[AZ-Observing] Urgent: Please get involved with this Dark Sky effort by May 17, 2011

From: "Jennifer Polakis" <m24@xxxxxxx>
To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "EVACONLINE" <EVAC@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:04:58 -0700
I apologize for the length of this message in advance.  Please try to muddle 
through it and the attachment.  Let's get together and show our representatives 
that we are very serious about a dark sky.  I think if lots of people do this 
before the next Maricopa Association of Governments meeting tentatively set for 
May 17; this time we can really make a difference.


The April meeting was the second MAG Dark Sky Stakeholder Group meeting I've 
attended.



And it was just scary.



The general public was not very well represented. To me, true stakeholders are 
just regular people who have been denied their right to see a starry night 
sky--there is now a generation of people that don't even know the Milky Way 
exists.  Children's curiosity is no longer sparked by a sky full of stars.  



The "stakeholders" at the meetings are big business lawyers and lobbyists for 
organizations such as Arizona Association of Retailers, Arizona Food Marketing 
Alliance, Arizona Bankers Association, Arizona Sign Association, International 
Council of Shopping Centers on one side and the Arizona observatories on the 
other.  There were representatives from Glendale and Avondale there 
representing their constituents--if there were others, they didn't speak up.  
There were 7 amateur astronomers, twice as many as the last meeting in February.



This process for developing this "Model Dark-Sky Ordinance" began two years 
ago.  At this last meeting, Liz Alvarez (Kitt Peak) asked mall builder Gordon 
Kieg (Kornwasser Shopping Center Properties LLC and AZ/NM State Director for 
International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) "Serving the Global Retail 
Real Estate Industry" to clarify something he said about not needing a lighting 
code; he replied that a lighting code is not needed, that there's no room for a 
lighting code, etc.  The other non-observatory "stakeholders" agreed.  So 
basically after two years of trying to compromise with Maricopa County 
Businesses by researching to answer their questions, giving lots of empirical 
evidence, and offering alternative solutions,,  we've come to this?



Lawyers and Lobbyists for organizations like the International Sign Association 
(James Carpentier www.carpentierconsulting.com ) are not being forthright in 
the information being given to their clients, and they certainly don't lobby 
for the rights of our children to see stars in the sky.  What is worse is that 
the wrong message is believed by entities like mega malls, shopping centers, 24 
hour ATMs, etc.  



The next MAG meeting is tentatively May 17th and there will be a draft lighting 
code brought to committee. MAG is asking for comments and input before then.



I think this is an even more critical time to try to get the Milky Way back.  
Maybe the way to do it is to really voice your opinions to your 
representatives, request your reps to get involved with MAG Dark Sky 
Stakeholders Group by coming to the meetings, and by endorsing, enforcing, and 
adopting "The Dark Sky Ordinance".   Tell the President of the United States 
that the Catalina Sky Survey needs dark skies to find those Near Earth 
Asteroids.



And for those people outside of Maricopa County, let your representatives know 
what a dark sky means to you and how big Maricopa County's light dome is, and 
request your representatives to also give opinions to MAG. The Maricopa County 
light dome is a big light trespasser deep into other counties.



Let your friends know about MAG Dark Sky Stakeholders and have them contact MAG 
and their representatives not just as amateur astronomers but as teachers, 
parents, students, employees, employers, scientists, poets, citizens...to tell 
them what a dark, star filled sky means to them.



Please open this document to learn more about the dark sky, and to find contact 
information for your representatives.

 

 

http://members.cox.net/polakis/DarkSky_information.pdf

 

 

The first part is links to places with information on dark skies including 
Maricopa Association of Governments Dark Sky Stakeholders Group.  There's lots 
of good information out there; these are just a few to get you acquainted with 
the problem of lighting up a dark sky.  There's some new information on the 
standard links like IDA; so even if you're knowledgeable of the situation, you 
might want to check into these from time to time.



The second part is ideas on whom to contact and how to find addresses for your 
representatives, etc.



It's my hope that we can make an opinion louder than "The Dark Sky Doesn't 
Matter" lawyers and lobbyists.  And that our representatives will see just how 
important a dark sky is to Arizona--for the observatories and tourism for sure, 
but also for their regular ordinary everyday constituents who just want to 
enjoy a starry sky close to home.



Please try to get some letters and Emails out to MAG and your representatives 
before the May 17th meeting.



Thanks if you actually read this far!  Please open the attachment and let's get 
going on showing our representatives that we mean business.



Jennifer Polakis

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[AZ-Observing] Urgent: Please get involved with this Dark Sky effort by May 17, 2011

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