Comments on: Lights at Night http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/ Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:42:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: VFR on Top « Heligal http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-104626 VFR on Top « Heligal Sun, 04 May 2008 00:14:49 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-104626 [...] early riser; its a curse of middle age.) It was still dark out, but I could barely see the lights from my neighbors’ homes and I couldn’t see the tower normally visible out the ba.... I’ll fly at night or in rain or in high winds. But I can’t fly in the [...] [...] early riser; its a curse of middle age.) It was still dark out, but I could barely see the lights from my neighbors’ homes and I couldn’t see the tower normally visible out the ba…. I’ll fly at night or in rain or in high winds. But I can’t fly in the [...]

]]> By: c. m. http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-103395 c. m. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:15:55 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-103395 i live in miamisburg ohio- on a ONCE DARK and serene street-for 24 years-now out on the main road is a used car lot -who has lights that are those halogen -they face outward and not down-so looking out my window at night looks like dawn- from the haze these lights create-especially on cloudy/rainey/snowy/or humid and warm nights-so pretty much ALL the time-dealer wont do anything about it- city wont either! and this city has no lighting ordinance !! ive printed out many pages from Dark Sky.org-to give to city council members-so far its been futile for 4 years-i always had loved where i live--until these lights went up-its really disappointing-please tell me if there are any meetings dark sky has in my area of dayton ohio. there are car lots all over and no one has a set up like this place-and it is a small lot- other car lots have lighting that face downward and light there lot and not the neighorhood!! thanks c m i live in miamisburg ohio- on a ONCE DARK and serene street-for 24 years-now out on the main road is a used car lot -who has lights that are those halogen -they face outward and not down-so looking out my window at night looks like dawn- from the haze these lights create-especially on cloudy/rainey/snowy/or humid and warm nights-so pretty much ALL the time-dealer wont do anything about it- city wont either! and this city has no lighting ordinance !! ive printed out many pages from Dark Sky.org-to give to city council members-so far its been futile for 4 years-i always had loved where i live–until these lights went up-its really disappointing-please tell me if there are any meetings dark sky has in my area of dayton ohio. there are car lots all over and no one has a set up like this place-and it is a small lot- other car lots have lighting that face downward and light there lot and not the neighorhood!! thanks c m

]]> By: David Oesper http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-92094 David Oesper Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:34:39 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-92094 Maria, There is a Yahoo! group called DarkSkyCommunities that you and other readers may be interested in joining. Our group is dedicated towards creating new and repurposed astronomy-friendly communities. I was particularly intrigued by the street level lighting you described. "One of the newer neighborhoods in town chose street level lighting instead of overhead lighting. That’s a pretty good compromise. The lights are installed behind glass blocks in consistently designed decorative boxes at the end of each driveway. The boxes include the house number and mailbox. The lights aren’t very bright, but they do offer an easy to follow pathway down the road for anyone who happens to be on foot after nightfall. They also make it easy to find a specific house in the day or night." Could you elaborate? Do you know of any photos of this type of lighting? I'd like to share this idea with our group. Better yet, it would be great if you could join the group and share this yourself! Many thanks, David Oesper Moderator, DarkSkyCommunities Dodgeville, Wisconsin Maria,

There is a Yahoo! group called DarkSkyCommunities that you and other readers may be interested in joining. Our group is dedicated towards creating new and repurposed astronomy-friendly communities. I was particularly intrigued by the street level lighting you described.

“One of the newer neighborhoods in town chose street level lighting instead of overhead lighting. That’s a pretty good compromise. The lights are installed behind glass blocks in consistently designed decorative boxes at the end of each driveway. The boxes include the house number and mailbox. The lights aren’t very bright, but they do offer an easy to follow pathway down the road for anyone who happens to be on foot after nightfall. They also make it easy to find a specific house in the day or night.”

Could you elaborate? Do you know of any photos of this type of lighting? I’d like to share this idea with our group. Better yet, it would be great if you could join the group and share this yourself!

Many thanks,

David Oesper
Moderator, DarkSkyCommunities
Dodgeville, Wisconsin

]]> By: Maria Langer http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90775 Maria Langer Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:05:03 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90775 A friend of mine with the same neighbor problem finally loosened the lightbulb when his neighbors weren't home. Not that I'd suggest doing such a thing! ;-) A friend of mine with the same neighbor problem finally loosened the lightbulb when his neighbors weren’t home. Not that I’d suggest doing such a thing! ;-)

]]> By: Daryl http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90772 Daryl Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:56:36 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90772 It seems the light pollution glow in our southeast skies has increased rapidly over the few years I've been in Wickenburg, but it's the renters behind me that leave their outside lights on 24/7 that really light up my nights (and early mornings). Hoping they'd "get hip," I've refrained from contacting them, but not for much longer. It seems the light pollution glow in our southeast skies has increased rapidly over the few years I’ve been in Wickenburg, but it’s the renters behind me that leave their outside lights on 24/7 that really light up my nights (and early mornings).

Hoping they’d “get hip,” I’ve refrained from contacting them,
but not for much longer.

]]> By: Maria Langer http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90689 Maria Langer Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:51:55 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90689 Thanks for this information. I was not aware of the ordinance or the town's consultants for this. It doesn't surprise me that commission members should look out for their own interests first, though. That's why they get on these commissions -- to help each other out. Where I am, the sky is still pretty dark, but who knows how long that will last? The glow from Phoenix is clearly discernible above and beyond the hill behind my house. I'm glad we're on the side of that hill (and not on top) and that we don't have streetlights. Thanks for this information. I was not aware of the ordinance or the town’s consultants for this. It doesn’t surprise me that commission members should look out for their own interests first, though. That’s why they get on these commissions — to help each other out.

Where I am, the sky is still pretty dark, but who knows how long that will last? The glow from Phoenix is clearly discernible above and beyond the hill behind my house. I’m glad we’re on the side of that hill (and not on top) and that we don’t have streetlights.

]]> By: John Wemesfelder http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90682 John Wemesfelder Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:43:37 +0000 http://www.marialanger.com/2008/02/10/lights-at-night/#comment-90682 The town of Wickenburg does have a "dark sky ordinance". It can be found on the Town website under Section 10-5-2. You will note that this only addresses residential light polluters. As you may be aware, the town has retained a firm to help update the town code. A recent meeting of the Zoning and Planning Commission had the revised ordinance on it's agenda. There were several points of concern discussed by the members of the commission. One concern was that the new ordinance was thirteen pages in length. Several commissioners felt that it needed to be shortened. One commissioner, who is involved in real estate in the area, expressed a concern that property rights were at issue here, and that he did not feel it was appropriate for the town to tell a barn owner that he (barn owner) could not put a light on his barn. That same commissioner felt that the revised ordinance should not place a financial burden on any Wickenburg business. He cited that local Bashas' store, and suggested that the cost to Bashas' to install full cutoff lighting might be as great as $500.000. What the good commissioner failed to determine prior to his statement, was that Bashas' has already installed full cutoff fixtures. I know this, because I looked. Two members of the community spoke to the Commission, supporting a "dark sky ordinance". Stay Tuned The town of Wickenburg does have a “dark sky ordinance”. It can be found on the Town website under Section 10-5-2.
You will note that this only addresses residential light polluters.

As you may be aware, the town has retained a firm to help update the town code. A recent meeting of the Zoning and Planning Commission had the revised ordinance on it’s agenda.

There were several points of concern discussed by the members of the commission. One concern was that the new ordinance was thirteen pages in length. Several commissioners felt that it needed to be shortened. One commissioner, who is involved in real estate in the area, expressed a concern that property rights were at issue here, and that he did not feel it was appropriate for the town to tell a barn owner that he (barn owner) could not put a light on his barn. That same commissioner felt that the revised ordinance should not place a financial burden on any Wickenburg business. He cited that local Bashas’ store, and suggested that the cost to Bashas’ to install full cutoff lighting might be as great as $500.000.

What the good commissioner failed to determine prior to his statement, was that Bashas’ has already installed full cutoff fixtures. I know this, because I looked.

Two members of the community spoke to the Commission, supporting a “dark sky ordinance”.

Stay Tuned

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