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Show Volume XXX Issue VIII The Ogden Valley News Page 3 December 1, 2023 A Shout Out to Our North Fork Park Trail Groomers By Helene Liebman, Ogden Nordic board member For anyone who has been out early enough to see pristine corduroy on the ski trails of North Fork Park, it is a vision of beauty—especially when the sun is just coming up, casting long shadows. I didn’t know how much work goes into making that beautiful corduroy until I talked to Alan Wheelwright, Ogden Nordic’s grooming manager. It takes about $30,000 each year to groom the 19 miles of ski trails and 15 miles of single track (snowshoe and fat bike trails) at North Fork Park. That includes fuel and oil, maintenance and repair, signage, and wages for the few paid groomers. That does not include new equipment. Last season, Ogden Nordic purchased a slightly used snowcat for $230,000 and a new snowmobile for $6,000 (with help from RAMP). Ogden Nordic has two snowcats to groom the ski trails. These are equipped with tillers to break down the snow and skirts to create the corduroy. The attached classic pans form the classic ski tracks. For single track grooming, it Corduroy at North Fork Park. takes a snowmobile with a grooming implement and a weighted tire attached with a chain. When conditions are right, single track groomers use an ATV with tracks. Grooming operations involve a lot of time and patience. To get the best conditions, groomers make several slow (3 to 7 Skiers at North Fork Park. mph!) passes with their machines—a few times to break down and compress the snow. And, for ski trails, a few more passes to create the corduroy and lay the classic tracks. That means it takes at least 9 to 21 hours just to groom the ski trails in the park! Not all the trails are groomed every night, but almost all are groomed for Saturdays and Sundays. Alan says that it takes a special person to be a groomer as they spend hours by themselves, usually at night, slowly going over and over the same trail. Our crew includes three groomers for the ski trails—Scott Blank, Bob Rebolledo, and Ron Gleason, all who are perfectionists in the art of ski trail grooming. It takes eight groomers for the single track—Bryce Dipoma and a group of volunteers who back up Bryce. Plus, Dave Jenkins grooms the ski trails around the Environmental Center. Please, thank a groomer and enjoy the great grooming at North Fork Park! ---- UPCOMING PLANNING MEETING ---Weber County Commission Meeting Tues., December 5, 2023 5:00 p.m. (The public is welcome) On December 5, 2023, at 5:00 p.m., the Weber County Board of Commissioners will hold a public meeting at the Weber Center (2380 Washington Blvd.) to include the following agenda item: ----- PUBLIC HEARING ----Discussion and possible action on amending the street regulating plan for New Town Eden and Old Town Eden to include Eden Crossing. Questions can be directed to Charlie Ewert at cewert@webercountyutah.gov or 801-399-8763. NOTICE OF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATION DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals needing special accommodations (including auxiliary communicative aids and services) during this meeting should notify county offices at 801-399-8794. Accommodation includes elevator, ground-floor meeting room, and digital meeting recording system. Meeting Location - 2380 Washington Blvd., 1st Floor Commission Chambers, Ogden, Utah. For more information, contact Marta Borchert, mborchert@webercountyutah.gov or 801-399-8761. Inspirational Thought How to Destroy a Nation By Shanna Francis The saying goes, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” So true, and possibly within only a generation or two. Past communist takeovers of one country after another in the modern world provide excellent examples of what a country should or should not do if they want to survive as an independent, sovereign nation. Are we paying attention? Below are just a few of several deliberate and debilitating tactics used to destroy a nation. How many are being employed today in America? Having spent about ten or eleven years formally studying political science at Weber State University, the University of Tartu (Tartu, Estonia), Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), the University of Utah, and Boğazici University (Istanbul, Turkey), and doing research regarding institutions that contribute to a healthy democracy with a team from the University of Utah working in conjunction with students and professors from the University of Vilnius in Vilnius, Lithuania, I’ve researched and studied the many threaded patterns that have led to the unraveling of numerous nations around the world throughout time. Below are just a few of these fraying threads that have led to the undoing of many a nation. 1. Fail to secure a nation’s borders. A lack of border security erodes the principle of national sovereignty, which is central to longterm national security and international order. Since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, nation states and their recognized sovereignty have been the world’s primary institutional system contributing to international stability and order. After the most destructive war in modern history—World War II—key institutions, such as the United Nations, recognized that sovereign states—versus tribes, empires, or monarchical or religious orders—were essential “to the preservation of peace and the promotion of prosperity.” In order for a nation state to remain viable, it must defend its borders and control the free movement of people across these borders in order to adequately maintain, support, and defend their legitimate sovereignty. Sovereign nation states depend on the cohesiveness of their population to support the viability of the nation in order to remain functional and effective. A viable nation state also depends on functional institutions supported by a nation’s founding documents, such as our U.S. Constitution; general laws; common languages and culture; and traditions and symbols that support unity and cohesiveness, i.e., a national flag, pledge of allegiance, national anthem, and mutually respected and honored national heroes, etc. As in the United States, however, sovereignty has been eroding throughout the world in more recent decades. Think of the unprecedented gathering of the European Union, the growing number of failed states, or the increasing pressure and influence of international organizations on sovereign nations. The recent conflict in Israel is a prime example. More and more, a sovereign’s independence is being threatened and diminished by powerful global actors who use political and economic pressure to shape and manage outcomes. Benedict Anderson notes, “To have one nation means there must be another nation against which self-definition can be constructed.” In other words, there must be the “other” in contrast to the one. As nation states become more and more enmeshed through economic interdependence and globalization, political borders tend to weaken in some areas, even while geographic borders remain well defined. When immigrants come to this country legally, through proper channels, they are more likely to buy into the cohesive cultural and national narrative of the sovereign state—more so than those who come by illegal means through fluid borders. During the height of the Soviet Union’s power, the government sent millions of Russians to live within the borders of the newly conquered states, such as the Baltics. This was done in order to dilute the cultural norms and cohesiveness of each conquered country, a measure undertaken to ensure a hastening of the erasure of unity, generational traditions, love of country, and the institutional memory of the people. The goal was to purge one culture to hasten the demise of political resistance to a new order being inculcated. In sum, for great powers to survive, the necessary primary goal is to seek and maintain territorial integrity and the autonomy of their domestic political order. It is a matter of survival. 2. Weaken the economy through monetary policies that contribute to debilitating inflation that cripples the middle class. As Milton Friedman held, “Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another freely without coercion or central direction [such as unfair government subsidies and other “carrots” and the printing of more unbacked greenbacks], it reduces the area over which political power is exercised. In addition, by dispersing power, the free market provides an offset to whatever concentration of political power may arise.” In contrast, “The combination of economic and political power in the same hands is a sure recipe for tyranny.” Today, more than ever, America’s general political and economic power is being captured and coalesced more than ever into the hands of the federal government at the expense of the people. Government overspending and the overprinting of money are the greatest contributors to inflation and the weakening of a nation. The economic power of a nation and her people closely parallels the overall political power of a nation in an international system. 3. Weaken your military so it is unable to meet outside threats. In the anarchist political system in which we live, where there is an absence of any authority superior to nation states that is capable of arbitrating international disputes and enforcing international law, the survival of a nation state depends on its own hard power, such as its concrete military assets and military capabilities that must be strong enough to stave off outside threats. Also imperative is cutting edge military technology and intelligence. Gordon G. Chang points out in his NATION cont. on page 12 Laughing and smiling have proven to be good for your physical and mental health. They combat anxiety and depression, promote a sense of well-being, diminish pain (your body releases endorphins when you laugh), decrease feelings of anger, increase energy levels, reduce stress, bring more joy and fun to life, strengthen the heart, help others around you feel better, reduce your chances of developing chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes, lengthen your life span, improve the way others feel about you, and even tighten your abs! Those who consistently carry a happy, positive view of life, statistically, tend to outlive their more negative peers by three to five years. Amazing! Finally, the impact of your smile not only benefits you, but others, too. When someone sees you smiling, their brain fires up neurons that mirror a similar response as if they were happy and smiling also! Remarkable! Don’t feel like smiling? Smile anyway! Studies show that even a fake smile produces health benefits. Incredible! Bailey’s Christmas Trees Come by for a Sleigh Ride and select your Christmas Tree. go to: Volunteersignup.org/X4TJE or call: Taffee 719-338-4858 3908 N. 3300 E., Liberty Open Saturdays 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Other Days by Appointment For an appointment and/or information call 801-791-1545 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. The Chordettes Stephanie Haymond Piano The Marker Sisters Violins & Piano Breanna Anhder Vocalist Teann Bingham Snowcrest Jr. High Elite Singers John Harris Piano/Vocal |