SA-IDA Section Meeting
When: WEDNESDAY, April 13th AT 5:30 PM
Where: At the IDA office, 3225 N. First Ave., just North of Ft.
Lowell
Note: Items may be added to the agenda by anyone present at the meeting
PROPOSED AGENDA:
1. Minutes of the November meeting and Treasure's report - - - The missing
funds from
IDA need to be addressed
2. Earth Day at the U. of A. - - - Thursday, April 21st.
We plan to set up on the U. of A. Mall at 9:00 AM
The event will last until the middle of the afternoon
(about 3:00 PM)
3. Progress report from the SLC, the Sustainable Lighting Committee, being
created at the
U. of Arizona, Department of Architecture
4. IDA Annual Meeting report:
Ideas from other IDA sections which may help us here
in Tucson
5. Science Fair follow-up
Next TAAA Members night
Nominations for 2006 Student IDA awards
6. Dark Sky Meter
Should we contact Don Davis and/or Chris Corbally
regarding the progress of their meter ???
7. TAAA - - - How can we better interact with their membership ???
TAAA members' contest - - - NO Winners
TAAA Newsletter article for April
8. Three Points Area follow-up
9. Follow-up any new obtrusive lighting complaints and/or new reports of any
lighting problems.
Starr Pass Marriott
Adjourn promptly at 7:00 PM (as always).
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Here Is a Copy of An Old Agenda
with Lots of "Ideas" of Projects
Which Still Could Be Done
(if anyone is interested) !!!!!
1. Review of our resources. Consider hiring a part time
work-study student
from the University of Arizona. Such a person could
help with secretarial
type chores and/or could also be used to attend star parties
or other
educational events on behalf of SA-IDA.
The cost is very reasonable. Good students are
available.
Potential problem: liability insurance.
2. Raising funds from the local professional observatories and/or more from
TAAA. Also, should we seek out more grant funding.
3. Further evaluation of our mission.
4. TAAA star parties. Possibilities for other interactions with TAAA and
its
members.
These include: (1) Creating a dark sky society
within TAAA similar in
structure to "TAL", TAAA's society for the
Astronomical League.
(2) Working with TIMPA and TAAA (and Kitt Peak) to improving
the lighting
near the TIMPA site.
5. Border Issues - - - Again !!!
6. Status of the Outdoor Lighting Code for the City and County. Also, any
report
regarding billboards ???
7. Consider a Don Higgins' Memorial SA-IDA/TAAA project: having
TAAA
members check their own homes regarding the quality of
outdoor lighting
and to make dark-sky friendly changes where needed.
That would also be
a good time for TAAA members to check their neighborhoods
for the quality
of outdoor lighting and to establish plans for improving any
lighting which is
not dark-sky friendly.
8. Should we consider developing a different sky brightness/darkness
measuring device based upon the 4th grade student's
ideas as modified by
the low vision professor's suggestions ???
Or, a device using a light sensitive chip ???
9. Should SA-IDA play any role in developing and popularizing other methods to
quantify light pollution or measure the darkness of
the sky at different locations ???
These could include the any following: (1)
Identifying several "easy-to-locate"
constellations which have different magnitude stars
(like Ursa Minor, the little dipper).
(2) The use of a standard CCD image of
"sky-glow" which could be sent, via an E-mail
attachment, to a central location for processing and
measurement. (3) CCD photometry.
(4) Taking photographic or CCD images at different
exposures until the "fog" is equal to
the dimmest rate-limiting stars.
IDA is already working idea number (1) above but
Tucson has many amateur astronomers
who are "experts" in some of these areas
(not to mention the plethora of professional
astronomers whom we could consult).
Should we seek help from TAAA members ???
10. Consider awarding another excellence in outdoor lighting award.
(St. Mary's Hospital, Lowes, Ace, other possibilities) ???
11. Further follow-up regarding hardware stores: Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace.
Field reports regarding the Glarebuster at Ace.
Follow-up news regarding the availability of other
new lighting fixtures in stores here in Tucson
stores..
12. Hang up a Hubble Shield at the White Stallion Ranch in Marana.
13. Creating a telephone "tree" for SA-IDA.
14. Walgreens: A local survey ??? Should we contact their national office
???
Also, follow-up regarding the recently installed
shields at their store on St.
Mary's Rd. and Silverbell.
15. Special Arizona license plates - - - progress ???
16. Arizona State legislation
17. Report from IDA: Model lighting code, "seal of approval" for
outdoor lighting fixtures, Billboard
possibilities, "gossip from other
chapters (Flagstaff and Phoenix, other)
18. Developments regarding outdoor lighting to be installed at the expand
Christopher Columbus Park.
Should we be getting involved at other County Parks or
other County facilities,
for example the Animal Shelter, Sports Park, Old
Tucson, etc......
19. Should we start a campaign to have business turn off out-door lights
promptly
when they close for the evening, for example
automobile sales lots ???
20. The golf park near Costco, Home Depot, I-10.
21. Media publicity for SA-IDA. The possibility of an hour-long radio show.
Also, other radio and TV shows, Newspapers, TAAA,
etc......
22. Website improvements and links to other sites.
23. Glare buster shields from GE. Also, the Bob Goff fund for light
pollution. Also, coordination with the Ed Vega
fund.
24. The SA-IDA CD. It's great !!!! How can we use it better ???
25. Consider contacting TRICO regarding bad outdoor lighting in the
Three Points area.
26. Desert Museum, the first and the last Saturday nights in May
and September. Should we consider also
going there in the
afternoons on those dates ???
27. Should we try to contact the Audubon Club regarding another presentation,
for example sustainable lighting ??? Or,
participating again at their Ironwood
festival ???
28. Next year's student science fair, especially planning for the SA-IDA
publicity. It should be ready in September
or October !!!!!
Are we going to design and print a poster
???
Also, are we going to become an official sponsoring
organization next
year ??? If so, arrangements need to be
made soon (and that assumes
our continued commitment to awarding prizes and
judging).
29. Any thoughts for having another field trip meeting ???
30. Follow-up on the high school community service dark sky projects.
31. SA-IDA pens
32. SA-IDA handouts at local astronomy stores.
Also, national (international) distribution).
33. Participation at national star parties in the Tucson area by SA-IDA.
34. Do we want to do anything special for next year's IDA International
Annual Meeting ??? Presentation{s)
??? Tour{s} ??? Display{s} Etc.
35. Inviting members of the University of Arizona's undergraduate astronomy
club to attend SA-IDA activities.
36. Follow-up with light pollution issues near the Vega Bray Observatory.
Does Bneson
need a new outdoor lighting code? Could Benson become another Dark Sky
City ???
37. Members night at TAAA. What should we present ??? Also, suggestions
for articles
in their newsletter.