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Show Volume X Issue IV THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 11 June 1, 2004 BALLOON FESTIVAL cont. from page 1 Balloonmeister Mike Bauwens who has coordinated the event for the past few years is excited about the new location. “The Eden Park location has served us well, but the event has grown to such a size that traffic and safety became a major source of worry for many of the attendees. Parking was a particular challenge. The new location is of sufficient size to allow all parking to be provided in the same location as the Festival. This will make access in and out of the event much easier for both the balloon pilots and the public.” The Festival, which will include up to 30 colorful balloons, will also feature a diverse selection of vendors featuring local and regional artists and businesses, local and regional restaurants and eateries and a full schedule of entertainment. The balloons will launch each morning shortly after day break, and then again in the early evening. Bauwens commented “The Ogden Valley is one of very few areas in the Rocky Mountains where it is possible to launch balloons in the evening. Typically in this mountain environment the winds kick in at night making flight too dangerous, but because of the unique high mountain valley surrounded by ridgelines, the valley floor is suitably protected. It’s an amazing sight to see the balloons against the alpenglow of the sunset. The balloon pilots just love the evening flights since they can so rarely take advantage of these conditions.” Friday night’s entertainment will conclude with a dramatic fireworks exhibition, and the ever-popular Balloon Glow will top off Saturday evening’s festivities. The 40-acre parcel is part of Wolf Creek Resort’s 2,500 acre master plan and will be the site of baseball and soccer fields in the future. Steve Roberts added “In order to host the event, we will significantly improve the newly named Festival Field, which has been used as a pasture for many years.” This will involve providing a surfaced access road, grading fields, and supplying irrigation so that by August, there will be a smooth grassy surface for the balloon launches. This year, there will be a nominal entry fee for the event. Wolf Creek’s golf course superintendent Rob Thomas added, “In order to create the appropriate and safe surface for parking we will completely level the field. We are carefully analyzing the parking and anticipated traffic flow to greatly minimize the impact on our immediate neighbors. We intend to work directly with the Weber County Fire and Sheriff’s office to enforce the NO PARKING regulations along Wolf Creek Drive (Rte. 158). We plan to install sufficient signage and have a towing company visibly on hand to provide enforcement. We are even planning to police the Valley Market parking lot to make sure patrons don’t try to park there with the intention of walking up to the event. My biggest concern is to make this event as safe as possible” The balloons will launch each morning at 7 a.m. and each evening at 6:30 p.m., filling the sky with a rainbow of colors. On Saturday, August 28 at 8:30 p.m., numerous pilots will inflate their balloons so that the fire casts a beautiful glow of bold hues against the night sky during the beloved “Hot Air Balloon Glow.” The fun doesn’t stop after the balloons launch. The Festival will feature arts & crafts, food booths, and a children’s play area with games. There are also several new entertainment features currently in the planning stages. A new website and toll free hotline are in the works. According to Linda Gillespie of Cornerstone Marketing, “Volunteers are such a huge part of this event’s success.” For those who would like to contribute their time and talents to the planning of this event, a volunteer application form will be available on the website. Anyone wishing to volunteer is invited to attend a Volunteer Information Session on Tuesday, June 8 at 6 p.m. in the Wolf Creek Clubhouse. The meeting will be held in the Board Room just off the Deli. By the next issue of the Ogden Valley News the Festival organizers hope to have a whole list of contact names and areas of responsibility, with phone numbers and email addresses. For more information contact: Nancy Seraphin at (801) 745-3439 or at <nseraphin@earthlink.net> Tammera Brown at (801) 745-9434 or at <tbrownjm@msn.com> Linday Fessler at (801) 745-3432 or at <lindy@wolfcreekresort.com> How Easy Wind Power Can Be By Alison Godlewski Wind power has been at the forefront of environmental news lately. Everyone is talking about wind power and how much better it is for the environment. Wouldn’t it be nice if the energy companies would implement this great idea? Well, Utah Power has done just that. In 2000 they introduced the Blue Sky program, giving their customers the option of purchasing wind power instead of power from traditional sources. Not only do Utah customers have the option of purchasing wind power, but they have a choice in how much wind power they purchase. Wind power is sold in blocks; one block equals 100 kilowatt-hour increments and costs just $1.95. The average household uses seven blocks per month, but customers can purchase as many blocks as they desire . . . Just check your monthly bill from Utah Power to see how many blocks you use. Wind power is more environmentally friendly than power from traditional sources because it does not produce air pollutants, wastewater, smog, acid rain, toxic mercury, or green house gasses. According to the Northwest Power Planning Council and EPA, purchasing one block of Blue Sky wind power a month for a year can result in the same carbon dioxide reduction as not driving your car 1,800 miles, or planting one-third acre of trees. That amounts to a reduction of nearly one ton of carbon dioxide in just one year. Using wind power also enables us to be less reliant on fossil fuels that are currently being used faster than they are being replenished. Right now, nearly 95% of the electricity generated in Utah comes from burning coal, which causes global warming. Not all people have wind power available as an option. Take advantage of this cheap and easy opportunity to improve our environment in a significant way. You can sign up at www.utahgreenpower.org or by calling 1-800-842-8458. Note: This article was previously printed in the “Utah Sierran,” a news journal of the Utah Sierra Club, in their fall 2002 issue, and is being reprinted in the OVN by permission. 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