April 2026
Issue 74
Contact us at newsletter@BlancoCountyNightSky.org
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY WEEK
The International Dark Sky Association explains it this way:
“International Dark Sky Week is a global celebration of the night. From the darkness needed for a restful night’s sleep to the activities we enjoy beneath the stars, the night is filled with wonder and importance. Dark nights sustain critical wildlife ecosystems, strengthen the well-being of our communities, enable scientific discovery, and preserve shared cultural knowledge and traditions.”
In April everyone was encouraged to “go dark” to explore the night and take action to protect dark skies worldwide. Even if you missed this April opportunity, it’s not too late! Check out their website for ways you can still celebrate: https://idsw.darksky.org
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BCFNS CELEBRATED IN A FEW WAYS
We worked to spread the message through education.
• Reading to small children at the Blanco Library about why animals need the dark.
• Hosting our annual art contest; encouraging Middle and High School students in Blanco County to research the effects of artificial light at night on wildlife and then share what they learned in the form of art.
• Gathering our members to celebrate our accomplishments and to make plans for the future.
• Handing out information to students attending Blanco High School’s Coalition on Awareness, Prevention, and Treatment of Substance Abuse event which has expanded to include health.
We talk to the students about the importance of darkness for their health and wellbeing.
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THE JUDGING HAS BEEN COMPLETED; THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!
Congratulations to all who entered our BCFNS annual art contest. The theme this year was “Wildlife Need the Dark.” The students researched how light affects animals at night and then put what they learned into a piece of art. We’ll share the winning artwork in the newsletter next month but look below for a list of the winners! You can also view all of the art throughout the summer by visiting our Facebook page regularly: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BCFNS
1st Place — Alan Bruno (LBJ High School) 11th
2nd Place — Katie Shannan (LBJ High School) 11th
3rd Place — Gracelyn Stevens (LBJ High School) 10th
4th Place — Yaretzi Torres (LBJ High School) 11th
5th Place — Taylor Luckie (LBJ High School) 11th
Honorable Mention — Kaylie Clark (LBJ High School) 9th
Honorable Mention — Zoe Dudley (LBJ High School) 10th
Original Idea/Concept — Daniel Axtell (LBJ High School) 10th
We had 54 entries from LBJ HS and 0 from Blanco.
9th Grade: 13 | 10th Grade: 20 | 11th Grade: 16 | 12th Grade: 5
6th Grade
1st Place — Aileen Alcala (Blanco)
2nd Place — Natalia (Kendle) Specjal (Blanco)
3rd Place — Molly Clark (Blanco)
Honorable Mention — Joselyn Barcenas (Blanco)
7th Grade
1st Place — Nereyda Garcia (Blanco)
2nd Place — Luci Slubar (Blanco)
3rd Place — Mila Florio (Blanco)
Honorable Mention — Jackson Pulliam (Blanco)
Honorable Mention — Brody Painter (Blanco)
8th Grade
1st Place — Elle Sims (Blanco)
2nd Place — Hope Jung (LBJ)
3rd Place — Ryann Gorum (LBJ)
Honorable Mention — Alyssa Snodgrass (Blanco)
Honorable Mention — Aubree Guisar (Blanco)
Total entries: 75
6th Grade: 17 (BMS) / 0 (LBJ) | 7th Grade: 19 (BMS) / 0 (LBJ) | 8th Grade: 18 (BMS) / 21 (LBJ) = 39
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BLANCO FOUNDERS DAY
We had a wonderful time talking to those who attended the 3rd annual Blanco Founders Day event on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures. Board member Samuel Lartigue and member Joe Guidry assisted in setting up our pop-up tent and information table. Phil Pangburn had his first opportunity as our new IT Director to speak to people about light pollution abatement and pass out information regarding night sky friendly lighting.
A Texas flag that “was flown at the Capitol of the Sovereign State of Texas” was presented to the Old Blanco County Courthouse in honor of its Founding Day. The flag was received by Blanco mayor Candy Cargill.
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POETRY FROM OUR CONTEST
Below is another poem entered in our annual contest by an anonymous participant. This person seems to have missed the mark regarding our theme “Animals Need the Dark”; however, we must admit humans are animals too! Many thanks to everyone who entered a poem. We do this just for fun and love to share the talent of our Facebook followers.
By Blanco Cactus Jack
You can see them
All around town.
Lighting the sky.
It makes you frown.
Shining off property
Into the sky.
When you see them
It makes you cry.
The sky is a treasure
We must keep it dark!
It gives us much pleasure.
Let’s make our mark.
Let’s point the lights down
Then grin, not frown.
Blanco is worth it.
It’s our hometown.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
Chantal Papp
Rachel and Justin Halliday
Rachel Halliday
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DON’T MISS THE MAY ISSUE OF THIS NEWSLETTER
• More art
• Our Annual Gathering
• CoAPT event at Blanco High School
• Much more
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NEXT BOARD MEETING
The next Board meeting will be May 20th @ 9:00 am at Texas Regional Bank in Blanco.
You are welcome to join us.
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CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER
A membership sign in your yard is a great way to let others know that you care about the night sky and perhaps make them curious about the organization. We have been successful with our Membership Sign Promotion but still need your help. The more signs we can get out in the public, the more people we can reach with our message to “save the stars.”
If you have been thinking of joining BCFNS or renewing your membership, you can still take advantage of our special offering of a free one-year membership ($20) with the purchase of a sign ($35 tax included). A membership sign is the best publicity the night sky can have. Email us here to purchase a sign: info@blancocountynightsky.org
For more information on all our membership options click here:
Membership Options
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THIS NEWSLETTER
We hope you enjoy our newsletter and are always looking for ways to make it better and more enjoyable. To that end, we invite your suggestions, comments and ideas for articles. In fact, if you would like to write an article to be published in our newsletter, we will certainly consider including it. Please send them to: newsletter@blancocountynightsky.org
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Copyright © 2018-2026 | All Rights Reserved
Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky
| P. O. Box 1402|Johnson
City | Texas | 78636 |