--- Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> wrote:
Chuck,
I think you ar 100% correct abut no real vision. SPOC2 has been put in place by people who have a vision, and are willing to do whatever it takes to see the vision put in place. Siegfried has asked the Dark Sky Committee to present a plan, and thus far none has come forth. Lacking a plan, and seeing no progress towards having one, it is only logical for Siegfried to make the comments he has made.
I'd be interested in seeing what, if anything, the DS-com has come up with. Here is my personal vision of a multi-user Dark-Sky site: A property owner's association. SPOC works because members live 5-minutes (or less) away. Would the facility be used as much if it were located at say, Lakeside? Doubtful. Accessability makes SPOC work. It sits in the middle of a subdivision. For a remote location, I think personal ownership would be a MUST in order for people to care enough to make it work. Private ownership would preclude SLAS involvement, unless SLAS owned the property, and leased plots to those willing to sign a lease and pay for it.
I am not an oponent of a dark site. I would like to see such a thing happen. Neither am I for it enough to step forward and make it happen. I do think it would be a mistake to absorb those funds, though.
That's where I"m at. Until I either retire, or my child is grown-up, I will not be a driving force in any club effort (and I divide my hobby time between two very different activities and clubs) due to lack of free time. Agreed that any earmarked funds should remain earmarked, at least for the present. Especially if they were donated for that purpose, specifically...we don't want to insult donors.
I am not convinced that there need to have "improvements" like the ones you mention to begin with. Some would certainly come with time, but those who use the dark sky site should decide what they are. Arbitrary statements of accepptability really have got to be tempered by the users' thoughts.
Well, as I said, that's MY vision. If there are no improvements (Siegfried did talk about an OBSERVATORY at a dark-sky site, after all...) then it's just another camping spot to me. No committees, funds, or any other thought needed. Show-up, and hope that a beer party didn't get there first. One day, I will have my own dark-sky site, built to my own vision, God willing; but I hope the club doesn't have to wait that long! Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com