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project leader
Mary B
location
Torrey, Utah
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Torrey is Utah's first International Dark Sky Community!

the project

With this project, Dark Skies Over Torrey, the Entrada Institute can assist the residents of Torrey, Utah in taking the first steps toward becoming Utah’s first dark sky community.

Our community goal is three-fold. First we will replace all of Torrey Town’s city-supported streetlights with fully shielded, dark-sky friendly, LED lights.

Next, where needed, we’ll help Torrey residents replace privately owned lights that are out of compliance with Torrey’s new outdoor lighting ordinance.

Finally, we will launch a three-point education effort, which will provide information to local businesses, residents, and tourists about the multiple benefits of dark sky lighting.

One facet of the education program includes a Dark Sky Information Exhibit at the local visitor center and at the future home of the Entrada Center. This will be named for Linton Rohr, a local dark sky advocate who recently passed away.

Additionally, in cooperation with Entrada and the Wayne County School District, 4th graders from Loa Elementary School will be mentored by high school students as they create an interpretive wayside guide and signage along a future biking and walking path. The guide will include information about local plants, animals, and the night skies in Wayne County.

the steps

  • Mid-July to September 24: Fundraising drive!   This is the part where we really need your help.   Talk to your friends, family, peers, and colleagues. Remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.” Help us come up with the funding to make this program possible so everyone can enjoy Torrey’s dark skies.
  • September 30 and October 1: The annual Heritage Starfest encourages people to enjoy the dark skies of the Colorado Plateau, shares the heritage of night skies, and encourages preservation of dark skies. The Entrada Institute and the National Park Service are proud co-sponsors of the festival. During this year’s event, we will announce the successful results of the Dark Skies Over Torrey fundraising drive!
  • November and December: The Entrada Institute will purchase those lights and Garkane Energy will install them.
  • 2017: Begin implementing the remainder of our plan – replacing privately owned Torrey lights, educating our communities, and assisting with the bike and walking path interpretive guides and signage.

why we're doing it

Torrey, Utah is a remote, small, rural community in the heart of Wayne County. Fewer than 300 permanent residents live here, and fewer than 3,000 people reside full time in the entire county. The large majority of local businesses rely on tourism associated with the surrounding public lands. Torrey is the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park, which has more than one million visitors each year. As a result, Torrey’s economic welfare is closely tethered to Capitol Reef and visitors to the Colorado Plateau.

In April of 2015, Capitol Reef National Park was designated a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park. Torrey residents and citizens from across Wayne County have expressed a desire to hitch their wagon to the Sky Park star by working toward Dark Sky Community designation. This would make Torrey the only Utah community recognized as such!

As a first step in the process, Torrey Town Council recently passed a new outdoor lighting ordinance.

The second step is to replace the town-supported, high-pressure sodium streetlights with Dark Sky approved, fully-shielded, LED lights. The success of this campaign makes it possible to take this next big step toward becoming Utah’s first Dark Sky Community. The Entrada Institute, Torrey Town, and engaged citizens invite you to join us in bringing darker skies and brighter dreams to Torrey.

 

Click here to listen to  Entrada Institute board member Mary Bedingfield-Smith interview by  KWAN Radio  about the Dark Skies Over Torrey project.

Conversation

07/10/2016 - 9:08pm mark5

The dark skies over Torrey are a national asset. There is nothing like a summer moonless night with the Milky Way arching overhead to wake up a person's spiritual core. I take advantage of the dark skies with a camera hooked to telescope. I am able to collect photons from thousands, even millions of light years away because they don't have to fight their way through light pollution to reach my scope's aperture (www.thotandshots.net). Please join me in supporting Dark Skies over Torrey.

07/10/2016 - 11:08pm canyonrat15_281857

This is a splendid effort! Thank you for doing it!!

08/11/2016 - 9:52pm mike_282678

I hope this Project will run past the September deadline. I just learned of this and Linton Rohr is my eldest brother. Given time, this project will reach it's goal. I must tell you of Linton Rohr. He was an Eagle Scout in youth. He and I backpacked the entire John Muir Trail and also packed into Yellowstone , Kings Canyon, and Lake Clark NP. That's 450+ miles of trail. He did many other hikes into the Sierra Mtns, Grand Canyon, and others. We stood at Brooks Falls bear watching during the salmon run. We went bear watching in Yellowstone and soon after Linton realized a need for a larger telescope. I was 40 when he put my eyes up to his Starmaster Dobsonian Telescope. At his first chance he hauled it from CA. to ILL. into my back yard. We went to the Grand Canyon Star Party for 5 years and he drove out of Los Angeles at every chance to set up a telescope in a dark area. Linton was "In search of dark skies", an astronomer's dream. Torrey,Utah is such a place. At night the stars in Capitol Reef are incredibly brilliant for lack of light pollution. I plan to be at the Heritage Starfest 2016 in Torrey and will set Linton's telescope up for public viewing. Thanks.

budget

DISBURSEMENT BUDGET (as of 2/3/17):

Budget

·      Original - Torrey Town-supported Lights (16)

o   $479 each

o   $7,664 total

·      Revised – Torrey Town-supported Lights (14)

o   $479 each

o   $6,706

·      Original - Private lights (16)

o   $479 each

o   $7,664 total

·      Revised – Private lights (18)

o   $479 each

o   $8,622

·      Original - Maintenance for new lights

o   $1,000 total

·      Revised – Same as original

·      Original - Education

o   Linton Rohr Dark Sky Exhibit at visitors center -  $1,000

o   Business and individual education - $1,000

·      Revised – Same as original

Original - Total Project Budget - $18,328

Revised – Total Project Budget - $18,328

$500 purchases a display stand for the Linton Rohr Dark Sky Exhibit

$300 buys one streetlight

$150 pays for the installation of one streetlight

$29 buys the photocell for one light

$25 pays for printing 500 information cards



RAISED = $12,533.00
ioby Platform Fee  $35.00
Payment Processing Fee (3%) $364.02
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $12,133.98

 

 

ORIGINAL BUDGET:

Torrey Town-supported Lights (16)

o   $479 each

o   $7,664 total

Private lights (16)

o   $479 each

o   $7,664 total

Maintenance for new lights

o   $1,000 total

Education

o   Linton Rohr Dark Sky Exhibit at visitors center -  $1,000

o   Business and individual education - $1,000

Total Project Budget - $18,328

Less $5,482 raised offline



SUBTOTAL = $12,846
ioby Platform Fee $35
Donation Processing Fee of 3%  $385
TOTAL TO RAISE = $13,266

 

updates

Thank you for dreaming with us

Posted 02/07/2017 - 11:00am

Great news about our progress!

Posted 08/16/2016 - 4:49pm

With donations through IOBY and outside efforts, we have raised enough money to replace all of the Torrey Town sponsored lights.

Through a grant, the seven lights on Main Street were replaced last year. You can see what we are working toward.

 

This is what the old lights look like at night. You can see how the light trespass illuminates nearby trees and buildings.

 

And, from two blocks away, the light source is visible.

 

Here is a new light.  You cannot see the building behind the light. You can only see the light from inside the building. And the trees are not illuminated.

 

From two blocks away, the light source is essentially invisible. Only the street is illuminated.

 

We are nearly half way to our final goal. There are sixteen more lights in town to replace. Those are owned privately. Thank you for your continued help with this project.

 

The sight of the stars makes us dream!

 

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Cache Valley Bank
  • Lotus Community Development
  • Gallery 24
  • Stray Arrow Ranch
  • Hondoo Rivers and Trails
  • KWAN Radio
  • Torrey House Alpenglow Observatory
  • Torrey House Press
  • Anonymous
  • Chip and Linda Ward
  • Anonymous
  • Judith H.
  • Paul S.
  • Anonymous
  • Mark Bailey & Kirsten Allen
  • Ray Conrad
  • Libby Dietrich
  • Bill and Diane Barrett
  • Anonymous
  • Amy O'Connor
  • Maria and J.P. Spicer-Escalante
  • In honor of Linton Rohr
  • Red Sands Hotels
  • Lee Austin
  • Bonnie M.
  • Bob and Dianna Poulton
  • Anne Macey
  • Diane Borgerding, Wags to Whiskers
  • Veronica Egan
  • Scott T. Smith Photographer
  • Bonnie Kaufman, Realtor
  • Anonymous
  • Johanna Wilson
  • Frances F.
  • Tyler Ward
  • Maya Myozen Hill
  • Georgia Sullivan
  • Anonymous
  • Chris and Kirtly Jones
  • The Chuckwagon
  • Lorraine Miller
  • Jim and Margaret Dowling
  • Anonymous
  • Michael Rohr
  • Terry Fisk
  • Bill and Diane Barrett
  • Leigh Von Der Esch
  • Susan Snow
  • JaNae Winder
  • Sandra L.
  • Broken Spur Inn
  • Anonymous
  • Rick Ash
  • Circle Cliff Ranch Alpacas
  • Louise K.
  • Dick Sullivan
  • Brian and Lynette Thorn
  • Lani Lila and Harry Dundore
  • Judith Hopkins
  • Robert and Ann
  • Karen Davenport Rohr
  • Nancy R.
  • Torrey Trading Post
  • Barry and Tiffani Scholl
  • Colleen Dudleston
  • Jan and Greg
  • Paula and Rudy Pace
  • Brian Thorn
  • Anonymous
  • Jennifer Pennington
  • Gary & Pat
  • Two Arrows Zen
  • Doug and Karen Bennion
  • Tom and Lydia Berggren
  • Rich and Cindy Nigro
  • Christina G.
  • Annie Holt and Don Gomes
  • Torrey Town
  • Jane Erickson
  • Rod and Eileen
  • Anonymous
  • Sue and Paul
  • Maya Myozen
  • Julia Sati
  • Johanna Wilson
  • Veronica Egan
  • Jan and Owen Olpin
  • Anonymous
  • Ty Markham- Torrey Schoolhouse B&B
  • Scott Berry
  • Anonymous
  • CARE Parkie
  • Karen Davenport Rohr
  • Kirtly J.
  • John Luther
  • Andy Monaco
  • Ted Swenson
  • Karena Rogers
  • Patricia P.
  • Georgia S.
  • Bill Barrett
  • Chip and Linda Ward
  • Darrell Mensel
  • Linda and John
  • Justin Garrett Moore
  • Scott T
  • Anonymous
  • SaltLakeSmiths
  • John B.
  • Mark Baiely
  • Stephen Trimble
  • Sarah Tal
  • Anonymous
  • Barb
  • David H.
  • Seattle Smiths
  • Arleen B.
  • Mary B.
  • Marci Milligan