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Fresh off a training in setting up and aiming the four telescopes donated to Oracle State Park, the Oracle Dark Skies Committee will be meeting Thursday, May 7, 2015, 6:30 p.m. at SaddleBrooke Ranch La Hacienda Club. They will be beginning the second stage of their work to help preserve Oracle’s, (and the world’s) oldest natural resource, the night sky. And they will be welcoming new members to the committee.
As part of their application for OSP to become an International Dark Sky Park, they pledged to educate the public about the need for dark skies and to preserve and, if possible, increase the darkness at the site.
For the latter, they will be engaged in the “Go for the Gold” campaign to garner support from those in the area to decrease inefficient and unnecessary lighting. OSP came into the program as a silver-tier level only because they couldn’t quite achieve the required darkness level for the gold tier. Everything else about the Park was gold. So, the committee will be helping local people get the best use out of their lights without wasting their money sending light out of their immediate need area to become “light pollution.”
In addition, the Committee will be increasing the number of occasions at which the public will be able to enjoy Sky Parties. They will also hold programs about the importance of darkness to human health and wildlife health. Other programs will help business and home owners to decrease their electrical bills by aiming their lights where they are needed.
The Dark Skies Committee would like to welcome more community members like Charlotte Poole who “Upon moving to Oracle … discovered how beautiful the night sky is from my balcony. When a committee member told me about Oracle State Park applying for Dark Sky designation, I jumped at the chance to share with the committee my enthusiasm, gratitude and suggestions. Also I learn so much at the committee meetings about how light pollution dampens my vision of the sky and my surroundings and what can be done to improve lighting. With Oracle State Park receiving the IDA designation, I look forward the committee’s ongoing projects and Star Parties.”
And though newcomers to the area can immediately see how wonderful the night skies are here, long-time resident MaryHelen Vasquez, another founding member of the committee grew up in Oracle and has always lived here. In fact, her immediate ancestors grew close to nature and to each other as Arizona miners and ranchers. Her great-grandfather homesteaded in Klondyke , AZ, and her dad and his sisters were born along the Aravaipa Creek in the Klondyke Canyon. Her Grandfather did some work for the Kannallys and built the corrals for the Huggets at the C.O.D and other ranches.
Mary Helen has always loved living here and still loves to be outdoors and hike in Oracle. As a wife, mother and nana to six-year-old Alyssa; an Oracle artist, who expresses herself in painting, pottery, photography; and the owner and operator of Hair Country for many years, she has still found time to be an active member of the ODSC. She has “always had a wonder about the night sky and when I got my telescope, it was a new adventure for me. I assembled it and was so proud but couldn’t get anywhere with it. I remember reading an article about Mike Weasner and his observatory so I called him. He was so quick to come over and check out my telescope. He found that it was programmed in Russian and he would have to check this out to get it to work for me. He called me and said…just do this…and I said …Me!! To make a long story short, I did what he said and it worked. Then he helped me some more and I enjoyed visiting at his observatory.
“So when he started this Oracle Dark Skies, I knew I would help him in any way I could. But what could I do? He asked me to write a letter of support as a resident and business owner; I was more than happy to. I thought I was done. But he said, you need to come to the meetings. I told him I did not see that I would have anything to contribute. But he insisted that it was a support. So I show up at the meetings because I support him. I show up also because I believe in the preciousness of our dark skies in my area, as my family did.”
So, new or long-time residents are invited to attend the next meeting to learn more about the activities of the committee and to explore joining in its activities.
To get there, turn into the entrance to SaddleBrooke Ranch off AZ-77 (about 10 minutes west of Oracle), continue to a stop sign and continue straight ahead past the racquetball courts on the left and a lake on your right. Turn left into the parking lot and enter La Hacienda Club (large building) through the front door. Go to the reception and ask where the Oracle Dark Skies Committee is meeting.
For more information about the work of the Oracle Dark Skies Committee please visit their web site: http://www.weasner.com/ODSC. If you cannot attend this meeting, but are interested, contact Mike Weasner, chair or Evaline Auerbach recorder at evalineja@icloud.com.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
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