Saturday event turns out couple hundred to state park
More than 200 people turned out to Fremont Peak on Aug. 22 in an
effort to keep the local site off a list of state parks to be
closed due to budget cuts.
Saturday event turns out couple hundred to state park
More than 200 people turned out to Fremont Peak on Aug. 22 in an effort to keep the local site off a list of state parks to be closed due to budget cuts.
Members of the Fremont Peak Observatory Association planned the rally and barbecue as a way to garner support for the park, which offers camping, hiking and a state-of-the-art telescope.
“We had some research scientists describe what they are doing and why this location is very good for what they are doing,” said Doug Brown, the FPOA president. “We had some people from Hartnell talk about the influence on their students.”
The Fremont Peak Observatory Association is doing all they can to raise awareness and money to keep the park off the list of more than 100 state parks slated for closure. The final list will not be available to the public until Labor Day weekend, but according to a park spokesman, all the parks in the Gavilan sector are likely to close. That includes Henry Coe State Park and the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.
The Association members are especially concerned about Fremont Peak because it is home to the Challenger telescope, that has a 30-inch lens. The Peak offers some of the best stargazing conditions for more than 100 miles. The members offer star party programs three weeks a month from May to October, as well as several solar programs. They work with interns from Hartnell and provide programs to local school children.
Some of the speakers to attend the Saturday evening event included Eddie Guaracha, the park superintendent for the Gavilan sector; Priscilla Hill, a San Juan councilwoman; Reb Monaco, of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors; Anthony Botelho, of the San Benito County Board of Supervisors; and Eugenia Sanchez, Hollister mayor. A field representative from State Assemblywoman Anna Caballero’s office also attended.
“We are trying to promote things locally,” Brown said. “We are looking at grant opportunities, so we are investigating that.”
To keep the park open, $100,000 has to be raised – the cost to keep a ranger on site for two years.
“We are keeping tabs on things,” Brown said. “We are making plans for how to dismantle the telescope and move everything down to secure storage. And we are continuing to work with the parks department. We are looking at actions we can take to try to improve the situation, including looking at other locations [for the telescope.]”
Brown said anyone who knows about “suitable donors or foundations that might support an activity such as ours, we are interested to know about it.”
To make a donation, or to find out more about supporting Fremont Peak State Park, visit www.fpoa.net, e-mail Doug Brown at pr**@fp**.net or call him at 408-314-2844.
