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Show April 1 03.qxd 12/7/2021 3:49 PM Page 3 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume VII Issue XII Page 3 April 1, 2003 Letters to the Editor It Hits Home When You Know It’s Our Children from the Valley Serving I wanted to thank you for what you do for the Valley paper, and for the military articles now published. I’m glad that Valley residents continue to provide articles of their son’s or daughter’s military experiences. I’ve had several comments from friends since Eric’s article was published. The one comment I hear, which is probably in most of our minds, “You hear about the probability of war each day but it really hits home when you know the service men and women, and still think of them as children from the Valley.” Keep up the good work. Mike Hoffman, Liberty To Our Ogden Valley Neighbors We at Grass Plus appreciate your patience while we are getting situated across from the Eden Park at the Old Eden Fire Station. The rear yard will be available soon to allow for employee parking, and a new asphalt drive will then be installed in the front of the building for customer parking. Regretfully, we had to move some mature trees to make room for our operation. However, the trees were given away, and were moved to a new location in Eden where they have begun their new life. We hope to be finished up in the next month, and open for business, serving the local community. We will initially be offering bark mulches, topsoil, soil amendments, sprinkler supplies and other nursery and landscape items. We at Grass Plus look forward to serving and working with the local community. Thank you very much for your patience during our transition. Owners and staff of Grass Plus, Eden Guest Commentary A Reader’s View of Weber County Government Weber County Commissioners should have saved taxpayers the recent cost to appraise the disputed public land sold to Rulon Jones, as well as the enormous cost of a lawsuit defending their illegal sale of public property. Weber County’s strong endorsement to HB 122, in my opinion, only continues to mire them down regarding responsible leadership among the people who elected them. Was it in the best interest for the people to have Weber County keep pushing to get HB122 passed? This changed the law to prevent citizens from ever challenging and winning in court, public land sales. This new bill also means Utah’s public lands are no longer protected by a state code that requires all public land sales to go before their planning commissions. The new wording says “significant land sales” must go before a planning commission, but who determines what is “significant?” Of course, that is left up to the government trying to sell it. Remarks from Commissioner Ken Bischoff in a March 5 Standard-Examiner article seem to come from someone who has never been on this beautiful land: “Based on the use for it, which is none, and the need for money for our budget, this land will probably be viewed again as surplus.” This statement shows total disregard for a Supreme Court ruling and to the 1200 petitioners who told Weber County not to sell their park. Why wasn’t the $3,000 recently spent by the county to appraise the property, instead used to survey the trail, which would eliminate the County’s excuse as to why they still keep the public trailhead gate locked? Weber County spent $200,000 paving the road to Powder Mountain in 1970, plus the full cost of building the road to the private resort in exchange for the trail and a 160-acre park. At today’s cost to build the road, it would automatically put the value of the park in the millions. Celeste C. Canning PLLC Attorney at Law 2456 Washington Boulevard, Suite C Ogden, Utah 84401 Local: 801 791-1092 Office: 801 612-9299 Email: ccanninglaw@aol.com Meeting the Legal Needs of Small Business and Their Owners FREE Initial Thirty Minute Consultation. Appointments in Ogden Valley upon request. Interestingly, $140,000 was paid to plaintiffs’ attorney by Weber County following the Supreme Court decision. This fee could have been totally avoided, as the plaintiffs’ pleaded on many occasions during the 5-year battle, for the commissioners to just void the sale. Giving the land back to the public would have prevented the costly lawsuit. It is shocking what some government leaders will do to prove they never make mistakes. It takes a big person to admit they did. But for our commissioners and county attorney to have done so would have saved Weber County at least $180,000, plus their credibility. Now for Weber County Commissioners to even consider repeating the sale of Wolf Creek Park out from under its owners—the people—is preposterous. Weber County subjected its citizens to a long, costly court fight to regain their land. This monumental victory for the plaintiffs at the Supreme Court level is turning ugly very fast, thanks to the leadership in Weber County government. Their own recent appraisal for all the beautiful parkland at $65,000 is setting the stage for another notorious Weber County “sweetheart land deal.” One might ask how could such behavior still exist in Weber County government, especial- ly this soon after our highest court handed them a defeat in this land sale controversy? Only time will determine what was best for the people of Utah. The public did get their park and trail back, but will it still be there for future generations to enjoy? It is looking doubtful right now, if Commissioner Bishcoff’s statements come true. Hopefully, Weber County Commissioners will hear from an outraged public if they even hint of again selling this public open land and trail. It is truly a hidden treasure—a spectacular 2.5-mile trail to a majestic 160 acres worth of wildlife and wild flowers, which bloom everywhere in the spring. A panoramic view of Ogden Valley, one will never forget, awaits the hiker, biker, or horseback rider. To those who have no use for this land, and view it as surplus property with only a total value of just $65,000, I say, “Take the time to go on the trail and enjoy the experience. You will be pleasantly surprised!” Maybe it’s time for Weber County leadership to bury their obvious personal vendetta from the Supreme Court ruling against them, and just represent the people. Kent D. Fuller, Eden EDEN PARK’S 4th ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT Saturday, April 19, 2003 11:00 A.M. EDEN PARK For ALL children of the Valley, ages 11 & under. If anyone would like to donate, please send contributions to Eden Park, P O Box 34, EDEN UT 84310 |