 |
| Don't forget to e-mail your entry in the First (maybe Last) Progressive Charlestown Peeps contest |
Sunday's Westerly Sun has a front page article by Cassidy Swanson explaining the points of view on the lighting ordinance that may be approved at Monday's Town Council meeting.
Council President Thomas Gentz said the meeting “will be a good place for people to come and tell everybody what’s on their minds. If done with everybody’s views in mind, it can be done appropriately.”
The entire article is available here, without subscription.
NOTE FROM WILL: In the Westerly Sun article, Town Council President Tom Gentz (CCA) talks about things residents can do on their own, and promotes the use of floodlight shielding such as Parshields. He says he did all the outside floods at his house for $90.
Gentz is right about Parshields. My house is smaller than Gentz's so I only needed four Parshields/ I also found a non-profit vendor in Massachusetts, the Energy Federation, that sells them (and lots of other energy and dark sky saving stuff) for substantially less than the price Gentz paid. My two pairs cost me $35, not $60.
Plus the Energy Federation told me they would like to hear from Charlestown about negotiating either a wholesale deal or a group discount to further reduce the cost. I have passed this word on to the town, but apparently no one has acted on that information,. I guess you'll have to contact the Energy Federation yourself (click here).
Installing the Parshields was a LOT easier than I expected. I am NOT very good with my hands. I DREAD DIY projects. But these shields simply slip over and clip on to the floodlight bulb while it's still screwed in. All you have to do is reach the bulb and you're done in seconds.
As Linda recently wrote, and as the Sun wrote this morning, the debate over the Dark Sky ordinance will not be pretty. We may leave the Council meeting tomorrow with no ordinance and not much to work with. But there ways for Charlestown residents to be good neighbors and dark-sky friendly without being told by the town government what to do.
If you want to do it yourself, contact the Energy Federation here.
NOTE FROM WILL: In the Westerly Sun article, Town Council President Tom Gentz (CCA) talks about things residents can do on their own, and promotes the use of floodlight shielding such as Parshields. He says he did all the outside floods at his house for $90.
Gentz is right about Parshields. My house is smaller than Gentz's so I only needed four Parshields/ I also found a non-profit vendor in Massachusetts, the Energy Federation, that sells them (and lots of other energy and dark sky saving stuff) for substantially less than the price Gentz paid. My two pairs cost me $35, not $60.
Plus the Energy Federation told me they would like to hear from Charlestown about negotiating either a wholesale deal or a group discount to further reduce the cost. I have passed this word on to the town, but apparently no one has acted on that information,. I guess you'll have to contact the Energy Federation yourself (click here).
Installing the Parshields was a LOT easier than I expected. I am NOT very good with my hands. I DREAD DIY projects. But these shields simply slip over and clip on to the floodlight bulb while it's still screwed in. All you have to do is reach the bulb and you're done in seconds.
As Linda recently wrote, and as the Sun wrote this morning, the debate over the Dark Sky ordinance will not be pretty. We may leave the Council meeting tomorrow with no ordinance and not much to work with. But there ways for Charlestown residents to be good neighbors and dark-sky friendly without being told by the town government what to do.
If you want to do it yourself, contact the Energy Federation here.
