Dear Grant,

As a full-time local resident, I want to make sure that readers are aware of the fantastic program presented in Lake City last Friday and Saturday by Dark Sky Colorado and the Lake Fork Valley Conservancy {LFVC}. Last week was the 3rd Annual Lake City Star Fest. For those who missed it, the Friday session featured two extraordinary talks, one about the development of telescopes and the other featuring amazing photos of the universe taken by astronomers around the world using James Webb, Hubble and other state-of-the-art telescopes.
Saturday afternoon featured a showing of the science fiction classic movie Forbidden Planet. At the sky viewing session last Saturday evening, more than 200 people gathered at the proposed Slumgullion Observatory Site near the intersection of State Highway 149 and County Road 50 (Deer Lakes Road) near Slumgullion Pass.
As the sky darkened and the stars appeared, the festive crowd was treated to a running commentary about the night sky by National Park Service (Curecanti) ranger James McLean. This demonstrates the interest shown by the public in support of the initiative to develop this site for sky viewing. Conspicuously absent were representatives of the USDA Forest Service, the agency that will decide whether the Slumgullion viewing site becomes an officially sanctioned, LFVC operated and maintained, facility.
The Slumgullion observation site is routinely measured for its level of light pollution and last month it had the highest possible dark sky rating meaning there was almost no light pollution, so viewing could not have been better. Experts who are experienced stargazers and astronomers say that the Slumgullion site is one of the best places in the world for viewing the stars. I met a young man who lives in a Front Range community and was seeing the Milky Way for the first time in his life; he was in awe.
What a privilege it is to live in a place where individuals and businesses, thanks to Phillip Virden, are learning to value and preserve the night sky by dimming and shielding outdoor lights! Let’s keep making it better by turning off those lights at night except when we really need them.
Phillip offers weekly events at Windy Point on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 PM for our viewing pleasure and to help educate us. For more information visit the LFVC website (LFVC.org), the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, or inquire at the Mountaineer Movie Theatre on Movie nights.

_{Kathy DuChene
Lake City}