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Show The OGDEN November 15, 2003 VALLEY NEWS Your Community Newspaper PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO And Then There Was Snow Incorporation Debate Heats Up By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News Two woodpeckers work hard for their meal after winter arrived in Ogden Valley. BOR Provides Final Update for the 2003 Work Season With the end of the water year, the slowing of construction for the winter months is inevitable. Since the last update however, there has been more progress on the renovation. W.W. Clyde & Company has completed the downstream deep excavation within the soldier pile walls and removed the potentially liquefiable material. Soldier pile walls are supports to hold the soil vertical while work in the excavation is conducted. This area is being backfilled with denser, select backfill, and the soldier pile wall is being removed as the backfill comes up. The crest wall is complete, and zoned embankment material is being placed. The contractor anticipates working as long as possible until weather forces them to shut down. There should be about three months of work beginning in May to complete the project. In the past year, Reclamation, with the effort of its contractors, and the patience of Liberty, Eden, Huntsville, Ogden and other affected residents, managed to get the road open for traffic; install new radial gates; install dewatering wells; pave the road; install anchor bolts in the spillway walls; install anchor beams in the spillway gate, and tie those beams to the reinforced wall; replace the gate house; construct the embankment wall for emergency freeboard; and begin deep excavation on the downstream side. During all of this, the agency, in cooperation with the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and the Ogden River Water Users Association, was able to deliver, uninterrupted, this year’s full allocation of water. And, no water needed to be released to conduct the work. Throughout this process, we’ve endeavored to hear and address the concerns of residents living near, and affected by the work. We appreciate the cooperation and comments of all. This work should be concluded by the end of August or early September of 2004. This will be the last update until the pace of work picks up in the spring. If you have specific concerns in the meantime, please contact Don Merrill at the Bureau at 801 379 1074, or dmerrill@uc.usbr.gov Trouble in Eden is a brewing as the stakes rise in the controversial incorporation debate. Opponents of incorporation organized an informational meeting regarding the proposal just days after the Eden Citizens Committee submitted a petition with the legally required signatures to the Weber County Clerk requesting a formal Feasibility of Incorporation Study be completed by the county. Since the petition was submitted on November 3, several property owners have requested to be excluded from the proposed boundaries of the proposed city. The boundaries may have to be adjusted at this point in the process due to the requests. Weber County Commissioner Glen Burton, Chief Deputy Recorder Roger Brunker, and Sheriff Brad Slater attended the meeting to field questions from the audience. Attorney Sandy Crosland acted as mediator. About 67 community members attended the meeting held at the Snowcrest Jr. High Library on November 6. Doug Swenson of Eden asked, if incorporated, “Who is going to give out parking and speeding tickets? Where will the money come from to cover court and other legal costs and services? What about transportation costs?” According to Weber County Sheriff Brad Slater, the county currently has 5.2 officers assigned to the entire Ogden Valley to cover basic patrol duties. Additional officers work the area, as needed, as part of a strike force unit, or providing detective, emergency, dispatch, and/or CSI services. Slater stated that the county has had to lay off a few officers this fiscal year due to budget shortfalls. Steve Clarke, chair of the committee sponsoring the petition has stated, “We are pleased with the strong support the petition has received.” He also recently stated, “Approximately 600 of the 1200 total property owners within the boundaries do not live in Eden, and response from this group has been particularly strong.” But a straw poll at the meeting that was held last week showed that only a little more than 8% wanted to see the feasibility study completed. Opponents at the meeting voiced concerns over the county spending their tax dollars—up to $50,000—on com- Honest differences of views and honest debate are not disunity. They are the vital process of policy making among free men. —Herbert Hoover pleting the study, especially with the economic downturn that has put a squeeze on many county and state budgets. Ann Spencer of Eden stated, “I’d rather use the Jim Ormsbee of Eden delivers the Eden incorporation feasibility study petition in to Weber County officer Linda Lunceford. money to fund one of the enforcement officers you’ve dropped, rather than have the [feasibility] study! Why go through with this crazy thing when most of us don’t even want it?” John Klisch of Eden addressed county representatives with this mandate, “Do everything within your power to defeat the petition. Save our money! This [process] is not within the spirit of the community.” Swenson concluded the meeting with a final request, “Why don’t they [organizers of North Ogden Divide Scheduled to Reopen in December Kelly Hipwell with the Weber County Road Department has announced that the North Ogden Divide will be reopened for the winter season on December 1, 2003. More closures can be expected in the spring when the county will again begin work to complete the planned improvements to the roadway. Pumpkins and a Harvest Moon Local Teacher Honored with KSL’s Teacher Feature Award Valley Elementary para-professional Donna Jorgensen was recently honored as KSL’s featured teacher. The following is a copy of the nominating letter that was sent to KSL by the Oman family of Eden. Dear Teacher Feature: We would like to nominate Ms. Donna Jorgensen for the Teacher Feature Award. Ms. Jorgensen plays an immense role in the life of Letters to the Editor . Page 2 Announcements . . . . Page 6 Historical Article . . . . Page 9 Calendar of Events . . Page 14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 15 our son who has a disability. Donna is a paraprofessional working at Valley Elementary School in Huntsville, Utah. She is there for our son full time each and every day. Ms. Jorgensen is very deserving of this award. Our eleven-year-old son Cory suffers from a degenerative neurological disease that has claimed his ability to walk, form thoughts and speech par for his age, and the vast majority of his eyesight. He was mainstreamed into the regular school setting after attending the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. Ms. Jorgensen has been by his side since the first grade, and has her hands full to say the least. She has maintained control of his academic situation, and continues to instill a sense of value to his fragile life. Donna maintains close correspondence with us on Cory’s progress, and offers sugLOCAL TEACHER cont. on page 13 A beautiful harvest moon sets the back drop to the end of a day in Ogden Valley. Photo courtesy of Dreinie Hattingh of Eden. Recipe for a Healthier ADHD Child— How to happily survive your ADHD child Sally Scroggins PhD, is an internationally recognized health researcher and educator. She will share research conducted by organizations such as the American Pediatric Association, American Medical Association, MIT, and John Hopkins University as to the cause of ADHD. As Sally says, “Once parents understand the cause of ADD/ADHD, they now have the beginning tools for amazingly simple solutions. In short, greatly reducing and even eliminating the stress and frustration of questions like, “Why Johnny struggles in school.” This free lecture will be held at the Ogden Valley Branch Library Wednesday, December 3, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Please bring your pen and paper to take notes. Seating is limited to the first 30 attendees. For additional information, call Cary Davis 745-8397. |