Several years ago we had an election which ended in a tie. After 3 recounts, still a tie, and the winner was decided by the flip of a coin. I had carefully evaluated the candidates for the office and decided which one I was going to vote for. For some reason I did not make it to the voting p…

Weber County Residents,

In the recent conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder D. Todd Christofferson reminded members that the virtues that sustain society "include integrity, responsibility and accountability, compassion, marriage and fidelity in marriage, respect for others and the pr…

As we are about to begin voting in Utah, I’m thinking many Utah incumbents are hoping that voters have forgotten how they gutted the voter referendums that were passed in 2018. To refresh your memory, Utah voters passed Proposition 2 (Medical Marijuana), and then the Legislature denied the w…

I would like to express my appreciation to Nancy Blair for the great work she did as a teacher in the Ogden City School District while she worked there. I was able to serve as the principal at Polk Elementary for eight of the years Mrs. Blair worked. I was grateful she was teaching second gr…

Farmers have had no shortage of hardships over the past few years. Uncertainty stemming from poor weather and the coronavirus pandemic have been challenging for our state’s agriculture industry. It’s incumbent upon our lawmakers to focus on policy that helps the agriculture industry thrive.

On Election Day I’m voting for Sue Ann Burton for Ogden City School District 5. I encourage you to do the same.

Nancy Blair is the most qualified candidate to run for Ogden School Board — District 5. As a current board member, Nancy has earned the Utah School Board Association’s “Master Board Award” each year of her tenure — the highest award recognized by the State of Utah — for her exceptional servi…

Ryan Wilcox does not live by his principles. He claims to support tax reductions. Our Scout Troop visited Rep. Wilcox as part of a Merit Badge activity. He openly advocated on the House Floor for taxing state citizens on internet purchases which has since become a reality.

As a former Ogden School District teacher, I am very pleased that the Board of Education has Nancy Blair as a board member. Her 29 years of teaching experience at Polk Elementary provides the Board a distinct advantage: a teacher’s perspective. When the hard decision about how and when schoo…

Our planet, Mother Earth, is dying and we are dying with her.

It’s time to call a truce in our culture wars. It’s time to stop sniping at each other long enough to hear the cracking sounds coming from the foundation of our democracy. The institutions that underpin our democracy are under attack by President Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress. Di…

Now that election time has come up again, in the race for county commissioner here in Weber County, one of the candidates is Jim Harvey. Do you remember about 2 years ago there was about a 33% increase in taxes here in the county (most of the cities also increased their taxes)?

We are writing in support of Sue Ann Burton for the Ogden School Board. We have been residents of Ogden for the past 46 years and have had five children attend Ogden city schools and graduate from Ogden High School. Sylvia has been a school teacher and an advocate for the children of Ogden f…

Times have changed. I guess times always do but faced with new and extraordinary circumstances we are challenged to discover the best ways to address them. As we are looking to meet these challenges in the education of our children we are privileged to have the experience of someone like Nan…

Remember that story in the Bible about wise King Solomon? (1st Kings, 3:16-28)

A couple of unrelated comments:

The September 29 presidential debacle

By way of introduction, we are Gil & Sherrie Craig longtime residents of Ogden, owning a home here for over 50 years and have raised our family of 6 in various Ogden City Schools. We have known Sue Ann Burton and her family for over 25 years. We have watched her raise a very successful f…

Two good candidates in District 5 are seeking a seat on the Ogden School Board this year. They are running against each other. Both have good credentials to represent our students, faculty and staff, they both have teaching experience in the classroom and they both have family/children educa…

Recently my car was stolen from a Riverdale repair shop. I submitted a report to Riverdale Police officer Luigie Panunzio. He and I returned to the shop and reviewed the security camera film. Officer Panunzio instantly recognized the perpetrator. An all points bulletin (APB) was distributed …

The Standard Examiner recently published the article, “Audit finds more incidents after police dog bites Black man”. I hold a particular issue in the disciplinary action enacted by Mayor Erin Mendenhall, as reported in this article. The proclaimed "culture of abuse" cannot solely be attribut…

Imagine a political candidate who sets up local volunteer projects instead of just talking against his opponent. Grant Protzman has done that this year. He started a food and clothing drive for the homeless, organized and participated in two different days of cleanups for the Nature Center N…

I want to express my appreciation to President Trump for expediting the replacement of Justice Ginsburg. I was conflicted on my vote for president.

Ted Halstead was among the top thinkers and activists of his generation. His dedication and passion to address the climate crisis and build the largest coalition of business, environmental and thought leaders around a bipartisan climate solution was incredible. It’s a tragedy for the nation …

The comedy shows are back. I watched the Sunday morning commentary shows and hearing the Republicans try to explain and try justify their position to now consider a nomination for the Supreme Court was hilarious.

We are proud supporters of Sue Ann Burton and firmly believe that she’s the right choice for the Ogden School Board in November’s elections.

Racial sensitivity training is divisive and has promoted anti-American propaganda. I read the article, “The Power of the false dichotomy,” by the assistant vice president for the Diversity Office at Weber State University, Adrienne Andrews; her opinions and facts about Black people and Afric…

Four years ago when a Supreme Court seat became vacant, GOP senators insisted they were merely trying to give voters a voice in the process. "Let voters decide," arguing that the winner of the next presidential campaign -- six months away at the time -- should fill the vacancy. In 2020, thos…

Four more years of Donald Trump is frightening. The fear, the hate, and resulting chaos are unbearable. All Trump wants is mindless adoration. The economy he brags about benefited the top 10%, did little for the middle class, and the bottom 20% continues to suffer in their endless economic d…

I have a goal. I want to be more open and interested in both sides of the political arena. I want to be able to reach across aisles, jump over barriers and know the differences in political issues and policies.

I wonder if most people are aware of camera surveillance in public places and in businesses. I used a self-checkout at Smith's Grocery Store and due to misunderstanding a clerk who was helping me, I left my $100 there. I did not even know the transaction had worked or where the money slot is…

Science science science. It's really funny to hear the Democrats shout science when it is very convenient for them. I do agree we need to do things to improve our emissions but the fact of not cleaning up the forest floor of debris is more a cause than global warming. But they are claiming s…

My father was born in 1922 in the little town of Hyrum, Utah. His name was Quentin O. Unsworth. His family had been part of the settling of Hyrum. Money was scarce and he quit school to get a job. He was hired by the Browning family and worked in the area of Grouse Creek. Just like today, fi…

On Wednesday in a hearing the head of CDC and Health and Human Services both said that a national vaccine will not be available until March or April. Also, the CDC director said that masks were more protective than a vaccine. During a news conference the same day Trump said, “Oh no a world-w…

Isaiah the Prophet of old said a man will be condemned for a word; evil will be called good and good evil. In a school play “Garden of Eden,” a little boy was complaining saying, “The snake gets all the lines.” It seems this COVID-19 thing is affecting people's ability to think logically; pe…

When filling any job, you want to hire the person that is best qualified for the position and that best fits the values of the organization. You want someone who will represent your organization with dignity and honesty. Someone you will be proud of.

Most of the time, when you strip away at silver linings, what you find is unconditional love... and it needs to be recognized, especially in these crazy times of anguish, hate and unrest.

Let me start by sharing with you what I heard a man from Ukraine say about communists. He said first they tax you so high that you can't pay the taxes and than they take your property and nationalize it. Capitalism includes the ownership of private property. Democratic Socialism means the go…

I would like to extend a big Thank You to the Ogden School District for their notification process. Not only beginning with the COVID crisis and with the power outages this week, they have kept me informed in plenty of time of any changes of which I need to be made aware. By 7 a.m. EVERY mor…

Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on higher education. Colleges and universities have worked tirelessly all summer to put together plans for reopening this fall. Many had planned a hybrid approach, but a growing number of classes have reversed course and have opted for fully remote teaching, using …

I am 70 years old. I have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and am on medications to control these conditions. I try to maintain social distance and have worn a face covering or mask outside of my yard ever since the CDC changed its recommendations for wearing one. I get a seasonal fl…

I would like to voice my support for the police officers in our community and state. They have an unappreciated job. They risk their lives daily as public servants. Their work benefits all of the community whether the public recognizes it or not. Police officers do not get rich in this profe…

Republicans for Trump believe that scientists, historians, scholars, economists, and journalists, have devoted their entire careers to deceive them, while a TV clown with decades of fraud and well documented lying is their only beacon of honesty. Trump sycophants blame Democrats and the main…

Random Thoughts:

The Hatch Act generally prohibits Federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, in a Government room or building, while wearing an official uniform, or while using a Government vehicle. In contrast, this White House has scoffed at the law, with Kellyanne Conway laugh…

Trump is getting the job done

I am confused about what the slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) means. To what former greatness does this refer? It can’t refer to the Watergate era when we had a president who viewed himself above any legal or moral restriction. We have that now. It can’t refer to the Ellis Island era…

I am an old guy and have been voting for many years, but I think this election is the most consequential one of my life. I read a little news article that VP Mike Pence was in Arizona last week speaking to a group billed as "Latter Day Saints for Trump". I was floored! I am LDS and I know th…

Friday’s Guest Commentary, "Trump supporters do not speak for the LDS Church," contains good information, with a few omissions. First, the name of the Church officially is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”