife stay safe and avoid conflicts by not feeding them,” Jones said. Find more tips on how to avoid conflicts with wildlife on the Wild Aware Utah website. Don’t Forget to Vote by March 3! Register online by February 25. |