Cave Creek’s Planning Commission is meeting this coming Thursday, March 12th at 7pm to decide whether the recent changes made by the Planning Department to the town’s lighting ordinance are acceptable to them or not. If the commission votes affirmatively, they will send it to town council who may decide to vote up or down on the revisions.
“I applaud any positive changes and upgrades to our residential and commercial lighting ordinance as the first step towards Dark Sky compliant language that so many people want to see happen. We are heading in the right direction!
To show how Dark Sky is growing in Cave Creek, the Cave Creek Dark Sky Initiative organized and hosted a recent event this last February 24th at the Desert Foothills Library where 250 people came through the “Celebrate the Starry Night” art show which included 24 artists displaying for sale 75 pieces of art each inspired by the night sky. It was fun and informative and many new faces from the community were there. One new artist, eleven-year old Cora Scalise, not only created wonderful Dark Sky watercolor paintings, but she made the first two sales of her life that evening. Congratulations Cora!
Out of all those visitors 195 people viewed one or both of the large professional telescopes provided and operated by astronomers Mark Johnston and Pete Turner. Mark, is a NASA Ambassador and he and Pete are both members of the Phoenix Astronomical Society led by Mike Marron, himself a supporter of Dark Sky. We saw Ron Walker, owner and operator of the fabulous Star Barn planetarium at the show too.
What was also heartening and positive that night, were the public endorsements for the Cave Creek Dark Sky Initiative by five of our council members; Tom McGuire, David Smith (Vice-Mayor), Kathryn Royer, Paul Diefenderfer, and Bob Morris. Thank you council members.
Councilman Paul Diefendrerfer reported that he spoke with Camp Verde’s town manager, a new Dark Sky community, who raved about the effects of Dark Sky and said he would go through the process again in a heartbeat. In Councilwoman Kathryn Royer’s support, she said she wants to lead the effort to work with the town staff to achieve Dark Sky Certification status.
Other speakers included Christa Sadler, President of the IDA Phoenix Chapter (International Dark Sky Association) and Vicky Dirksen, Vice President of the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association. She spoke about how well the Dark Sky implementation instituted two years ago in Fountain Hills is working. The businesses and the residents alike are happy with the program.
We are also receiving positive reports and testimonials from other Arizona Dark Sky communities, towns that are experiencing great results after they decided to become Dark Sky. Flagstaff, as an example, is now in it’s twentieth year as the first dark community “in the world”.
It’s clear that education and information are the keys to making a Dark Sky community work. Knowledge based information leads to a self-compliance and a satisfaction that protection of the local night sky and the reduction of light pollution emanating from our own properties starts with us, We the People, and once mitigated, solves a whole lot of nighttime glare.
Globe Chamomile is not the only invasive element in Cave Creek.”
— Bruce Arlen
Co-founder; Cave Creek Dark Sky Initiative
