NELPAG Circular No. 25 1999 November 30
New England Light Pollution Advisory Group (NELPAG)
Editor: Daniel W. E. Green [M.S. 18; Harvard-Smithsonian Observatory;
60 Garden Street; Cambridge, MA 02138] (telephone 617-495-7440)
e-mail: green@cfa.harvard.edu
Secretary: Eric Johansson (telephone 978-392-3650)
email: esj@harvee.billerica.ma.us
"Subscription" to this news/information Circular is available by sending
self-addressed, stamped (currently 33 cents in the U.S.A.) regular-sized
(9.5x4-inch) envelopes (SASE) to Dan Green at his postal address, or by
sending your e-mail address to NELPAG-REQUEST@HARVEE.BILLERICA.MA.US (Internet).
NELPAG Circulars are issued at irregular intervals, once every couple of months
on average, as news accumulutes. Contributed information for this Circular
concerning outdoor lighting problems in New England (or pertinent info from
outside New England) are always welcome. Please circulate this newsletter to
all interested parties. Look at our World Wide Web site at URL
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/nelpag/nelpag.html
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NELPAG REGIONAL MEETING ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
The New Hampshire Citizens for Responsible Lighting (NHCRL) hosted
the Fall 1999 NELPAG region-wide meeting in Concord, NH, at the
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. About 10 people showed up, including
Peter Talmage and Tony Dater from Kennebunk, ME; John Petrowicz, Dan
Green, and Mario Motta from MA; and Bob Crelin from CT. The meeting
was entirely informal. The main point coming out of this meeting was
perhaps John Petrowicz's remark that NELPAG should be much more active
than it now is (he accused NELPAG of being too passive). The key, of
course, is that we need more active members to make NELPAG more active!
NELPAG MEETING ON 1999 DECEMBER 9
The Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston encouraged me to put
together a panel of people who deal with outdoor-lighting issues for a
panel discussion on light pollution at its monthly December meeting. As
the ATMoB generally have good turn-outs at their meetings (50-100 people),
and having put together a good panel, I thought it might be good to also
call this a `NELPAG meeting', to encourage more attendance. The meeting
begins at 8 p.m. in Phillips Auditorium at Harvard College Observatory.
Panelists so far include long-time NELPAGers Peter Talmage, Mario
Motta, and Dan Green. Joining them will be Massachusetts Rep. Jim
Marzilli, who has been the leading sponsor of state legislation in
Massachusetts. Paul Lutkevich and Robert Wylie of the Boston area will
represent the professional lighting-engineer community. A couple more
panelists are being encouraged to join the panel, as well, so that this
promises to be a very good meeting.
In the last few days, I learned of a possible opportunity to have
NELPAG be major partners in a project led by the Massachusetts Municipal
Association, which is seeking to take care of street-lighting maintainance
in Massachusetts towns that now are seeking to buy their lights from
power/utility companies under a new state policy. Kelly Beatty informs
me that the leaders of this enterprise are interested in going towards
a policy of urging full-cutoff lighting in all towns that they service,
and we hope to have some representatives of this project present at the
December 9 meeting.
Please try to attend this meeting, and spread the word.
-- Dan Green
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The NELPAG supports the International Dark-Sky Association and recommends
that all individuals/groups who are interested in the problems of light
pollution and obtrusive lighting should subscribe to the IDA Newsletter.
IDA membership costs $30.00 per year; send check to International Dark-Sky
Association, 3225 N. First Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 (NOTE new address!).