Winner Stefanie Talley

Ranked 9^th in the country, the Zions Bank Ogden Marathon finished its 10^th year with picture-perfect weather and fast times.  Over 900 volunteers stepped up to make the annual event an amazing success.  The race brings thousands of racers and their supporters to Ogden – and the past few years, the topsy turvy Utah weather has cooperated.  Instead of the sometimes probable rain and snow, the blue skies, mild temperatures and welcome sunshine doused our central city.

The night before, local restaurants offer “runner specials”, serving up those

Historic 25th Street

wonderful carb-heavy pasta dishes for calorie storage.  The Expo offers booths from all different vendors, giving away everything from brochures to bumper stickers to brownies. Historic 25^th Street is filled with visitors, as runners file in to get their packet. Terrific shirts, gifts, trinkets and of course, your number, with that ever-important microchip, fill the bags.  Anticipation of an exciting race is in the air, and Ogden is the place.

The race begins in a scenic canyon setting, east of Pineview reservoir – with the nippy morning air.  The runners wind past farms, the reservoir and then past the dam and down Ogden Canyon, itself a breathtaking path next to the Ogden River. Enormous 2,000 foot cliffs line both sides of the route, descending to the rushing river at the vortex. Trotting along the river, the racers make their way into downtown Ogden, where the Plain City High School band plays at the finish line.

The Park & the People

Amazing volunteers coordinated by the GOAL Foundation staff the finish line, looking vigilantly for the runner in distress, or just to congratulate them as they achieve this notable accomplishment.  In Ogden City Park, the crowds gather, as the runners are given oranges, drinks and treats to nourish their depleted bodies.  Onlookers and cheering fans mingle in the Ogden Amphitheater, where the winners are announced and congratulated.  The festivities go far into the afternoon, and the echo from the announcers, the musicians, and the cheering crowds ebbs, only to come back again next year for the 11^th Annual Ogden Marathon… in the 2^nd Most Livable City in the U.S: Ogden, Utah.

Gardening is experiencing resurgence. As our food supply becomes more complicated, scarce, tasteless and frankly, boring, community members look for ways to ‘grow their own’.  Perhaps many barriers exist to gardening: apartment dwellers with no space, income restrictions, lack of knowledge, and in many cases, lack of time.  Nothing tastes quite like a tomato picked from a garden, or a yellow summer squash plucked at the perfect moment of ripeness.

Ogden now features the largest community garden in Northern Utah, the Oasis Community Garden, developed by the Junior League of Ogden.  Sitting on 1.77 acres, this forested, overgrown lot filled with fences, asphalt, trash, glass, needles, an old house and plenty of rocks, has been transformed over the past 5 years.  The Oasis will be ready for planting on May 15, 2010, with nearly 40 plots available to community members.  The center pathway of the garden winds through the middle, lined with historic-styled streetlights.  Two garden sheds sport harmonious paint jobs, accented by green park benches.  A large lawn area allows for a play space for kids… all within view of the plots.

The state-of-the-art drip irrigation system provides water conservation opportunity, while allowing flexibility for the 35 Arbor Day trees that were planted on April 30th. Over 70 people came to help out, with presentations by Mayor Matthew Godfrey, Morgan Mendenhall of the U.S. Department of Forestry and Monty Stevens of Ogden Urban Forestry.

The Oasis began in 2003 as all Junior League projects do:  on a drawing board, surrounded by numerous other ideas appealing to the Junior League vision.  The Junior League of Ogden is committed to a community of healthy neighborhoods. Community partnerships strengthen our success in the lives of those neighbors. We empower our citizens through direct efforts of trained members. With healthy women & children begin the core of our focus; we saw the need for families to supplement their diet with fresh fruits & vegetables.  We also noticed the lack of a true community garden space that could combine outdoor trainings, gatherings, blending of Ogden’s diverse neighborhoods and – of course – promoting voluntarism.

The Junior League of Ogden has received broad-based community support, partnering with Ogden City, Ogden Rotary, Autoliv, A-shed, Knight Electric, RAMP and so many more. The league’s desire to complete the garden has been supported by years of dedicated members, families and friends of members, Eagle scouts, neighbors – truly, a community project.  Funds have come from the Junior League’s own resources, the RAMP grants provided by the county, and donations from many.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With tomato vines and corn in lines, and neighbors… all in a row.

Workdays: Every Saturday 9-12       Plots available now! Planting soon!!!

For information or to have a plot this year, please drop me an email… sue@alwaysogden.com or call 801-393-1188.