Re: State Park Closures - Henry Coe is on the list

On Thu, May 28, 2009, Mark Johnston wrote:

> The FPOA area at Fremont Peak is actively used by school programs and other things plus has a
special arrangement so there is a high
> likelyhood that the FPOA area may remain open to members. Now more than ever your $80 yearly fee
for a spot on the pads any day of the week is money well spent.

I would not assume anything having to do with school programs is safe from the budget axe.
Education will likely be among the most impacted by the situation, and a place like Fremont Peak
will likely be low on the priority list, in terms of clamor to keep open, by the Department of
Education, or the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Look at the visitor numbers for
the park.

Also, it also seems rather an oddity that a public park would close, except for a certain class of
people who would appear to enjoy a privileged status (the park is only open if you're an amateur
astronomer? Really?). The parks are *supposed* to be available to all Californians, albeit for a
nominal day or overnight use fee.

The $80 annual cost for access to that part of Fremont Peak State Park, and mind you not for
hiking (for which it is available to anyone - via the trails through the FPOA area) to look set up
a telescope (others night visitors to that area are not charged a fee), is really a two-parts.
One to be a member of FPOA - a good reason to pay the fee - supporting the program, but the other
is to cover the costs of insurance, as required by the state - and we all know the state already
insures itself anyway.

On top of the $80 annual fee, one must pay at minimum a day use fee as well, probably in the range
of $5 per day, so the actual annual cost (which should be just the day use cost) is truly higher
than the $80 cited.

These are among the reasons I stopped going to Fremont Peak. I believe some of the people that
were highly instrumental in founding the FPOA share these opinions. Fremont Peak is, IMHO, an
exercise in bad (intrusive) government, and an unfortunate response by those involved from the
public.

Coe has a big horizon, better than any place at the Peak, and has a simple day use fee to have
access. I think that's the way thing should be, and is where I'd be putting my effort. I've had
many, many, many very good nights at Coe, over more than a 15 year span.

Mark

ps - I do not see Dinosaur Point on the proposed closure list....

m

---
May 20, 2009: TAC Web Page Updated http://observers.org/TAC.cgi/Announcements/
GSSP is coming - June 20th: http://www.goldenstatestarparty.blogspot.com
TAC mailing list - to join, manage, or leave: http://nine.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/tac