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Show The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Your Community Newspaper June 1, 2004 PRSRT STD POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 11 EDEN UT POSTAL PATRON EDEN-LIBERTY-84310 HUNTSVILLE-84317 OGDEN CANYON- 84401 HCR 843AO June 5th is National Trails Day By Helene Liebman, Chair, Ogden Valley Pathways Ogden Valley Pathways volunteers take a break from repairing fencing at North Arm Trail Head. From left to right are Bill Allyson, Bob Bachtel, Eric Randall, Greta Van Ert, Angie Whetton, Scott Hastings, John Klisch, Melodie Hansen, Linda Webber, Nicole Rolling, Brandon Fuller, and Joree Stoker. Photo courtesy of Brandon Fuller of Eden. New Planning Commissions Formed by Weber County Commissioners OGDEN – Two new planning commissions have been formed by the County Commission. Weber County’s six township planning commissions were dissolved recently and replaced by the new consolidated versions. Each of the new commissions consists of seven members, volunteers who will serve terms ranging from one to four years. The old system was overhauled for a variety of reasons, most notable of which were the complaints from developers and landowners about redundancy, inefficiency, inconsistency and poor attendance. County planner Jim Gentry said the move will save money, and the number of meetings has been reduced from six a month to just two. The first meeting was on May 11. Representing the eastern half of the coun- ty is the Ogden Valley Township Planning Commission, and the Western Weber County Planning Commission will cover the rest of the county. County Commissioners tried to balance the two boards geographically so that all areas were represented, from Huntsville to Hooper. It was necessary to pare down the 32 applicants to the 14 chosen for the commissions. “It was tough; we had to cut out some who have been doing a great job,” Commissioner Ken Bischoff said. “Everyone who applied was very well qualified.” The Ogden Valley Township Planning Commission members include Sharon Holmstrom and Verl Creager of Eden; Steve Young and Roger Richins from the Liberty/Nordic Valley area; Louis Cooper The Moose are Loose A moose and her calf leisurely roam through Liberty. Photo courtesy of Linda Maul of Liberty. Letters to the Editor . Page 2 Calendar of Events . . Page 14 Announcements . . . . Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 15 Page 6 Historical Article . . . . Page 9 and Greg Graves of Huntsville; and Keith Rounkles from the Ogden Canyon area. There are critics of this new system who although they acknowledge that the old setup was tedious, they feel that it had merit because it gave every section of the county a voice in the development of that area. County Commissioner Glen Burton rebuts this argument by saying that residents can still form informal planning committees to provide input to the two planning commissions. The diverse membership on each planning commission will provide a better exchange of ideas, according to the commissioners. “I think we’ll see real positive effects out of the new alignment,” Bischoff remarked. Come out for a morning of fun! Join Weber Pathways for National Trails Day on Saturday, June 5, at Lorin Farr Park in Ogden (located at 800 East Canyon Road in Ogden). This year the tradition will be continued of sponsoring a free public event on National Trails Day to create awareness of the new trail developments in Weber County. The theme this year is The Bridges of Ogden City—Creating Community Connections. Ogden City has just constructed three new bridges along the river parkway. The bridges near Kiesel, Stephens, and Gibson Avenues connect segments of the Ogden River Parkway, and are the culmination of years of planning and commitment by Ogden City. To celebrate this achievement you’re invited to come and explore the bridges and new section of the Ogden River Parkway, especially on June 5. Festivities will begin at 9:00 a.m., and include music, refreshments, races, and prizes. Just after 9:00 a.m., you can participate in the Three Bridges Trail Excursion and walk, run, bike, or roller-blade the new section of the Parkway. The first 300 trail participants will get a free same-day pass to the Lorin Farr pool. For you birders out there, the Audubon Society is hosting a Bird Walk at 7:30 a.m. OGDEN VALLEY PATHWAYS JUNE MEETING Ogden Valley Pathway’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, June 2, at 7:00 p.m. at the Huntsville Library. Come for an update on the trail-related work, including new construction on the Eden Trail and East Eden Pathway. Your ideas are welcome! For more information, contact Helene Liebman at 745-1799. -NOTICEThe North Ogden Divide scheduled closure has been postponed For more information, call 801-7810522. The Divide will be closed so that safety improvements can be made to the road. Wolf Creek Resort to Provide New Location for Balloon Festival (Eden, Utah) The 10th Annual Ogden Valley Balloon and Arts Festival will take place August 27 – 29 at a new location. Wolf Creek Resort has made their south fields available to host the festival, and will be the 2004 Presenting Sponsor. The event has been held the last nine years at Eden Park, but due to the size of the event, it has been relocated to the south side of Wolf Creek Resort’s property, pending issuance of a special event permit from Weber County officials. According to the resort’s managing partner Steve Roberts, “When it became apparent that the park was no longer a suitable host location, we were very concerned that the event might lapse for a year until a new site could be identified. As active members of the business community in the Ogden Valley we felt it was critical to step in and offer our fields for the event.” As a result, the event name has been changed to the Ogden Valley Balloon Festival. “Since the event is enjoyed by all three towns within the valley we thought the new name was more representative of the geographic location,” Roberts added. Cornerstone Marketing, whose principals are Linda Gillespie and Tammera Brown, has contracted with Wolf Creek to help organize the event, “Our staff has jumped in to help pro- vide considerable assistance in coordinating the huge effort that is required for this event,” Roberts added. Ms. Brown commented, “Having a sponsor the caliber of Wolf Creek Resort is just what we’ve been looking for the past three years. With their focus on community, plus the energy and experience of their staff to assist us with planning, we anticipate this will be the best Balloon festival ever presented.” BALLOON FESTIVAL cont. on page 11 |