The Blanco County Commissioner’s Court voted unanimously to declare October as Hill Country Night Sky Month in Blanco County. Details about this celebration appear toward the end of this newsletter.

Twin Sisters Raise The Roof Event

David Loose, an active member of the Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky (BCFNS), uses his sunscope to show the wonders of sunspots during the Raise the Roof Event at Twin Sisters Dance Hall on Saturday, September 25. During the day, two new families joined the BCFNS as dues paying members. Both purchased Membership signs to display on their property to proclaim their support for the night sky (Yea!).

As part of our Light Bulb Exchange program, seven other families received flat bottomed, 2700 Kelvin, LED light bulbs free of charge with the promise to provide an evaluation of their usefulness.

Manning the info booth throughout the day were BCFNS members Katy Hahn and Stacy Sims and BCFNS Board members, Elizabeth Miller, Linda Whitlow, and Wayne Gosnell. A big thanks to the Twin Sisters Dance Hall for letting us use the space at no charge!

Volunteer Recognition

WELCOME to our newest volunteers! They are Stacy Sims of Blanco and Britton Waldron of Stonewall. Both are members of BCFNS and have volunteered to help Board Member, Bob Heinonen, with our database management. We are looking for two more volunteers to help out.

Britton is interested in forming a Gillespie County night sky group and wants to learn from us. If you live in Gillespie County and would like to help Britton, let us know and we’ll put you in touch with him.

Want to help keep our sky dark at night? We may have an opportunity that interests you. Check out other Volunteer Opportunities at BCFNS Volunteers

Meet the BCFNS Board Members

We thought it might be nice to introduce our Board Members to you. Starting with this newsletter we will feature one member, then periodically we will all introduce ourselves. We hope to include a longer biography of each member on our website, but we’ll announce that in the coming months. This month we’d like you to meet:

BOB HEINONEN

In early 2003, Bob and his wife Elizabeth Seibert sold their country home near Dallas in 10 short days, quickly bought bare property on a ridge 10 miles west of Blanco, moved in a repo single wide for temporary quarters, had a well and septic system put in and settled on the ridge facing south down a valley. The long valley was totally dark at night, not a single light visible.

One night in August 2018, Bob stepped out on his south facing front porch and saw 1/3 of the horizon was glowing with San Antonio/ Bulverde/Spring Branch light. This disturbed him. In 15 years on The Ridge, window coverings had not been necessary because at night it was totally dark and there were no neighbors. Now a glow from the south enters the windows of their bedroom at night.








Bob joined Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky to fight light pollution. He volunteers as one of our Board members and fills the function of Data Base Administrator, Facebook Administrator and Wizard of The Night Sky. His costumed character “Wizard of The Night Sky” follows Bob’s pattern of performing for 26 years as a volunteer and then professional autobiographical actor who educates as he entertains.

Bob also provides data base assistance to the Fredericksburg Good Samaritan Center. His hobbies are diverse. Twice in 4 years Bob has been the Grand Champion of Needlework at the Gillespie County Fair for his counted cross stitch pictures. He loves fixing and refinishing bent wood chairs. He experiments with gardening on a rocky ridge. He loves fixing things. He loves brainstorming and philosophizing.

We are very fortunate to have Bob as a member of this group!

Just a Reminder: Lights Out for Birds, Blanco County: August 15 – November 30

The Travis Audubon has this to say about “Lights Out for Birds”: “Did you know that most birds migrate at night? They often use the moon, stars, and sun to navigate. Light pollution can interfere with these signals and cause a serious problem for birds: they might be thrown off course or become so disoriented that they circle until they fall to exhaustion or collide with buildings. You can help with just a flick of a switch – plus you’ll save money on energy costs!” To read more check out their website at: Travis Audubon Lights Out Texas Travis Audubon Lights Out Texas. Even though we in Blanco County do not have tall buildings to contend with that may affect birds as they migrate, our outdoor lighting can still cause them difficulty as the move through our area. We can do our part by following these helpful hints:
• Turn off all exterior lights • If outdoor light is needed, opt for shielded lighting that directs light downward • Turn off lights at night in unused spaces • Close curtains and blinds
Read what Laura Bush has to say about helping our migratory birds at: Laura Bush Lights Out for Migratory Birds And one more helpful link: Lights Out Texas

Membership Sign Promotion

A membership sign is the best publicity the night sky can have. For folks thinking of joining the BCFNS, we are offering a free membership ($20) with the purchase of a sign ($35 tax included). Here’s the link: Member signs

Stat Report

Next Board Meeting

Wednesday, October 20th @ 9 am, at El Charro Restaurant in Johnson City. Everyone is welcome to attend. If you would like to attend via Zoom, just let us know and we’ll make it happen.

Mark your Calendar for these Upcoming Events and stay tuned for details!

• Hill Country Night Sky Month - Hill Country Alliance (HCA) is coordinating with groups across the Hill Country to celebrate the Night Sky the entire month of October. We will be participating with events that are still in the planning stages.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Kerrville Folk Festival October 1-11, 2021
  BCFNS will NOT be participating in the event this year, maybe next year. If you are in the Kerrville area, you might want to stop in for some local music and see what kind of fun events are happening!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Blanco Marigold Festival - October 23-30, 2021 – “Marigolds by Day, Stars by Night”
  
  • BCFNS is working with the Chamber of Commerce to identify ways we can participate.
    
  • We are planning to host a booth such as the type we have at Market Day to provide information on light pollution and saving the Night Sky. We hope to inform people about how this can promote the City of Blanco as a great tourist destination.
    
  • Watch BCFNS Facebook Page for more details.