Grand Opening Planned for Dumke Arts Plaza in Ogden
Construction is near completion on the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Arts Plaza, located in Ogden, Utah. The Dumke Arts Plaza will be an arts-focused community space, a dynamic outdoor gallery, and an intimate performance venue. The plaza is designed to inspire creativity, elevate diverse perspectives, and anchor Ogden as a hub for contemporary art. The plaza will feature major art installations as well as community-led arts programming ranging from small concerts, to dance performances, to video art. It will be a space to engage with art in all its forms, but also a place for everyday gatherings — sharing lunch with a friend or enjoying a family visit.
The community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Dumke Arts Plaza on Friday, Dec. 3 from 6-9 p.m. at 445 25th Street, at the corner of 25th Street and Ogden Avenue. The event will serve as the premiere of the plaza’s inaugural exhibition, a selection of work by internationally renowned American sculptor Chakaia Booker, curated by Weber State University. Also on display will be the Beacon, a permanent sculptural piece that extends from the plaza over 25th Street. Invited speakers will make brief remarks at 6:15 pm and performances will take place throughout the evening. All are encouraged to attend and celebrate the Dumke Arts Plaza as a new arts-focused space for the community.
A unique collaboration among project partners and community members has shaped the Dumke Arts Plaza. The Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation is the lead funder for the project. The Foundation’s gift of more than $2.2 million to support the Dumke Arts Plaza is intended to honor the legacy of its founders and their commitment to Ogden. Ogden City and Weber County RAMP also contributed major funding to the project. The Foundation, Ogden City, RAMP, Weber State University, and Ogden Contemporary Arts, along with community stakeholders, collaborated closely to develop the vision for the Dumke Arts Plaza. The plaza design was led by renowned firm, Sasaki Associates, working with Ogden-based firms IO LandArch and Union Creative Agency. Hogan Construction is now building the plaza.
The Dumke Arts Plaza represents the transformation of a blighted motel property into an innovative civic space that will bring the community together around art in Ogden’s dynamic Nine Rails Creative District. The plaza’s design, inspired by the region’s dynamic landscape, has the flexibility to support many types of art, from large-scale installations to small performances, and includes an LED screen for displaying film and video art. An elevated platform known as the plinth provides more space for arts programming, as well as a new perspective on the plaza and its surroundings. The Dumke Arts Plaza is a welcoming public space, with interactive play elements, unique lighting, benches, and waterwise landscaping. A major feature of the Dumke Arts Plaza is the Beacon, a new sculpture that extends over 25th Street, inviting visitors to explore the plaza.
The Dumke Arts Plaza creates an exciting opportunity to share world-class art exhibitions with the community in an outdoor civic space. Weber State University’s Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery and the Department of Visual Art & Design are proud to curate the inaugural exhibition at the Dumke Arts Plaza, featuring a selection of work by the internationally renowned American sculptor Chakaia Booker. The exhibition includes three major recent pieces by Booker. Booker’s distinctive approach to form and materiality, utilizing repurposed automotive tire rubber to construct complex and monumental abstract objects, speaks eloquently to themes of transformation, reimagining, and recontextualization. As such, her work is a uniquely fitting focal point for the public’s first opportunity to experience world-class public art at the Dumke Arts Plaza, itself a major initiative in the revitalization and reclamation of civic space for Ogden, the state, and the region.
For more information about the Dumke Arts Plaza, please visit ogdencity.com/DumkeArtsPlaza. Ogden City encourages community members and organizations interested in hosting arts programming and events at the Dumke Arts Plaza to visit the website for more information.
For more information about the Chakaia Booker exhibition presented by Weber State University, please visit https://weber.edu/shawgallery/upcoming.html. The exhibition will be on view to the public from Dec. 3, 2021, through May 15, 2022. The exhibition is presented in partnership with Ogden City and Ogden Contemporary Arts and is made possible by the generous support of the Dr. Ezekiel R. and Edna Wattis Dumke Foundation, the Matthew S. Browning Center for Design, and the Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities.
November 17, 2021
Petersen Inc. awarded Global Supplier by Bechtel
Bechtel awards Petersen Inc. 2020-2021 Supply Chain Excellence for their contributions to the Hanford Vit Plant project
Ogden, Utah – November 17, 2021 – Petersen Inc. announced today that Bechtel has recognized them with a Global Supplier Award for 2020-2021. Companies were evaluated on multiple factors including overall performance, ability to deliver quality services, and meeting or exceeding expectations of safety, performance, technical expertise, and environmental compliance.
“This is a tremendous recognition by Bechtel, and we are humbled and grateful to be acknowledged as a key supplier,” stated Rob Despain, VP Business Development for Petersen Inc. “We have a 20+ year partnership with Bechtel and look forward to continually strengthening that relationship and future opportunities in the years to come,” added Despain.
Petersen Inc. of Ogden, Utah and Pocatello, Idaho built two 300-ton melters to be used at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Vit Plant (Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant). The melters will safely process a portion of the 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste generated during the Manhattan Project and Cold War. The process involves mixing silica and other glass-forming materials, heating to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, then pouring into stainless steel containers for disposal.
Designing and manufacturing the two melters included 1,200 engineering drawings and took nearly three years to fabricate, with a third melter in fabrication as a spare. Petersen Inc. is also currently manufacturing the stainless-steel containers used to dispose of the waste.
“The partnerships we have with our subcontractors and suppliers are fundamental in delivering projects to our customers,” said Tarek Amine, Bechtel’s Manager of Procurement & Contracts. “Collaboration with subcontractors and suppliers enhances our ability to align to our customers’ goals, achieve their objectives, and deliver a lasting positive impact in the communities where we live and work.”
November 11, 2021
The Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate became public under an Emergency Temporary Standard OSHA regulation on Friday, November 5, 2021. As a result, businesses must be in full compliance with the rule by January 4, 2022. However, as was expected, within 24 hours of the public filing, a federal appeals court issued a stay on the regulation citing ‘grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate.’
Employers have compliance requirements within 30 days of rule publication and testing requirements within 60 days of publication marking the January 4 final deadline unless a court ruling overturns the regulation.
The COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) issued by OSHA sets in motion these requirements for companies with over 100 employees. The rule requires businesses to set up an assessment process to determine who is vaccinated and who is not, set guidelines on receiving proof of vaccination, and establish a record-keeping system containing this information. Important dates and information to consider include:
- By December 5, 2021 (30 days from publication), workplace assessment must be completed, and unvaccinated employees are required to wear masks until vaccinated.
- By January 4, 2022 (60 days from publication), vaccinations must be completed for employees. Booster shots are not required.
- Companies must provide 4 hours of paid leave to receive vaccination and 2 days paid for potential vaccine recovery if needed.
- Natural immunity does not count and those with exemptions must test in a clinic (Home tests are not acceptable, and employees must pay for tests.)
- Businesses should determine how they will handle religious exemptions in terms of attestation, ecclesiastical statement, or strong moral objection.
Required Documents to Share with Employees:
As part of the emergency regulation, it is required that employers distribute the following four documents to their staff by December 5, 2021, which explain the rights and responsibilities of each party.
- Information for Employees on Penalties for False Statements and Records
- Workers’ Rights Under the COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS
- COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS
- Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
OSHA Rules for Submitting Comments:
OSHA has initiated a 30-day comment period for employers/business feedback on the ETS as it could become the permanent standard. Now is the time to voice your concern, opinion, or experience with this matter.
You may submit comments and attachments, identified by Docket No. OSHA-2021-0007, labeled “COVID 19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard Rulemaking” electronically at regulations.gov. Follow the instructions online for making electronic submissions. All submissions must include the agency’s name and the docket number for the ETS (Docket No. OSHA-2021-0007.) When submitting comments or recommendations, commenters should explain rationale and, if possible, provide supporting data and information. Wherever possible, commenters should indicate the title of the person providing the comments and, when appropriate, include information about the type and number of employees at their worksites.
All comments, including any personal information you provide, will be placed in the public docket without change and, with the exception of copyrighted materials, will be publicly available online at regulations.gov. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about submitting information they do not want to be made available to the public or submitting materials that contain personal information (either about themselves or others) such as Social Security Numbers and birthdates.
All comments and submissions are listed in the regulations.gov index; however, some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to read or download through that website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available for inspection at the OSHA Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at 202-693-2350 (TTY number: 877-889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
Utah Chamber Coalition
On November 10, 2021 the Ogden-Weber Chamber met with representatives from the Utah Chamber Coalition to address this issue to help ensure a greater collective voice of business within the state. The Salt Lake Chamber provided the information contained in this fact sheet for distribution.
Rick and Jay, being lifelong friends and both with backgrounds in IT systematics and Coding, decided they wanted to take their passion and turn it into a business – the founding of Code Ninjas. Code Ninjas opened its doors specifically for the youth in the Ogden area in February of 2021. Since its startup less than a year ago, they have already enrolled over 120 future ninjas!
Balancing technology, video games, and making it a place where kids feel they belong, Code Ninjas has become a place where kids can be creative, have flexibility in how they learn, and flex their technology muscles. At Code Ninjas, kids learn to code while making their own video games.
Rick and Jay love the Ogden area and feel that the community comes together to help kids grow within their passions. Code Ninjas provides a safe place for children of all ages to learn and become who they want to be. Coding students progress through the program at their own pace, but always have a watchful coding coach nearby to help. Parents also have added confidence in knowing that they can conveniently drop off their children in a professional and safe environment after school, in the evenings, and even on weekends.
If you’re interested in helping get your children involved in an environment where they’ll make friends, build confidence, and master new skills, reach out to Code Ninjas in South Ogden.
This network will bring together public and private sectors in a statewide initiative to promote innovation and business in Utah. From aerospace, agriculture and artificial intelligence to biosciences, engineering, and transportation, the new Wasatch Innovation Network will support Utah businesses — start-ups to unicorns — with network development, funding channels, policy development, government relations, and support for research, development and commercialization.
Public and private sector organizations across Utah gathered Tuesday to announce a statewide multi-industry initiative to promote research, development and commercialization with the goal of developing Utah as a global innovation economy. The new organization called the Wasatch Innovation Network (WIN) is a 501(c)6 nonprofit that will promote Utah as an international leader in innovation, technology transfer, manufacturing and marketing, as well as offer support services to businesses throughout the state.
“There are many moving parts in any innovation ecosystem, and the time is right to connect the whole Wasatch Front,” said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, in announcing the new initiative at a press conference hosted with TechBuzz News and Colliers International. “We hear leaders talk more and more about Utah becoming the ‘Crossroads of the World’ and an important way we will achieve this is by developing a best-in-class innovation economy. Our collective goal with the Wasatch Innovation Network is to begin connecting laterally in a way that promotes innovation, creates commercialization, introduces new possibilities, and attracts talent that increases our national leadership.”
The Wasatch Innovation Network will connect industry to capital, startup to incumbent, and academia to market, with the purpose of creating a team of teams to scale out Utah’s innovation ecosystem. The organization will provide services that include:
- Policy Development and Government Relations
- National and International Marketing of Utah as a Leader in Innovation, Technology Transfer, and Ever-Expanding Opportunity for Investment
- Public Communications Support for Innovation R&D and Commercialization
- Support for Start-Ups that Includes Mentoring, Network Development, Assistance with Capitalization, National and International Engagement, and Technology Transfer from Universities
- Regular Meetings for Organizational Development, Member Needs and Interests, and Networking Opportunities for All WIN Partners
- Industry Specific Committees in Areas Including Aerospace, Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical, Computer Hardware/Software Development, Cybersecurity, Energy, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Healthcare, Human Potential, Infrastructure, Internet of Things, and Transportation
The Wasatch Innovation Network will bring together leaders and institutions to drive innovation across silos to broaden economic appeal and commercialization. The new organization plans to focus on four cardinal values around mentorship, growth, innovation, and acceleration to drive results for each participating group.
“Salt Lake City has made an expanded life sciences hub a key focus of its Tech Lake City Initiative,” said Kelly McAleer, an account executive with the Kenney Group and former head of BioUtah. “In South Salt Lake and Salt Lake County, the BioInnovations Gateway continues to serve as a magnet for the next generation of healthcare innovators with its high school experiential learning initiatives and a new life sciences incubator, called O-Zone, and it will be opening soon.”
Additionally, this network will help craft a unified vision for our entrepreneurial ecosystem as there are key developments happening in Utah around innovation such as the Point of the Mountain and Falcon Hill Aerospace Research Park. The Wasatch Innovation Network will have a voice in these developments and support smart innovation policy. Utah can develop a first-in-the-nation innovation blueprint for other states to model.
According to other founding members in attendance:
“As a leader in developing and maintaining collaboration, Weber State University is excited to join the Salt Lake Chamber and other partners to launch the Wasatch Innovation Network,” said Brad Mortensen, president of Weber State University. “We see many opportunities to foster an innovative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative ecosystem that strengthens the output and inclusivity of Utah’s economy, providing for improved lives and livelihoods for all of our diverse populations.”
“The founding values and purpose of the Wasatch Innovation Network — to connect and expand opportunities for communities and organizations through strong partnership — align perfectly with WFRC’s mission,” said Andrew Gruber, Wasatch Front Regional Council Executive Director. “Through the Wasatch Choice Regional Vision, which is built on a foundation of partnerships, we strive to improve quality of life along the Wasatch Front, by coordinating the location of well-planned housing, educational, workplace and recreational opportunities with streets, transit, and trails. The Wasatch Innovation Network will help to enhance and strengthen these connections across the Wasatch Front.”
“I am excited for the University of Utah to be part of the new Wasatch Innovation Network,” said Michael L. Good, MD, interim president of University of Utah and CEO of University of Utah Health. “As one of America’s leading research universities, the U has an important role in Utah’s innovation ecosystem. To bring innovative ideas to market requires a network of support and partnerships. And this initiative leverages public and private collaborations to do just that for our students, researchers, and ultimately our community.”
“Utah’s technology sector continues to make waves and to see where our next big tech boom will come from, you need to look up — to space and beyond, ” said Greg Manuel, vice president and general manager of the Strategic Deterrent Systems Division at Northrop Grumman. Utah’s aerospace industry is fueled by an ‘innovation imperative’ across the civil, defense, and space sectors. We are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space to drive next-level innovations and secure our future against evolving threats.”
“The Wasatch Innovation Network will be a collaborative tool to help strengthen and build competitive businesses along the Wasatch Front,” said Jay Francis, President/CEO of the South Valley Chamber. “Utah businesses have proven time and time again that by working together and sharing strengths and insights makes everyone stronger and more successful. The term ‘Network’ really says it all, and as our businesses come together and network across city and county boundaries we will once again be a standard for innovation for other states to follow.”
Founding members of the organization include:
Founding partners of the Wasatch Innovation Network include Clarke Capital Partners, Colliers International, Davis Chamber of Commerce, EDCUtah, Envision Utah, FatPipe, Gardner Companies, The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Nomi Health, Northrop Grumman, Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce, Owlet, Point of the Mountain Chamber of Commerce, Provo City, Salt Lake City, South Valley Chamber, Spiff, TechBuzz News, Utah Valley University, The University of Utah Office of the President, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Weber State University, and Women Tech Council.
For more information, visit slchamber.com/wasatch-innovation-network.
