2015 Ogden Pioneer Day Special

Everything you need to know about this year's Pioneer Day celebration

• Miss Rodeo Utah pageant celebrates 60th anniversary
• Rodeo cowboy a thrilling but dangerous, expensive career
• Rodeo cowboy a thrilling but dangerous, expensive career
• VIDEO: Bullfighters Charge into Rodeo Arena Together
• Pioneer legacies to follow: Compassion, work, optimism
• Test your smarts on Ogden Pioneer Days
• VIDEO: Rodeo Scars & Stories
• PHOTO GALLERY: Pioneer Days rodeo
• Ogden rodeo volunteer guards the gate
• Pioneer Days rodeo stock are award-winning
• Animal rights activist: Rodeos like gladiator times
• Downtown Hoedown celebrates Ogden Pioneer Days
• Stroke survivor featured in Pioneer Days Parade
• Museum houses collection of Ogden Pioneer Days programs
• Our View: Remember pioneers' resolve
• Non-Mormon faux holiday 'Pie and Beer Day' gains traction
• The many events of Ogden Pioneer Days
• Mounted Posse will not perform in Ogden Rodeo this year
• Pioneer Day Horse Locator

The Standard has done a bang up job reporting on this year's festivities.  It'd be a shame, we think, to let all this hard work go to waste.

Added bonus: Watch this morning's Ogden Pioner Day parade at home, live-streamed straight to your comfy Barcaloungers®:



Whatever you do to celebrate our local holiday this year, please folks, be safe.

Pioneer Day 2014 Songfest Special

The anthem of the Mormon pioneers, in the spirit of Pioneer Day

In the spirit of Pioneer Day, we'll embed this visually dramatized version of "Come, Come, Ye Saints" (originally "All is Well"), sometimes considered to be the anthem of the Mormon pioneers.



This hymn was written by William Clayton on April 15, 1846, as his Mormon pioneer caravan rested at Locust Creek, Iowa, over 100 miles west of its origin city of Nauvoo, Illinois.

This song has special meaning for your blogmeister and his family, folks, inasmuch as just prior to writing the lyrics, Clayton had received word that his wife, Diantha Farr Clayton, the sister of your blogmeister's great-great grandfather, Lorin Farr, had given birth to a healthy boy in Nauvoo, about which event Clayton stated in his journal that he "...composed a new song—'All is well.' I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy and pray that he will spare and preserve his life and that of his mother and so order it so that we may soon meet again."

As an added bonus, we'll reprise another version of this stirring and uplifting hymn, performed by Texas gee-tar virtuoso Mark Patrick Abernathy. This version's our personal favorite; and frankly, we can't get enough of it:



Here are the lyrics, for those musically-inclined readers who might be compelled to sing (or strum ) along.

(And yes, long-time WCF readers with functioning memories, this is something of a re-run).

So which rendition do you prefer, O Gentle Ones?

You be the judge.

And have a safe and sane holiday, folks, whether you're celebrating this day as traditional Pioneer Day, or the more recently trendy Pie N' Beer Day.

Pioneer Day 2013 Special Edition

Have a safe and sane one!

And for those of you who might be tempted to detonate loud explosive devices late into the night... pretty please with sugar on it,  show some kind consideration for our "furry friends":

Have a safe and sane one, Utah Lumpencitizens!

Pioneer Day 2012 Special

The anthem of the Mormon pioneers, in the spirit of Pioneer Day

In the spirit of Pioneer Day we'll embed this visually dramatized version of "Come, Come, Ye Saints" (originally "All is Well") sometimes considered to be the anthem of the Mormon pioneers.


This hymn was written by William Clayton on April 15, 1846, as his Mormon pioneer caravan rested at Locust Creek, Iowa, over 100 miles west of its origin city of Nauvoo, Illinois.

This song has special meaning for your blogmeister and his family, folks, inasmuch as just prior to writing the lyrics, Clayton had received word that his wife, Diantha Farr Clayton, the sister of your blogmeister's great-great grandfather, Lorin Farr, had given birth to a healthy boy in Nauvoo, about which event Clayton stated in his journal that he "...composed a new song—'All is well.' I feel to thank my heavenly father for my boy and pray that he will spare and preserve his life and that of his mother and so order it so that we may soon meet again."

As an added bonus, we'll reprise another version of this stirring and uplifting hymn, performed by Texas gee-tar virtuoso Mark Patrick Abernathy and last linked on Weber County Forum three years ago. This version's our personal favorite; and frankly, we can't get enough of it:


Have a safe and sane Pioneer Day, folks; and here are the lyrics, for those musically-inclined readers who might be compelled to sing along.

Utah's Top Two 24th of July Holiday Celebrations Cleverly Compared and Contrasted

Not all Utah 24th of July celebrations are cut from the same green Jell-O mold, pardners.

We'll highlight a couple of morning Standard-Examiner articles with a unique slant.  The S-E's Beckey Cairns has done the reportorial footwork to put together these two stories, cleverly contrasting and comparing Utah's top two 24th of July holiday celebrations.  Not all Utah 24th of July celebrations are "cut from the same green Jell-O mold, pardners":

• Pioneer Days vs. Days of '47
• Days of '47, down Salt Lake way, has plenty to offer, too

Not exactly the kind of red meat political fodder you'll usually find on Weber County Forum, but nevertheless interesting, informative and creative, we thought.

So what about it, WCF readers; what are your plans for our unique late July Utah holiday, wherein we honor our proud pioneer legacy and western tradition?

Every Cowboy You Ever Knew

Classic Video: Say "Howdy" to some of those Cowboy Movie Heroes from your youth

Submitted by: OneWhoKnows2

If you grew up watching westerns like I did as a kid, this will bring back some memorable names and faces, especially at the end where they show the 'bit' players.

The faces are familiar, but some of their names were never big. Great piece.

One look at this film clip and you'll be young and old all over again. It is "brand new" even listing 2011.

BUT WAIT -- THERE'S MORE!!!! Ever wonder just who all those minor characters were who populated western after western with a few lines and a familiar face?

Well, the clip has pictures and names -- so after 50 or so years -- say "Howdy" to some of those general store, saloon keeper, blacksmith mini-heroes from your youth.

Just click on the "Those Old Westerns" image and enjoy...

Click to play this amazing video

Pioneer Days Weekend News Roundup/Wrapup - UPDATED

Plenty to discuss as the 2011 Pioneer Day Holiday wraps up, Yes?

A few semi-chewy weekend back-burner items for our gentle readers to gnaw on, as they trickle in from our L-O-N-G (and H-O-T) Pioneer Day weekend:

1) For the benefit of those folks who've been living under a rock, Ace Reporter Schwebke finally got around to reporting on Sunday the results of the July 12, 2011 Council Session, wherein the Ogden City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Board, voted unanimously to essentially give away 6.1 acres of land in the River Project area, with an assessed value of $2.4 million, to SouthRiver LLC, for a planned development of townhouses, apartments, and retail space:

• Building to begin soon in Ogden River Project

Boss Godfrey is of course thrilled and says "it's gratifying to know that construction will finally be starting," (after languishing under his ham-handed mismanagement for the last nine years or so.) If Boss Godfrey's clownishly-executed Ogden River Project isn't a classic real-life illustration of why local gummint shouldn't get involved or even dabble in ambitious and intricate real estate development, by the way, we'll be hard pressed to find anything which could possibly be more persuasive.

2) Despite some questions about the selection process used by the Casper (Wyoming) City council, the Casper Journal reports that Casper's municipal legislative body has now cured all legal defects, and has now formally given its official approval (by a 7-2 vote) to hiring John "Pureheart" Patterson as their new city manager. It's in this connection, of course, that one of our sharp-eye WCF readers asks the obvious question:

• "Shouldn't we all go down and wish the little f***** a good bye?"

3) We're hoping you're all no worse for wear after a Pioneer Days celebration which, (taking into account the mega-tonnage of fireworks and other personal incendiary ordnance which has been blown up or otherwise ignited in our Emerald City neighborhoods over the past month)... has plainly gone on for way too long (if you know what we mean and we think you do.)

Utah's legally sanctioned "24/7/30 Annoy Your Neighbors Kit"

Update 7/25/11 3:52 p.m.: Just to flesh out as fully as possible the entire array of discussion items which we may have inadvertently failed to address over the now dwindling Pioneer Day weekend (and in the recent past), we're pleased to add this Dan Schroeder 7/23/11 WCF comment to the mix:

• Dan Schroeder 7/23/11 Comment

Plenty to discuss as the 2011 Pioneer Day Holiday wraps up, NO?

So who'll be the next WCF Reader to chime in?

Pioneer Days Holiday Open Topic Thread

Above all else, remember: "Don't ingest the fireworks."

Due the the ongoing dearth of news over the Pioneer Day weekend, we've decided to do something we haven't done in quite a long while... set up an open topic thread. Before we turn the Weber County Forum floor over to our readers, however, we'll present some brief holiday-relevant advice, gleaned from that fountainhead of prudence and bastion of good sense, the Deseret News:

SALT LAKE CITY — Folks celebrating a long holiday weekend probably have plans to avoid food poisoning and firework-related burns. But while you're looking at summer safety, tell the kids and pets not to lick the sparklers, pyrotechnics or glow sticks. Put on your mosquito repellent. Pack an extra bottle of water to avoid dehydration. And warn your couch potato friends that while it's good to get back into the game, don't do it too fast.

That's right, people. And once again... above all else, remember: "Don't ingest the fireworks." Toxic exposure to fireworks and glow products are more common than people might think, according to Barbara Insley Crouch, executive director of the Utah Poison Control Center.

Here's the full lowdown, folks:

• Beware of toxic effects of fireworks, glow products and exertion over holiday

That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.

Talk about whatever floats your boat.

Ogden Pioneer Day 2010

We'll keep this thread open for anybody who desires to chime in about today's events, or anything else, for that matter, which lifts our readers' skirts

Happy Pioneer Day, folks. For those laggards who who haven't yet made plans, we've gleaned today's calender of events from the Ogden Pioneer Days website:

JULY 24 ~ Saturday
7:00 am	Kiwanis Club Community Pancake Breakfast	Ogden Municipal Gardens
9:00 am	July 24th Parade	Washington Blvd 35th - 20th St
Following the Parade	Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum Open House	Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum (2148 Grant Ave.)
12:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Pioneer Skills and Crafts Fair	Fort Buenventura (2450 A Ave.)
6:30 pm	Pre-Rodeo Events & Entertainment	Ogden Pioneer Stadium
7:30 pm	PRCA Rodeo “Pioneer Day State of Utah Holiday”	Ogden Pioneer Stadium
	Miss Rodeo Utah Coronation	Ogden Pioneer Stadium
Following the Rodeo	Fireworks	Ogden Pioneer Stadium

Don't miss today's Std-Ex writeup about this morning's Big Parade:

• Ogden Pioneer Day parade promises diverse spectacle for all

With Ogden funmeister Doug Stephens in charge it's bound to be a real doozy.

And as the Standard-Examiner admonishes this morning, use common sense... and don't get yourself killed:

• OUR VIEW: The Pioneer Day spirit

We'll keep this thread open for anybody who desires to chime in about today's events, or anything else, for that matter, which lifts our readers' skirts.

Update 7/25/10 8:00 p.m.: For the many readers who are Googling for Emerald City post-Pioneer Day reports (believe us, our web stats software says there are plenty of them,) the Standard-Examiner has the lowdown on yesterday's parade:

• People don't mind summer heat, but keep water bottles handy at Ogden Pioneer Days parade

It's still not to late to chime in, folks.

Tuesday Morning Emerald City News Roundup

Bits and pieces on another slow Emerald City news morning

1) Here's a Deseret News story which has been on the back burner for a few days; so we've finally decided it was time to feature it on the front page:

• West Valley City to post video of meetings online

Notably, the City of West Valley City accomplished this step toward transparency in government with little fanfare or rigamarole. We've already called for a similar broadcast arrangement in Emerald City before the end of the summer; and the Standard-Examiner has done likewise. So what say our gentle readers? Isn't it time that the administration and council got moving on this? If West Valley City can pull it off, why can't we?

2) And here's a short letter from the Std-Ex live site, calling upon Powder Mountain skiers to exert some socio-economic muscle; and to boycott Powder Mountain:

• Residents oppose Powder Mountain agenda

We believe Std-Ex reader Dennis Maher makes a very good point. For those who are opposed to the Powder Mountain developer's despicable Powderville Town power grab, buying ski passes at Powder Mountain is rather like sleeping with the enemy, isn't it?

3) Although we'd figured this blog had dispensed its final 2009 Ogden Pioneer Days story last week, it seems that these stories just won't go away. With that in mind, here's a photo which was submitted by one of our readers yesterday, capturing an image of Mayor Godfrey, sitting in the box seats above the chutes, at the July 24, 2009 Ogden City Pioneer Days Ro-DAY-oh:


Along with the picture, we also received this query:

"Is Godfrey's hat on backwards, or is his head just on backwards?"

This is of course a useful question on a slow news day such as this, so we'll put this question to WCF's gentle readers for the ultimate answer.

Before we do that however, we'll link to the Resistol® cowboy hat site, inasmuch as our vast experience in cowboy fashion matters allows us to disregard all the other alternatives and readily conclude that its a Resistol brand straw hat perched either backwards or frontwise atop Godfrey's gourd. Here's what Resistol hats look like normally, by the way, for those who aren't totally up on modern cowboy hat fashion design standards:

• Resistol Straw Cowboy Hats collection

There's 0ne thing even a non-follower of cowboy hat fashion will also observe after taking a look at the Resistol site: Normally a cowboy hat's brim tapers from narrow in the front to wide in the back. Godfrey's hat, on the other hand, tapers down from front to back.

And what about that little down turned poop-de-doop on what looks like the back of Godfrey's hat brim? Normal working cowboys often bend one of those on the FRONT of their brims, to shield our eyes from the sun... yet in this photo... Godfrey displays it over his backside.

We'll now turn over this last 2009 Pioneer Days discussion to the single lingering final question. Having viewed the photographic evidence, we'll reiterate our gentle reader's query:

Is Godfrey's hat on backwards, or is his head just on backwards?

Who will be the first to comment?

Ogden Pioneer Days Post Mortem

Whatever happened to the Budweiser Clydesdales?

For Ogden Pioneer Days parade buffs, the Standard-Examiner carries a post-parade story this morning, along with a way too short photo slideshow. Conspicuously absent from both Loretta Parks's otherwise fairly decent report however, and the slideshow too, was any documentation of the participation of the Budweiser Clydesdale "hitch," arguably the most prominent, visually impressive and professionally trained parade unit in America. As a sort of consolation prize however, Std-Ex readers were treated to an image of a "loose" parade formation of local LDS missionaries, attired in "summer dress" uniforms and "marching" along Washington Boulevard in route step.

Go figure.

24th of July Open Topic Thread

A quick wrapup of today's final Pioneer Day events; and a danged fine video to put everyone in the pioneer mood

Although we expect that most locals will be out and about today, enjoying the final calendered events of this year's 75th anniversary Ogden Pioneer Days celebration, we'll nevertheless set up a 24th of July discussion thread for those readers who may be housebound, or for others who might drift by Weber County Forum, looking for their daily blogging fix.

As for today's events, we're posting a mite late this morning to roust out our readers for this morning's pancake breakfast. However, there's still time to remind everyone to get downtown for this morning's parade; and there's also plenty of time to for everyone to round up their boots, wranglers, cowboy headgear and other western-style paraphernalia in advance tonight's Ogden Rodeo finale.

And just to get everyone in the pioneer mood, we'll provide this fantastic YouTube video, wherein Austin, Texas guitar man Lucius Marcus (né Mark Patrick Abernathy) brilliantly performs our favorite Mormon hymn, which was composed by LDS poet William Clayton on April 15, 1846, as his Salt Lake Valley-bound Mormon pioneer caravan rested at Locust Creek, Iowa, 100 miles west of Nauvoo:

One of our gentle readers linked this video in a comments thread a few months back; and we believe today's reprise is especially fitting. An inspiring anthem too, for anyone involved in any life struggle, we think. You're invited to post your remarks on the Pioneer Day topic... or feel free to treat this as an open topic thread. Talk about whatever you want to talk about.

Emerald City Saturday News Roundup

A reminder of tonight's Peery's Egyptian Theater birthday bash; and there's word of a new Godfrey scheme to move Ogden's poor folks to "the boondocks"

Once again it's a slow news Saturday, but we believe there are still a couple of local news items in this morning's Standard-Examiner worthy of note.

1) We'd like to once again provide a reminder of tonight's Peery's Egyptian Theater 85th Anniversary event. The Standard-Examiner carries a new story this morning which, among other things, touts tonight's premiere of a Standard-Examiner documentary on the 75-year history of Ogden's Pioneer Days celebrations. Read all about it here:

• Ogden's Pioneer Days video premiere tonight

As an added bonus, this story also reels off a list of other Ogden Pioneer Days-related events which will be happening in and around Ogden today, in which connection we'll highlight one listed civic function which might be interesting for those of you who might be ambling around the Union Station area early in the afternoon:

French Merci Boxcar rededication
1 p.m. at Union Station, 2501 Wall Ave.; free admission; permanent display of boxcar sent by French to the U.S. as a thank-you for aid after World War II.

We're singling out this because we received some interesting background info on the subject, via an email from one of our alert and gentle readers:

Council Chair Amy Wicks will accept for the from the Union Station Foundation an old refurbished box car. Look for two U.S. flags flying and you will find the box car. The Foundation has received a couple of grants to help with refurbishing and placing the box car (the oldest railroad car at Union Station). RAMP Funds have been received for a roof to cover and protect it from the weather. A program and ceremony have been planned for the occasion. The public is invited.
(Note: The Mayor flatly turned down the offer to accept the box car for the City, and said that none of his staff were available either.)

We'd like to offer Councilwoman Wicks a hearty Weber County Forum Tip O' The Hat, for stepping up on behalf of Ogden City, to mitigate what appears to have been another hubris-filled Godfrey snub. While good manners are in apparent short supply up on the ninth floor of City Hall, we're always delighted to observe the constant graciousness of City Council members such as Amy.

If you make over to the Union Station ceremony at 1:00, be sure to give Amy the thumbs up.

2) Once again, the Standard-Examiner announces the latest news in re Boss Godfrey's obsession to rid the downtown Ogden area of "unsightly poor folks. " Yes, Ace Reporter Schwebke reports that once again, Boss Godfrey is working on a scheme to move the St. Anne's Center to the "boonies." Unlike the last go-round however, it appears that at least one member of St. Anne's management team may actually be "on board," at least in concept. Here's Mr. Schwebke's full story, for those who'd like to read up. Strangely, this is the top front page story in the Std-Ex hardcopy edition; but it somehow didn't make it to the Std-Ex "Live" website:

• Ogden, shelter deal in works

And yes... Boss Godfrey's crackpot velodrome scheme is also mentioned by Mr. Schwebke:

That's it for now, gentle readers.

Don't let the cat get your tongues.

Spotlight on the Peery Egyptian Theater's 85th Anniversary Shindig

Added bonus: a well crafted Standard-Examiner documentary "tickler" piece

For those with a penchant for Ogden City history, the Standard-Examiner's Nancy Van Valkenburg provides a masterfully well researched documentary-style story this morning, chronicling the history of Ogden's wonderful downtown gem, Peery's Egyptian Theater. Ms. Van Valkenburg traces events surrounding the Egyptian Theater with a marvellous array of interviews and anecdotes. And we swear you're going to love the part where Ms. Van Valkenburg relates how a group of community minded ladies from the Weber County Heritage Foundation saved this very unique example of "1920's Egyptian kitsch" architecture from the wrecking ball in 1988... by stout-heartedly mortgaging their own homes, and taking the then-languishing theater off the hands of the former owner, who was fully prepared to transform it into another Godfrey-style dirt parking lot.

Read Ms. Van Valkenburg's full article here:

• The show must go on

Ms. Van Valkenburg's article is of course plainly published as an introductory "tickler" for an important upcoming Ogden City event, namely, "The Grand Celebration" to commemorate the 85th birthday of Peery's Egyptian Theater (and the 75th anniversary of Ogden Pioneer Days,) which is calendared for this coming Saturday. For the full skinny on this event, click the following Egyptian Theatre Foundation information link:

• Peery's Egyptian Theater - 85th Birthday Celebration

We do hope our readers will plan to attend. And we'll also snarkily remark in passing that we wonder what might have happened if former absentee owner Dr. Broadbent's planned Egyptian Theater demolition had been scheduled during Boss Godfrey's watch. Remember, it ultimately took the cooperation of "five entities," including Ogden City, to make the theater's restoration a reality.

So many questions... so few answers.

Who will be the first to comment?

Divergent Takes on a Traditional Emerald City Pioneer Day Event

Considering the broader question: Are Emerald City Events "going to the 'dogs?'"

This morning's Standard-Examiner has a chirpy Bryan Saxton write-up today, reporting on yesterday's Emerald City Pioneer Days parade. The article strangely dwells on the world-famous Oscar Mayer Weinermobile for far too long, and mentions that the event itself ran for some two hours. All-in-all the article is quite positive however; and from a detached reader's point of view (we didn't make it to the parade ourselves - sorry,) we got the impression from our reading of this article early this morning that this locally-important annual state holiday event, a long-held tradition in Emerald City, designed to honor our pioneer forefathers - who dragged their families and possessions across the plains in handcarts and covered wagons -- went off without a hitch.

Within the last hour however we have received a dissenting opinion from one of our regular readers, an Ogden native, who's been attending this event on and off for some fifty years or more. We accordingly link the hot-off-the-press comments of gentle Ozboy, who, in his inimitable style asks the probing question, "Does any one hereabouts know who was in charge of the yesterday's parade?"

We invite our gentle readers who attended yesterday's parade to read and compare these two articles. Gentle Ozboy sets forth some troubling observations and raises some interesting questions, we think. Ozboy also offers a plausible explanation for why the parade ran on so long on a sizzling summer morning in late July.

So how about it, gentle readers? Among those of you who attended this event, who wants to throw in their own 2¢?

If you'd like to broaden the discussion to include Emerald City's Pioneer Day Rodeo, or other traditional Emerald City events -- what the heck? We invite you to chime in with your comments, good or bad.

It's a s-l-o-o-o-w news day, after all.