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Friday, October 30, 2009

Fund Raiser Reminder!


Curse Of the Powervillains

Citizens under ssss Siege


A dastardly demonstration of democracy gone amuck


Fundraiser: Music, dinner and melodrama


a generous step for you - a giant step for citizens rights.


Friday the 13th of November


6PM to 9PM in the Browning Theater at Ogden’s Union Station


Plan to join in on this fun filled fund raiser event.


Tickets to the event may be purchased at the Eden

Coffee & Cocoa Co., Valley Market or by calling

Chelse Maughan at 801-745-4627 or e-mail

contact: chelse21@hotmail.com


Tickets are going fast, don’t miss out on this chance to support your fellow citizens!


Thursday, October 22, 2009

Standard Election Coverage - Early Voting In Progress

With the color of fall and the chill in the air comes our favorite time of the year - election time.  While an Off Year election nationwide, the races in local cities seem to be heating up.  For Ogden Valley-ites, Huntsville remains the only incorporated municipality - at least for now as long as Powderville remains a "proposed" town.

Of course, be sure to snoop around our "2009 Huntsville Municipal Election" coverage located near the top of the right sidebar.  There you will find the list of candidates, links to their web site and the latest articles.

Also, don't miss the Standard's coverage of the Huntsville election with today's Di Lewis article.

And finally, we will point out that one of the Mayoral candidates, Chris Stevenson, has withdrawn from the race leaving Jim Truett as the lone seeker of the position of Huntsville's Mayor, while four candidates are vying for just two spots on the town council.

Good luck candidates.

PUBLIC COMMENT SOUGHT ON DRAFT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MONTE CRISTO STATE RECREATION AREA

Wednesday's Standard reminds us there is only 10 days left for residents to provide public comment on a new management plan for Monte Cristo.  The deadline is October 30, 2009.

Officials seek input on Monte Cristo plans


Also, an October 3, 2009 post at The Utah Outdoors Blog gives a fabulous synopsis which is posted below:

The Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation has developed a draft resource management plan (RMP) for Monte Cristo State Trailhead located off Highway 39, approximately 20 miles east of Huntsville, Utah.

The plan is located for review online at: http://static.stateparks.utah.gov/plans/RMP_Public_Draft_monte.pdf. Hard copies can be reviewed at the Utah State Park office at 1594 West North Temple, Suite 116, Salt Lake City, Utah; the Ogden / Weber Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2438 Washington Blvd, Layton, Utah; and Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave, Ogden, Utah.

The draft RMP identifies issues relating to public use, resource management and future development at the recreation area and will make recommendations to guide park managers for the next 10 years.

A planning team consisting of park users, local citizens, other agency representatives and park managers developed the draft plan through a series of team and public meetings.

Comments will be accepted until October 30, 2009 by:

E-mail: PLANSCOMMENT@utah.gov

Regular mail: Utah State Parks: Planning Section
P.O. Box 146001
1594 West North Temple, Suite 116
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6001

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Fund Raiser Reminder!


Curse Of the Powervillains

Citizens under ssss Siege


A dastardly demonstration of democracy gone amuck


Fundraiser: Music, dinner and melodrama


a generous step for you - a giant step for citizens rights.


Friday the 13th of November


6PM to 9PM in the Browning Theater at Ogden’s Union Station


Plan to join in on this fun filled fund raiser event.


Tickets to the event may be purchased at the Eden

Coffee & Cocoa Co., Valley Market or by calling

Chelse Maughan at 801-745-4627 or e-mail

contact: chelse21@hotmail.com


Tickets are going fast, don’t miss out on this chance to support your fellow citizens!

Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 28th.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Standard Editorial Board Nailed It This Morning With "Resort Road Won't Work" - Relating to the Powder Mountain Road, of Course

The Standard hit right to the heart of the Powder Mountain Road issue this morning with their editorial Resort road won't work.  Be sure not to miss the Grondahl cartoon, too.

Here are some tidbits, but read the entire editorial by clicking here:  (emphasis added)

The facts are clear: If there are going to be major plans for expansion at Powder Mountain -- including yearlong events and perhaps a new incorporated town -- there needs to be major changes with road access to Powder Mountain resort.
They went on to say,

The Weber County Sheriff's Department is concerned about the dangerous impact of heavier traffic up the resort road, but it can't do anything other than patrol the roads to make sure travel is as safe as possible.
And then,

It seems to us that some major brainstorming is needed. The existing road is not adequate. It won't work. Powder Mountain officials need to lead the way in coming up with safer, better transportation ideas. Unless some feasible idea is implemented to make the resort road safer and more practical, we can't see Powder Mountain's expansion ideas becoming a reality.
 Any comments from our Ogden Valley observers?

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Weber County Commissioners to appeal the the 2nd District Court order

From today's Weber County Forum we read an update in todays Standard Examiner:

In addition, a back page 4B blurb that states the Weber County Commissioners unanimously voted to appeal the the 2nd District Court order regarding appointment of the Powder Mountain Town government.

Earthquake Rocks Huntsville


A small quake measuring 2.6 on the Richter scale hit four miles east of Huntsville  Tuesday, October 06, 2009 at 10:51:51 PM (MDT).

From the map, the epicenter appears to have been just East of Green Hills.

Did any of our Green Hills faithful feel it?

Click here for more details

UPDATE: 10/7/09 @ 4:30 PM

An observation from  Ron Gleason:

Was working on the PC, felt a thump and then a quick rattle and everything went a creaking in the house.  Second one I have felt in 5 years of living here. 

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Powder Mountain Town Incorporation


This issue is after all, about Civil Rights.


With all of the media coverage and signs about the forced incorporation of some Ogden Valley homeowners and the politics label put on by some, the issue is in fact about the loss of civil rights for some Ogden Valley residents.


Our nation was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.


We are also confronted with a moral issue. It is as old as the Scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution.


We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it. We cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the nation, and much more importantly, to each other that this is the land of the free except for these few homeowners in Ogden Valley?


These beleaguered homeowners need your support, they are being legislated into a town without a vote to choose if they want to be there, and worse, with no vote as to who will govern them now that they are there. Is this the American way?

Sunday, October 04, 2009

More Front Page Media For Powder Mountain

Di Lewis' front page Standard article entitled "After summer fatality, officials worry about more wrecks along Powder Mountain road's steep grade" was spot on.

Capt. Klint Anderson, Weber County Sheriff's Department spokesman, said officials are concerned about the potential for more accidents if the resort becomes a year-round destination, but the department can't do much about it other than enforce speed limits and snow tire requirements.

"It's a steeper, more treacherous road than most, and you don't typically get that kind of equipment -- trucks with heavy equipment and trailers," he said.

During the winter months, there are mostly SUVs with skiers, he said, and there are potential problems with heavier vehicles traveling the road.

Powder Mountain spokeswoman Carolyn Daniels said the road is a state highway, so improvements or changes would be up to the Utah Department of Transportation.

She said she isn't the right person to comment on what steps the resort would take to make traveling safer for guests, but the appropriate person was unavailable.

Interpreted, Powder Mountain has NO intention of spending a dime to make the road safe. Traffic deaths are just a cost of doing business.

Weber County Deputy Eric Fryer said in his report on the August accident that he stopped to assist vehicles having brake problems.

He said about 20 vehicles had stopped along the road to let their brakes cool down.

It was at that point he had to jump out of the way, because the 40-foot motor home pulling a 24-foot trailer was speeding down the road.

Fryer said all of its tires were smoking and it looked like the brakes had gone out.

Four other witnesses saw the RV's brakes smoking as the vehicle flew out of control down the road at speeds estimated at anywhere from 40 to 70 mph.

Powder Mountain's media nightmare continues and they still want a community the size of Brigham City on top of the mountain. It makes sense to us.

Letter to Weber County Commissioners Regarding Excessive Boat Noise on Pineview

Open Letter to the Weber County Commissioners from Radford Hills resident Peter Turner

Dear Commissioners,

Topic

Excessively loud cigarette boats on Pineview Reservoir

Requested Action

Pass laws by the summer 2010 boating season to regulate the boat noise at least to the same level as other activities that are regulated to avoid disturbing the peace.

Discussion

I want to address a public nuisance on Pineview Reservoir during the summer boating season. The issue is some extremely loud boats on Pineview Reservoir and the inability of our local law enforcement personnel to deal with it. At idle the boats are relatively quiet and can therefore pass current minimal noise laws. But at moderate to full throttle their noise reverberates throughout the whole Ogden Valley. And they are out on the water for hours at a time and often “racing” or at least pacing equally loud boats. Typically these boats are known as “cigarette” boats which were originally designed for drug smuggling and speed to outrun the Coast Guard. Local boaters state that this is one of the few remaining lakes that allow these types of boats. We need laws to prevent the noise that these boats produce. They must have adequate noise suppression so they are not a public nuisance.

I live in Radford Hills above Port Ramp and the Yacht Club. Pineview Reservoir is not a large lake in an isolated region. It is a small lake surrounded by residential communities of Huntsville and Eden. I would like to give you a comparative perspective on the amount of noise they produce. From my house I cannot hear the motors from 90% of the boats on the lake. On a quiet day I can faintly hear the jet skis which are generally considered quite noisy water craft. In the morning hours when it is quiet I can hear the launching of two stroke outboard motors from some of the boaters. The noise is not loud enough to be obtrusive or offensive but it also only lasts a few minutes as they disappear into the distance or they reach their destination. These noisy cigarette boats make so much noise we have to raise our voices on my deck facing the lake to hold a conversation as they run along the South Arm. I can hear their roar as they go down Middle or South Fork on their runs all the way to Huntsville. If I am on the rear side of the house I can hear the motor noise echo off of the Wasatch Front and back down to my house. They are louder than the F-16s that fly over from Hill AFB.

If I were to make that much noise with my car I would immediately be stopped and issued a ticket to force me to muffle my car. If I made that much noise at my house, even during daylight hours, I would be ticketed or arrested for disturbing the peace. If I made that much noise on land at a campground or beach at the lake I would be ticketed, or asked to leave, or arrested for disturbing the peace if I continued for any length of time. But according to the Sherriff and the USFS Rangers our current laws allow me the unrestricted ability to make all the noise I can possibly generate from a boat that is running above engine idle.

Around dinner time as the lake quiets down 2 or 3 of them like to drag race from one end of the lake to the other. I can estimate they go as fast as 100mph based on their speed relative to traffic on the highway going 50mph. There is a safety issue in addition to the noise also but I presume we will deal with that after they crash into and kill someone. I would suggest a ban on these cigarette boats appropriate to small reservoirs or lakes within residential communities like Pineview Reservoir.

The Utah Boating Act and Rules of the Board of Parks and Recreation pertain to any waters within the territorial limits of the State of Utah. The Act clearly states “A motorboat may not be operated in a manner that will cause it to emit more than 75 decibels of noise at the shoreline”. See http://www.boatus.org/onlinecourse/statelaws/Utah.html . 75 decibels is often compared to the sound of city traffic as heard from inside a car. These cigarette boats emit noise more like standing behind a 747 during takeoff. I presume Pineview Reservoir is not within the territorial limits of the State of Utah being owned by the Federal government. But we need this same law standard applied here. According to the Ogden Ranger Station laws regulating noise need to come from Weber County. So I am asking the Commissioners to act on this.

We need laws to regulate the boat noise at least to the same level as other activities that are regulated to avoid disturbing the peace. And we need it before summer 2010. A few years ago there would be an occasional really loud boat that we would tolerate for a day or occasional weekend. But certainly this year the cigarette boats have discovered Pineview. I would estimate there are about 10 different boats, some or most of them based out of the Yacht Club. The word is out and we need our peace restored quickly.

Best Regards,

Peter Turner


What say ye Ogden Valley residents? Do you share the same concerns over the noise emitted by the Don Johnson type Cigarette boats?