Standard-Examiner Opinion Tuesday, May 16, 2006 11A

Hiking across the centuries along Ogden’s East Bench moved to Ogden a little more Top of Utah Voices this city sounding like a distant and physical challenges. The and basins, toss their proud and than 25 years ago. Shortly wind storm in a forest. For a trailheads at 29th, 27th and 22nd lofty heads to the east as far as Iafter my arrival, a friend gave distance of one hundred feet from streets are common points of the eye can reach. me some excellent advice: “If where the water falls a continual departure for the hike. “Turning to the westward we you plan on living in Utah for any Michael rain descends, caused by the Taylor’s Canyon offers multiple see a glorious panorama, which length of time, you need to learn Vaughan water striking the rocks in its options for day hikes. You may includes Ogden, Salt Lake City, to enjoy Utah’s greatest asset downward course … The unusual simply take a short excursion numerous small villages and — the natural beauty of the Utah amount of snow in the mountains, up the canyon. Taylor’s Canyon the Great Salt Lake, all in the outdoors.” Commentary this season, has caused more is also the access point for the remarkable Utah valley, which is I took that advice to heart. My water than usual, which in turn Malan’s Peak hike, one of the walled in on the far west side by earliest path to the Utah outdoors has made the Waterfall a popular more popular hikes on the East the Nevada mountains.” was the network of trails on Michael Vaughan is Weber State University’s Mecca for pleasure seekers Bench. From Malan’s Peak, hikers Many generations have Ogden’s East Bench, and these provost. He accepts e-mail from readers at who go in small companies to can continue to the top of Mount exercised stewardship over the trails remain my most frequent [email protected] admire the scenery and the wild Ogden. Northern Utah canyons and trails, source of recreation. picturesque surroundings.” The hike to Mount Ogden is and their efforts allow us to share Like many in the Top of Utah, Waterfall Canyon, taken from If you make the hike, you will an ambitious hike that offers an a common experience with fellow my first Ogden hike was Waterfall the July 6, 1884, Standard- find that 122 years after that exceptional vantage point. Here hikers from another century. Canyon. Examiner, which may entice you description was written, the scene is a description of the view from If you haven’t experienced the If you have not made the trip to undertake the hike: at the base of the waterfall is the top of Mount Ogden taken trails on Ogden’s East Bench, you up Waterfall Canyon, the late “In a little canyon, or ravine, remarkably unchanged. from the Aug. 24, 1903, Standard- have missed one of the primary spring and early summer months which lies east … of this city This year, an abundant snow Examiner: attractions of living in Ogden. are a perfect time to make the … is a beautiful waterfall from pack adds to the flow of the “Standing on an elevation more If you undertake one of the hike. which the people have named the waterfall, as it did in the summer than ten thousand feet above sea hikes I have mentioned, you may There are several ways to ravine Waterfall Canyon … About of 1884. level, and facing east, we are give some thought to those who approach Waterfall Canyon, but half the distance up the canyon Waterfall Canyon isn’t the only viewing a scene of such heroic walked the trails more than a many prefer the trailhead at the … a precipice of solid rock rises notable hike on Ogden’s East magnificence as would have hundred years ago, experiencing top of 29th Street, where the trail nearly perpendicular to a height Bench. There are many others. seemed impossible except that the a sense of nature something akin is well marked and ample parking of 200 feet, over which the water Another of my favorite hikes eye actually beholds it. to those who walk the trails today. is available. rushes with a roar that, in the is in Taylor’s Canyon where “Hundreds of mountains This thought gives me both I offer a description of stillness of night, can be heard in you will find both scenic beauty broken into by valleys, canyons pleasure and gratitude. Don’t trust the feds on weapons test Extend liberty’s promise to illegals BY MARY DICKSON implications is what Divine BY D.B. TROESTER government — it frightens Guest commentary Strake signals. The Las Guest commentary and saddens me. I am afraid Vegas Sun published an for immigrants who may ou’ll have to pardon us if we don’t article April 28 headlined hose who want to immigrate to the be persecuted and I am believe the government when it “Test Blast Linked to Nuke U.S. from Latin America for a better saddened to see prejudice Y tells us that the Divine Strake test, Weapons.” The article Tlife should be allowed to come. in the faces, and hear it in originally scheduled for June 2 at the says that contrary to the If there were not sufficient jobs subtle remarks, of good Nevada Test Site, is safe. We’ve heard Pentagon’s earlier denials, available, if the U.S. economy could not people I admire and trust. I these assurances before, and experience Doug Bruder, director of the support the influx, they would not come. worry what may come in the has taught us to be very skeptical of counter-weapons of mass This applies nationwide, in each state and future as the “haves” stand anything the government says concerning Dickson destruction program for in every community. Troester firm against the “have nots,” what happens at the test site. the Defense Department’s America is a promise of a better life. as citizens mobilize against The prospect of this test is disturbing Defense Threat Reduction Agency, says It’s a dream of rising above one’s station. It the disenfranchised. on many levels. The Pentagon is predicting the blast could help with the development can’t be owned or controlled or divvied in a Already it has begun in the Minuteman that the 700-ton conventional blast will of nuclear weapons. He said of Divine discriminatory way. The Founding Fathers Project. Will it stop with illegal release a 10,000 foot cloud of debris. Stake, “A charge of this size would be more understood this. They knew the experiment immigrants? Might it expand to any group While Divine Strake does not use nuclear related to a nuclear weapon.” in democracy was not tied to a specific deemed unworthy? materials, 928 nuclear devices were Last year, Congress cut funding for geographic region, but was an endowment Extremism is dangerous. Taking the detonated at the test site. The government any testing intended to advance nuclear to humanity. law into your own hands is dangerous and has yet to provide conclusive data that weapons from the Energy Department Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness denying to others the promise of America, radioactive isotopes left from those tests Budget. We should have grave concerns are not American ideals. They are human of seeing one’s children do better than will not be sucked up into the debris. Their about how this test circumvented ideals. They are the entitlement of oneself, is hypocrisy. assurances of safety are eerily reminiscent congressional intent. Money for Divine mankind. They should be shared freely by As an American whose birthright is of the hollow assurances we heard Strake was slipped into the Defense Americans on U.S. soil and abroad. liberty, who loves America for all it is, who throughout the years of atomic testing. Department budget as a conventional- I favor granting amnesty to illegal wishes prosperity for future multicultural Richard L. Miller, author of “Under weapons program. immigrants who are in the United States. I generations, I say to my Latino brothers the Clouds: the Decades of Nuclear We must not be fooled. This test is in all favor granting citizenship. They and their and sisters: Vengan y participen! (come Testing,” has researched six nuclear likelihood a prelude to the development children will enrich the nation. and partake). detonations at the test site that could and testing of new nuclear weapons. Once When I see bigotry and prejudice Troester is government and education have contaminated the area where Divine it is conducted, nuclear testing will not be — in cafes and restaurants, in workplaces team leader on the Standard-Examiner’s Strake will be detonated. The site, by the far behind. and on street corners, in the halls of city desk. way, is only a mile from what is called Why is this test being conducted? “Plutonium Valley.” Unless the military Certainly, as others have pointed out, the can conclusively prove that no radioactive Pentagon already has data from more materials remain on site (and remember than 900 nuclear tests at the test site. that many of those radioisotopes remain What more could this test possibly tell the active for decades) and that no other military? Sense and seat belts harmful material will be released as a So what is the real purpose? To scare An editorial from Scripps-Howard News Service The gory details in bloodless prose are result of the explosion, it has a moral Iran? To keep the test site and related on the Web site of the National Highway obligation to err on the side of caution. industries in operation? And why are he federal government’s latest report Traffic Safety Administration, Curiously, visitors to the test site citizens who may be affected once again on traffic safety is prosaically titled http://www.nhtsa.gov/. are told not to pick up rocks or dirt as left out of the process, without a voice on T“Research Note: Restraint Use The annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign souvenirs because the guards will be what may fall downwind? Patterns Among Fatally Injured Passenger of stepped-up seat-belt enforcement runs able to detect the materials with Geiger It is ironic that the Orwellian-named Vehicle Occupants.” In essence, it identified for two weeks starting next Monday in counters. If there is indeed no radioactive agency administering the test is the who the people are who didn’t buckle their the run-up to the traditional Memorial material at the site, why take such Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Once seat belts and got killed because of it. Day weekend start of the summer driving measures? Additionally, the Pentagon again, our government is exposing its And those people are disproportionately season. has said that the cloud of debris won’t citizenry to potential risk in the name of males, driving on rural highways in And a $31 million campaign of national go beyond 10 miles from the test site. I national security. pickups or SUVs, the sort of drearily and state ads aimed at young men who urge them to look up the trajectory maps The intent of the Utah population is familiar three-paragraph short in watch sports events, including NASCAR of where previous tests spread fallout. clear: We do not want to see resumed newspaper roundups of weekend traffic races, began Monday. A male who drives The 1970 underground detonation named testing — of any kind. A recent town deaths. a pickup truck on country roads can Baneberry spewed a 10,000-foot cloud that meeting in St. George bears out this Seat belts are a safety no-brainer. They reasonably presumed to be a NASCAR fan. was tracked all the way to Canada thanks prevailing sentiment. When it was dramatically reduce the risk of death or And you would reasonably presume to the jet stream. suggested that the tests were needed for major injury, by about half in cars and that this fan knows that the reason racecar Members of our congressional national security, the crowd countered by 60 percent or more in light trucks and drivers generally walk away from horrific delegation are asking for assurances from with, “What about our security?” SUVs. wrecks is that they are belted into their the government before the test occurs. We must not repeat the mistakes of Still, 18 percent of the nation’s drivers cars. Given the military’s past history of lies the past, nor should we so blithely enter don’t wear them, despite laws, publicity If the feds can convince those drivers and cover-ups regarding testing, it is into a new nuclear era. The test has been campaigns and common sense. And most to make that last little connection between essential that our representatives demand delayed, but only cancellation can be of those 18 percent are men, which is a seat-belt use and their own safety, a lot of outside, independent corroboration of any considered a victory. We must make our key reason they account for more traffic lives will be saved. data the test site provides. They should voices heard and do all we can to stop this deaths, 65 percent, than women, 35 percent. The numbers back it up. be very skeptical regarding government insane test. assurances on anything related to test-site Dickson is a downwinder living in Salt activity. Lake City. She is working on a book about r As troubling as possible health the human toll of nuclear testing. Å -

STATE OF THE UNION By Carl Moore

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