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Rob,<BR>
<BR>
Cool report! Sounds like you all had a better night of it than we did.<BR>
<BR>
Fred<BR>
<BR> <BR>> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:47:26 -0700<BR>> From: scopegeek@gmail.com<BR>> To: lvas@lvlug.org<BR>> Subject: Re: [Lvas] Sawmill Trailhead Report<BR>> <BR>> Fred,<BR>> <BR>> I'm sorry it ending up being a short night for you. I'll check into the <BR>> Ranger incident and find out who we need to talk to about using that site.<BR>> <BR>> As for Red Rock. We had another good night. There were about 110 <BR>> people including our folks there last night. I'm guessing we had 10 to <BR>> 15 scopes there. David even had the monster set up and people enjoyed <BR>> looking through the largest telescope they had ever seen. Seeing got <BR>> better as the night progressed. Most of the public was gone by 10:30 <BR>> and that's when the seeing really settled down. The Cub Scouts and <BR>> Scouts got to see things they had only imagined. I'll be sending them <BR>> some images of the objects they saw for their report. Quite a few new <BR>> members made it out last night along with some old members we haven't <BR>> seen in a while. Anyway, it was a good night at Red Rock - we could <BR>> even see the Milky Way as it stretched from Sagittarius up through <BR>> Cygnus. As it got closer to Cassiopea it got wiped out by the sky glow <BR>> of Vegas. But some folks had never even seen that much of it until last <BR>> night.<BR>> <BR>> Take care. Hope to see you at Cathedral Gorge. Cindy and I will be at <BR>> Belmont next weekend for our outing up there.<BR>> <BR>> Rob<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Fred Rayworth wrote:<BR>> > All,<BR>> > <BR>> > Just got back from Sawmill Trailhead after being kicked out by a <BR>> > hostile park ranger.<BR>> > <BR>> > Just after dark, around 9 pm, a truck drove into the area and a couple <BR>> > of people yelled for the driver to turn off the lights. We had no idea <BR>> > it was a park ranger. There was a statement attributed to her that we <BR>> > had no right to ask anyone to dim their lights. Then I heard the <BR>> > ranger yelling something. Someone later said she told us to get out as <BR>> > she was closing the park in 45 minutes. I also heard someone say that <BR>> > she was just some lady and not a real park ranger.<BR>> > <BR>> > Well... at 10:00, the truck returned and the park ranger turned on her <BR>> > brights and aimed them at all the telescopes. Then I heard her yelling <BR>> > that she'd told us to get out and was locking the gate. Someone, I <BR>> > don't know who, approached her to ask why we were being kicked out, <BR>> > and next thing I heard was the lady screaming and threatening to taser <BR>> > the individual.<BR>> > <BR>> > No doubt she wanted us out. I packed up and was out of there by 10:15.<BR>> > <BR>> > I am sending in an official complaint to the Toyabe National Forest <BR>> > Park Service. Though whoever talked to her maybe should have just <BR>> > agreed with her, she did not in the least act professional.<BR>> > <BR>> > Now, on to the observing, what little we were able to do.<BR>> > <BR>> > The sky was clearly (ha ha) hazy from the smoke in Calee' fornia. <BR>> > There was a mild breeze that got cold really quick, but it was not <BR>> > enough to make my eyes water. I took an early look at Jupiter but it <BR>> > was just a blurry gas bag. However, I caught M-57 and it looked pretty <BR>> > nice, being straight up. Didn't see the central star, but the <BR>> > conditions were not really ideal for that. Then I went to M-27, our <BR>> > observing goal for the month, and saw quite the bit of detail, which <BR>> > I'll put in my observing report.<BR>> > <BR>> > I found a few other things but just as I was getting going, the whole <BR>> > ranger thing started and I had to give up early. Wish the night hadn't <BR>> > been spoiled by what transpired, but it did.<BR>> > <BR>> > So, I guess we can cross Sawmill off the list unless we can get <BR>> > special permission to be there after hours. Funny, we went there <BR>> > several times last year with no problems, and even as late as this <BR>> > May, and never even saw a park ranger. All of a sudden, it's closed <BR>> > at 10PM. The policy might have changed, but I never heard an <BR>> > explanation from that park ranger. In fact, I didn't want to get <BR>> > anywhere near her!<BR>> > <BR>> > I hope the Red Rocks thing went better than our little excursion!<BR>> > <BR>> > Fred<BR>> > <BR>> ><BR>> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> > HotmailŪ is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Try <BR>> > it now. <BR>> > <http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=PID23391::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HYGN_faster:082009> <BR>> ><BR>> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> ><BR>> > _______________________________________________<BR>> > Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas@lvlug.org<BR>> > Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas<BR>> > The LVAS discussion list is hosted courtesy of LasVegas.Net<BR>> > <BR>> <BR><br /><hr />With Windows Live, you can organize, edit, and share your photos. <a href='http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop/PhotoGallery' target='_new'>Click here.</a></body>
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