WE ADMIRE BENSON'S
LEADERSHIP !!!!!
By Robert Callanan
Three members
of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association,
SA-IDA, attended the Benson City Council meeting on Monday evening, September 19th, and spoke in
support of their proposed new outdoor lighting code. In many respects the proposed code is similar to those already
adopted by the City of Tucson and Pima County.
The SA-IDA members
emphasized the importance of preserving the dark sky for Benson. Benson is the home of the Vega-Bray
observatory which, by the way, has been the site of numerous TAAA
activities. It was pointed out that the
observatory is world famous and attracts amateur astronomers from all 50 states
and many foreign countries. Equally
important is the fact that the observatory also serves the residents of
Benson. For example, it has frequently
been opened for local school classes.
Furthermore, the
San Pedro River Valley, which runs through Benson, is a bird and wildlife
area. This riparian area attracts
visitors from throughout the United States and Canada. Great care must be taken to protect the
environment especially for the migration of birds - - - many birds do migrate
at night and bad outdoor lighting can disrupt their ability to navigate
correctly.
There was a general
consensus expressed by almost everyone present that the night sky did indeed
need to be protected. This represents a paradigm shift !!! The goal expressed by several speakers - - -
the minimal goal - - - is to at least protect the night sky so that it does not
get any brighter than it is now.
Therefore, the focus of the new Benson code will be directed at new
developments and businesses as they are being constructed.
The only real
controversy was what to do about the existing outdoor lighting which is not
dark sky friendly. The City Council
appears to be inclined to “grandfather” those fixtures, especially those
presently operated by Benson businesses.
The impression was
that most members the City Council wished to proceed with an improved code
especially if wording can be changed to better accommodate the existing
business owners’ concerns.
For your
information, the local section of IDA here in Southern Arizona was founded by
the late Dr. Eduardo Vega, who also was the founder of the Vega-Bray
Observatory. He was truly a man of
vision, and we all owe him a big debt of gratitude.
PRESERVING
THE DARK SKY IN BENSON WILL CERTAINLY BE A LASTING MEMORIAL TO EDDY !!!
Article submitted by John Polacheck
President of Southern Arizona Section
International Dark sky Association (SA-IDA)
The Southern Arizona section of IDA welcomes your support for worthy projects locally, including enforcement of existing laws. Remember that these may be in your own self interest. Please feel free to ask us how we can help you.
CONTACT US:
SA-IDA web site: www.sa-ida.org
E-mail address: jpolach@dakotacom.net
Telephone: (520)-743-1362 (home/evenings)
9/23/05