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Show Page 12 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume X Issue V June 15, 2004 Summer Cookouts and Campfire Activities Can Be Safe and Fun The Weber fire District and the Fire Marshals Association of Utah offers these tips for safe summer activities: Barbecue Safety If you enjoy cooking outdoors during the summer, these tips will ensure a safer use of your barbecue grill: Inspect your fuel line, burners, and igniter to make sure they are in good working condition. Make sure your LPG bottle is not overfilled. Keep your LPG bottle in the shade; the sun increases the pressure in the tank, and can lead to a leak. Keep your grill away from combustible materials when in use. Keep children a safe distance from the grill. Campfire Safety DO NOT have campfires when there is a burn ban issued for your area. Keep campfires in an area away from vegetation, at least 35 feet from structures, brush, etc. Establish a “safety ring” by clearing combustible materials away from the fire area. Use dirt and rocks to form the ring. DO NOT have camp fires on windy days. Keep a bucket of water and a shovel near your campfire to put it out if it becomes too large. NEVER leave a camp fire unattended. Always put the fire out COMPLETELY when you are finished. Be sure it is cold before leaving it. For further information on cookout and campfire safety, or any safety information, contact your local fire department. Note: Information courtesy of the Weber Fire District. For more information call 782-3580. A Mission to Conserve Water By Jennifer Duke, winng essayist Imagine if the Earth were an emerald gem, something valuable, exquisite, green, and rare. People would circle the Earth time and again in awe of its extraordinary beauty. People would marvel at the great blue pools of water sparkling upon its green land. They would ecstatically run their fingers over the bumps on the surface without scratching the exterior. They would worship the creatures that roam its terrain. They would admire the stars that float in the universe above like the glimmering sparkles that catch a jeweler or consumer’s eye. We are all consumers of this valuable and rare emerald gem; and as the human population grows, our demand for natural resources increases. We too often believe that it is our God-given right that we should dominate over the Earth. Through our carelessness and dominance, we waste water, one of our most precious resources. I’ve repeatedly seen sprinklers watering the pavement on the sidewalks of Weber State University, while the nearby grass is stricken, suffering from dehydration. Weber State is not alone; millions of people (myself included at times) have transformed into wadding water wasters! We water wasters cannot expect nature’s forgiveness forever. If we do not seek to conserve, our forests will be dry, our reservoir will be bare, and our lawns will disappear. What is the use of a forest if there aren’t any trees? What is the use of a swimming pool, if you don’t have water with which to fill it? What is the use of a boat, if you don’t have water on which to float it? What is the purpose of gardens that can’t remain green? Green is a fashionable and prestige color, and we must work to preserve it with the best of our strengths. Scientists have said that green is a sensitive color to the eye. Green is soothing, and jewelers have said, “the more vibrant the green, the more valuable the emerald.” The Earth, like an emerald, should be the gemstone that symbolizes love and rebirth. An intriguing marvel is that Satan lost the emerald from his crown when he fell. Cleopatra prized emeralds, mummies were buried with them, Romans loved emeralds, emperor Nero wore emerald sunglasses, the Queen of Sheba sent an emerald bowl to Nicodemus, Christ used the bowl at the last supper, and the emerald bowl was said to have caught his blood when he died on the cross. Therefore, you can see the value of green in our world. Green are our gardens that cultivate our lives, and green is the thumb that helps them grow. Green are the beans that thrust from the soil. Green are the peppers that give our lives kick, and green is the fertilizer that helps them grow. Green is the grass that sooths our steps, a gentle velvety carpet for our feet. Green is the bud, stem, leaf, and foliage of our lives. Green are the fish that swim in our streams, and green are the plants that grow on the bank. Green are the clovers that bring us luck, and green is the hose that drains our supply. If we do not preserve the greenness of our surroundings, we do not preserve ourselves. With spring at our doorstep and summer approaching, we must set ourselves on a mission to conserve water to our fullest extent and to preserve the color of green that sooths us to tranquility and illuminates our world! The OVN Hosts a Year of Essay Contests The OGDEN VALLEY NEWS staff is seeking entries for their monthly essay contests. One winning entry may be chosen each month and printed in the paper. The winning entrant will receive a $20.00 gift certificate from Hastings. Students of all ages are encouraged to participate.Themes for 2004 are: July: My Summer Vacation August: The Best Book I Ever Read September: The Most Interesting Person I’d Like to Meet October: Why Money Can’t Buy Happiness November: The True Meaning of Christmas December: What it Means to Be a Friend All entries become the property of the OGDEN VALLEY NEWS to use at the business owners’ discretion. Entries will not be returned. All entries must be typed or computer written in 12 pt., Times New Roman font. The essay should not exceed 2500 words, but should be at least 400 words. All entries must be received by the 18th of each month. Entries must include the name and age, mailing address, and telephone number of applicant. Mail entries to: OGDEN VALLEY NEWS PO BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 Email to: slfrancis@att.net crwendell@att.net Student Wins $20,000 Science Fair Scholarship By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley News Karli Oberg of Liberty recently returned with a first place award from the International Science Fair held in Portland, Oregon. As part of the honors, she was awarded a $20,000 scholarship to any university of her choice. The first place win was awarded within the science fair’s department of homeland security. Karli’s science fair project was titled: Bacterial Bateriophage Suppression of Bioterrorism Agent: A model system. Karli explained, “Since I couldn’t use bioterrorism chemical agents, I worked with E. coli for my model. Using aerosol and liquid forms of bacterial bateriophages (phages), I counter attacked samples contaminated with E. coli with different ratios of phages over different lengths of time to see how well they worked. Phages have to infect specific bacteria G-7 phages. Then I would take samples from the liquid model. For those treated with aerosols, I used an aerosol chamber at Weber State University that could catch the E. coli and phages on a plate so I could count the number of colonies. I also used a control model for comparison of my treated samples. “I discovered that in the aerosol chamber, there was a 90% reduction in the E. coli bacteria, and in the liquid, there was a tenfold reduction. Thus, I showed that phages could be used to clean up contaminated water or air supplies. Phage can’t hurt humans or animals. The only drawback, it won’t work on viruses, only bacteria. The Federal Department of Homeland Security was very interested in this study.” The International Science Fair was held May 8 through May 15. Karli traveled to Portland with a group of leaders and students from Utah. Karli stated, I called my dad after I won the award on May 13. He is my mentor. He was so excited because he spent a lot of late nights and weekends helping me.” Before Karli could compete at the international level, she had to win at region, where she captured a 1st Place win from the U.S. Air Force. From there, she competed at state, where she won $100 for another 1st Place win, and a $50 savings bond from the veterinarian sciences and, in addition, awards from the U.S. Air Force, Amy, and Navy, and an expense paid trip to the international competition. Karli will be a senior next year at Weber High School. She is the daughter of Craig and Lynette Oberg of Liberty. T H E PACK AGER, I N C. Since 1972 “W E H AV E B OX E S ” FOR MOVING STORAGE SHIPPING Boxes Bubble Wrap Tape Foam Visit our retail store for your packaging needs! No Minimums 1330 Gibson Ave., Ogden, UT 84404 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5 p.m. Sat. 9-3 p.m. Car "Makeovers" at Eden Car Wash Call Kristan Kap for detailing information 745-2280 2612 N. Valley Junction Dr. Eden |