Brent Taylor left a message before being deployed:
There are three great loyalties that have guided my life and everything in it: God, family, and country. While I am far from perfect in any of these respects, I have given my life to serve all three of these loyalties whenever and however I can. Right now there is a need for my experience and skills to serve in our nation’s long-lasting war in Afghanistan. President Trump has ordered an increase in troops, and I will be among these and have been assigned to serve on an advisory team training the staff of an Afghan commando battalion. Serving as North Ogden’s mayor has been the highlight of my civilian life; and I appreciate the trust that citizens have given me. Utah law provides for a process to temporarily replace an elected official who is away for military service, and Brent Chugg has been appointed to entirely fulfill the duties of my office while I am serving overseas. I have full confidence in Mayor Chugg’s honor, leadership, and integrity and know that that the City will continue to operate at the high level of service that our citizens have come to expect. President John F. Kennedy expressed some of the most remarkable words in recent American history during his Inaugural Address in 1961, when he said: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” In an era of divisiveness and self-gratification, President Kennedy’s words are needed today more than ever. I encourage each of you to find some way in 2018 to “ask not what [our] country can do for [us] [but] what [we] can do for [our] country.” Whether it is volunteering at a charity organization, reading to children at a school, or simply helping a neighbor, there are ways all around us to brighten someone’s day, to lift another’s burdens, and to make our city, state, and country a better place. In the immortal words of Mother Teresa: “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.
--Brent Taylor, Mayor of North Ogden “
A message from the new mayor, Brent Chugg:
This month we experienced a “changing of the guard,” as we said farewell to our great mayor as he departs for duty with the United States Army. We pay tribute to him in many ways because he has served so well as the mayor of our City. He has moved this City forward in a positive way making it a better place to live. He has demonstrated dedication and hard work in fulfilling his role as mayor. He also has shown great patriotism as he has answered the call to help defend this nation, not only this time but several others. We salute his family as they have sacrificed and supported him in both assignments. We pray for his safe return. We as citizens in this community have a definite responsibility to unite and work together as the City continues to grow and maintain the legacy of many who have served this City. We have a great staff of employees who are dedicated to their assignments to help make this happen. They make sure that all the functions of the City are working properly so we can enjoy the comforts of living here. I look forward to my association with each of you and seek your input and service as we continue to our progress in the coming year.
--Brent Chugg, Mayor
Registration is coming for T-ball on March 1st - 31st, Open to all Kindergarten students. Softball/ Baseball: Open to all 1st-9th grade students www.northogdenrecreation.com Come join in the fun!
Employee of the month is Casey Hunsaker. He has been with the City since 2014. Casey works in the Streets Division and has been assigned streetlights and asset management for the department. He worked closely with Councilmember Satterthwaite with the G.I.S. program. Casey works full-time and attends Utah State University in the evenings.
Students of the Month are: Jordan “Chipper” Talbot from Weber High School; Skye Herrera from Maria Montessori Academy; Brooklynn Edwards from North Ogden Junior High School; and Talen Chadburn from Orion Junior High School. Great job students!
Too often, a kid is alone at lunch, bullied in a classroom, or alone at recess. Grant Knight, junior at Weber High, and his friends are trying to change that. Their solution: Buddy Benches. “My team and I hope that we will be able to make a positive impact to help elementary school students learn how to include others and make friends,” Knight explains. The idea is that a bench can be placed outside at recess where a student may sit if they don’t feel included, feel low for the day, or are just alone. Other students will see this bench, and the person on it, and respond in the loving, caring ways that children do. Knight continues, “This bench gives those who are hesitant to make new friends or get involved a means by which they can be noticed. We hope that by instilling the importance of inclusion in children while they are young will make a great change for good in our community.” Knight first thought of this idea as his Eagle Scout Project as he met with Mrs. Gilstrap, principal of Green Acres Elementary. Together, the idea was born and carried out as Knight collected enough donations from neighbors and community members to get two Buddy Benches for Green Acres. After seeing the difference the benches made, and hearing the many success stories, Knight knew he needed to branch out further.
The City Youth Council made dreams come true this Christmas by helping Santa Claus in his house at Bicentennial Park. We proudly accepted the role of energetic elves and helped St. Nick grant wishes and hand out candy canes. We love helping in the Santa House and look forward to it every year. Coming up is our day at the Legislature where the council travels to Salt Lake City to tour the Utah State Capitol. It's an amazing opportunity for us to explore the building and understand more about how our government works. We even get to be part of a mock Bill Debate, where we discuss the pros and cons of an actual Bill that will be debated this year. We test our theories and experiment with ways to solve an issue. It's exciting to be a part of this! We have a lot of fun activities and service projects coming up this year, and we would love to have more council members join us. North Ogden youth in grades 9th-12th are welcome to serve, laugh, and learn with our fun council. Pick up an application at the North Ogden City Office during regular business hours.
