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Show Page 2 The Ogden Valley News Volume XXX Issue XII April 1, 2023 The Ogden Valley News Staff: Shanna Francis Tel: 801-745-2688 Fax: 801-745-2688 Cell: 801-791-4387 E-Mail: slfrancis@digis.net Jeannie Wendell Tel: 801-745-2879 Fax: 801-745-2879 E-Mail: crwendell@digis.net crwendell@msn.com Opinions expressed by advertisers, columnists or letters to the editor are not necessarily the opinions of the owners and staff of The Ogden Valley News. Guidelines for Letters to the Editor Letters should be 300 words or less. Letters must be signed and the address of the writer submitted. The Ogden Valley News reserves the right to edit or decline printing of any submissions. Announcements Sought As a community service, The Ogden Valley News will print local birth, wedding, obituary, anniversary and missionary farewell & homecoming and Eagle Scout announcements free of charge. We invite residents to send their announcements to: The Ogden Valley News PO BOX 522 EDEN UT 84310 If you would like your submitted items returned, please send a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. The Ogden Valley News, while respecting all property received, will take no responsibility for lost or misplaced items. Please remember to keep a copy for yourself. Invitation for Articles The staff of The Ogden Valley News welcomes the submission of articles by our readership. We invite you to submit local historical accounts or biographies, articles pertaining to contemporary issues, and/or other material that may be of interest to our readers. We also invite you to submit to the paper, or notify the staff of local events. Awards that have been earned by the reader, family members, neighbors or friends are also sought. While the staff of The Ogden Valley News invites the submittal of information and articles, we reserve the right to select which material will be considered for publication. All material, to be considered, must be submitted with the full name, address and telephone number of the person submitting the material. Letters to the Editor Let’s All Do Are Part to Help Keep An Eden Hills Fire Hydrant Cleared I live on Foothill Lane in Eden Hills. The hydrant down the street sits in a hole, about 10 feet off the road’s edge. It does not have a 3-ft. clearance all around, as I believe is required. The other problems are the snowplows. They blast on through and dump a lot of dirty ice and snow into this hole, which is difficult to remove. If the plow could take the time to lift the blade before the hydrant and drop it after, it would make a big difference when it comes to digging out the hydrant. So, the county needs to enlarge the hole and the plow needs to give us a break. It’s not like the whole block is coming out, each time it snows, to help clear the hydrant. When I moved here in 2005, there was Ed. He did it himself. After a while, I joined him. Then he moved back east, and I did it. Then a young family moved in next door and Dane, the husband, saw what I was doing and immediately joined in to help. No one else. Ever. This year I am expending all my energy keeping my house safe. I would do the hydrant if the conditions I mentioned above were improved—the hole widened to the required 3 feet all around it, and the plow making an effort to stop shoving ice, etc. into the hole—especially after we have just cleaned it. This has happened often. Until then, the hydrant in the hole will remain as it is... unless others who depend on that hydrant to save their burning house come out to help. Robert Lawrence Jacobs, Eden So Grateful for All Those Who Make This Valley a Community—Thank You Ogden Valley! I would like to give a big shout out to all Valley residents and kind people who have been helping neighbors, relatives, and strangers with the toll this winter’s weather has taken on many of us. Thank you to all who have cleared driveways, roofs, and walkways in an effort to help out and keep others safe. Thank you to members of the Weber Fire District for helping to prevent possible catastrophes by checking and ensuring gas meters are running properly, roof vent pipes aren’t buried, and checking for possible gas leaks when and where needed. These large and small deeds are what make this Valley so wonderful—members of the community coming together in times of struggle, helping where they can, and providing contact or phone numbers to ensure the many needed jobs get done so all can carry on as safely as possible. My heart is brimming with gratitude. I love this Valley! Thank you to my wonderful neighbors who have taken care of us so many times. Also, a thank you to all those who are no longer with us who helped, too. As I have watched good deeds being done, I am reminded of my late neighbor Winston Sales who cleared my driveway so many times when my children were very young and my husband was out of town. Jeannie Wendell, Liberty Financial Troubles of Owners of Illegal STRs Not the Responsibility of Neighbors There was an interesting article on shortterm rentals in the March 15 edition of The Ogden Valley News. In the article, titled “The Future of Short-Term Vacation Rentals in Weber County,” there was a comment by part-time Ogden Valley resident Mike Ulrich. In his comment he apparently admitted breaking the law by violating the Weber County ordnance forbidding short term rental of his Eden property. The Weber County ordinance forbidding the short-term rental of his Eden property was in effect at the time of his purchase of said property. Nothing has changed. Either he did not know of the restrictions, or he did know and chose to ignore the law. With the new short-term rental regulations, it will become expensive for Mr. Ulrich to thumb his nose at his neighbors and the county in general. Mr. Ulrich stated that without his illegal rental side hustle, he will be hard pressed to make the mortgage payments. In the article he was quoted as saying “ And now I can’t even generate an income to pay my mortgage.” “How is that fair.” My answer is how is it fair for you to break the ordinance and cause any trouble for your neighbors. People buy a home in an area that is zoned residential for the “reasonable expectation of quiet enjoyment.” The fact that you cannot afford to own the house without being able to annoy your neighbors by ignoring the short-term rental ordinance is not a reasonable excuse for your behavior. Your financial troubles are not the responsibility of you neighbors! Bill Christiansen, Liberty Misinformation Can be Damaging and Create Unnecessary Con昀氀ict There is a lot of activity going on in Ogden Valley, and many individual communities are taking an active interest it what is happening. Use of social media can certainly be helpful in spreading the word on valley initiatives. However, at times, people may elect to just pontificate their views on social media because it is a fast and easy way to express their personal views without facing any conflict. Social media platforms provide individuals with a way to avoid attending public meetings where they may have to experience face-to-face interactions with members of their related communities who may not agree with their views. And at times, what is posted on social medial sites may not be quite true, or is printed to promote an individual’s personal view. It may include only selective wording from articles or statements, contributing to misinformation that can be damaging and create conflict. One specific example that can be noted is the continued reference to the GEM (Growth with an Excellence Mandate) Committee wanting to stop development in the valley. First, the GEM Committee as it existed for a little more that 20 years, was never against development, period! This committee advocated smart, well-planned, sustainable development in a way that would help preserve the rural nature of the valley. And one of the key words to note is “sustainable,” especially given the water issues we are facing in Ogden Valley. The generous snowpack we are receiving now is not going to resolve our water issues, and it is imperative that we have well planned and sustainable development to support a full-time valley community. Second, the GEM Committee was dissolved in late 2021 and this fact was published in The Ogden Valley News, at least twice. A single committee could no longer address all the issues facing Ogden Valley, and in lieu of having a single committee, an Ogden Valley Advocate Community email distribution list was created. Email alerts are sent to valley residents on this list to inform them about public meetings addressing possible changes that could have an impact on the valley. Communicating this information to valley residents has definitely helped awaken the valley, and individual valley communities have come forward to express their concerns and actively take action on proposed plans that could adversely affect their neighborhoods. You are very much encouraged to attend community meetings to learn firsthand the facts surrounding valley issues. Attending meetings also gives you the opportunity to effectively (and hopefully objectively) listen to the concerns and views of other valley residents. Also remember to use caution when forming an opinion based on what you read on social media platforms. It may not be accurate or can be very selective by not providing an entire set of facts. If you are not currently on the Ogden Valley Advocate Community email distribution list and would like to receive notices on these meetings, please send an email to jfullmer1@aol.com with your request to be added to the distribution list. Email addresses on this list are not shared with anyone without the consent of the owner. Jan Fullmer, Eden Snowmobile Rentals & Tours! The OgdenValley News’liability on account of errors in, or omissions of, advertising shall in no event exceed the amount of charges for the advertising omitted or the space occupied by the error. Our Snowmobile Wildlife Tour guarantees you will see wildlife or your money back! The Ogden Valley News does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any product or service advertised in this newspaper. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Ogden Valley News hereby disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The Ogden Valley News is not responsible for any claims or representations made in advertisements in this newspaper. The Ogden Valley News has the sole authority to edit and locate any classified advertisement as deemed appropriate. It also reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Note: The contents of The Ogden Valley News are copyrighted. To protect this publication and its contributors from unlawful copying, written permission is required before any individual or company engages in the reproduction or distribution of its contents, by any means, without first obtaining written permission from the owners of this publication. The deadline for the OVN April 15 issue is April 1. We have all the rental gear you need. We also sell souvenirs, shirts, and accessories in our Eden store. Snowmobiling is always good no matter the snow conditions! We are on-site at the Monte Cristo Trail head located in the beautiful Wasatch range of Northern Utah. We are Ogden Valley’s and surrounding areas Snowmobile Destination. Two locations to serve you: 3718 N. WolfCreek Dr. Eden Utah 84310 and Monte Cristo Snowmobile Complex, Utah. Visit www.ClubRecUtah.com for more information or call 801-745-3038 to reserve today. |