Light Pollution

A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge Thursday refused to order the lights dimmed at a Bowleys Quarters Royal Farms store, despite arguments that they were interfering with operation of the nearby Bengies Drive-In Theatre. Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel contends that light from the store bleeds over onto his property and is distracting to some customers watching movies from their cars. Although a zoning hearing officer had found in 2003 that an adequate buffer needed to be installed between the store and drive-in to keep such light encroachment to a minimum, Judge Kathleen Cox ruled that enforcement of that ruling was up to the county's Department of Permits & Development Management, which has said the Royal Farms store's lights are not in violation of the county zoning code.

Sunday, April 1 'Music at Marriottsville' A concert with the Christian Choir of Howard County takes place at 3 p.m. at Bon Secours Spiritual Center, 1525 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville. A free-will offering will be collected. Information: 410-442-1320 or bonsecoursspiritualcenter.org. Wednesday, April 4 Singing stars The sixth annual Maryland Senior Idol competition takes place at 1 p.m. at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, 15200 Annapolis Road.

It's just a small patch of grass between the Toys `R' Us parking lot and Putty Hill Avenue, but it glows in the night like the outfield at Camden Yards. "You think that's bright enough?" asks Gretchen Sarkin, pointing above the green strip toward a pole with about 4,000 watts worth of light bulbs. "You see spots. You can read your watch it's so bright." The lights in the Towson Place parking lot - described as the aurora borealis of Baltimore County by one government official - have brought complaints from Sarkin and her Loch Raven Village neighbors since the shopping center was renovated a couple of years ago. The debate has helped to sweep the county into a growing nationwide movement against "light pollution."

The small communities off of the Providence Road corridor from the Baltimore Beltway to Loch Raven Drive in Baltimore County will be changed forever with the upcoming plan to have a mega-church purchase a "mini" church presently existing inside of our quiet neighborhoods. These communities of Chatterleigh, Hampton Gardens, Glen Ellen, Roxleigh and Pineleigh are quiet, fairly rural and have streets with no sidewalks, countless trees and only a two-lane road leading to and from the peace and quiet.

The Maryland Science Center is looking for at least 1,500 sets of eyeballs -- people willing to step outside and count stars in the constellation Orion. Organizers of the experiment hope to gather enough star counts from around the state to assemble a "light-pollution map," revealing where Marylanders can still see the night sky, and where it's disappearing in the glare of poorly designed urban lighting. It's not a stunt on behalf of a tiny band of backyard astronomers. Organizers say the project -- called "Enlighten Maryland" -- is designed to involve students in real science, and to awaken the public to an issue that affects their safety and their pocketbooks.

Eldersburg residents concerned about noise and light pollution from a proposed drive-in theater plan to express their concerns tomorrow at a public hearing before the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals. Residents have invited a noise-control specialist from the Maryland Department of the Environment to bolster their arguments when the zoning appeals board resumes a hearing that began last month. "We will be on hand to answer questions of a technical nature and offer opinions as to noise levels," said George Harman, an MDE noise program specialist.

What if they had a meteor shower and no one could see it through the light pollution?Some lessons should be learned from the Vincent Foster tragedy. None will be.Any league that calls a Baltimore club the Rhinos will pick the wrong cities for expansion.

The small communities off of the Providence Road corridor from the Baltimore Beltway to Loch Raven Drive in Baltimore County will be changed forever with the upcoming plan to have a mega-church purchase a "mini" church presently existing inside of our quiet neighborhoods. These communities of Chatterleigh, Hampton Gardens, Glen Ellen, Roxleigh and Pineleigh are quiet, fairly rural and have streets with no sidewalks, countless trees and only a two-lane road leading to and from the peace and quiet.

TO THE UNTUTORED EYE, the newly discovered Comet Hyakutake is the star that looks drunk on a cloudless night. It is a smudge when real stars are sharp. It changes its place from night to night and from hour to hour. It wasn't there, and then it was, and soon it will be gone.No Hubble or other fabled telescope or university consortium discovered this brightest of comets. Yuji Hyakutake, a dedicated amateur with equipment more powerful than most individuals have, did. Then, as word spread and the world peered, he had trouble seeing it again because his viewing mountain in Japan remained cloud-shrouded.

The state's plan to shine 10 powerful spotlight beams from the crown of the 28-story World Trade Center is drawing fire from astronomers, bird lovers and others who would rather see the sky get dark at night.Michael A. Hall, president of the Baltimore Astronomical Society, told the Maryland Port Commission yesterday that "light pollution" from the $341,000 project will swamp the sky for amateur astronomers like him and "steal stars from every man, woman and child" within the likely 10-mile range of the beams.

A Baltimore County Circuit Court judge Thursday refused to order the lights dimmed at a Bowleys Quarters Royal Farms store, despite arguments that they were interfering with operation of the nearby Bengies Drive-In Theatre. Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel contends that light from the store bleeds over onto his property and is distracting to some customers watching movies from their cars. Although a zoning hearing officer had found in 2003 that an adequate buffer needed to be installed between the store and drive-in to keep such light encroachment to a minimum, Judge Kathleen Cox ruled that enforcement of that ruling was up to the county's Department of Permits & Development Management, which has said the Royal Farms store's lights are not in violation of the county zoning code.

The Maryland Science Center is looking for at least 1,500 sets of eyeballs -- people willing to step outside and count stars in the constellation Orion. Organizers of the experiment hope to gather enough star counts from around the state to assemble a "light-pollution map," revealing where Marylanders can still see the night sky, and where it's disappearing in the glare of poorly designed urban lighting. It's not a stunt on behalf of a tiny band of backyard astronomers. Organizers say the project -- called "Enlighten Maryland" -- is designed to involve students in real science, and to awaken the public to an issue that affects their safety and their pocketbooks.

Howard County's fire and police chiefs and public works director made their case for construction of the county's first Public Safety Training Facility with prospective neighbors, firefighters and police officers at a community meeting last night. And people with homes near the Alpha Ridge Landfill near Marriottsville - proposed home of the facility - shared worries about the possible noise and light pollution and traffic snarls. The project could cost as much as $10 million and take about five years to complete, said county Public Works Director James M. Irvin.

Eldersburg residents concerned about noise and light pollution from a proposed drive-in theater plan to express their concerns tomorrow at a public hearing before the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals. Residents have invited a noise-control specialist from the Maryland Department of the Environment to bolster their arguments when the zoning appeals board resumes a hearing that began last month. "We will be on hand to answer questions of a technical nature and offer opinions as to noise levels," said George Harman, an MDE noise program specialist.

Eldersburg residents concerned about noise and light pollution from a proposed drive-in theater plan to express their concerns tomorrow at a public hearing before the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals. Residents have invited a noise-control specialist from the Maryland Department of the Environment to bolster their arguments when the zoning appeals board resumes a hearing that began last month. "We will be on hand to answer questions of a technical nature and offer opinions as to noise levels," said George Harman, an MDE noise program specialist.

Despite a national decline in the once-pervasive outdoor movie theater, an Eldersburg man is seeking permission to turn a hilly plot in Carroll County into the nation's first digital drive-in, a proposal that has angered neighboring property owners. The proposed theater, which would be called Bumpers Drive-In Theatre and would have two screens, is believed to be the first effort to construct a drive-in in Maryland in decades, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.

The Maryland Port Administration is going ahead with installation of a dramatic new lighting system for the top of the World Trade Center downtown, despite complaints that it will increase "light pollution" and may threaten migrating birds.The plans call for 10 narrow beams of bluish-white xenon light to be aimed at the horizon from atop the 28-story office tower. The building is owned by the Port Administration.Construction of the $341,000 lighting system has already begun and a full-scale test is likely sometime next week.

Eldersburg residents concerned about noise and light pollution from a proposed drive-in theater plan to express their concerns tomorrow at a public hearing before the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals. Residents have invited a noise-control specialist from the Maryland Department of the Environment to bolster their arguments when the zoning appeals board resumes a hearing that began last month. "We will be on hand to answer questions of a technical nature and offer opinions as to noise levels," said George Harman, an MDE noise program specialist.

It's just a small patch of grass between the Toys `R' Us parking lot and Putty Hill Avenue, but it glows in the night like the outfield at Camden Yards. "You think that's bright enough?" asks Gretchen Sarkin, pointing above the green strip toward a pole with about 4,000 watts worth of light bulbs. "You see spots. You can read your watch it's so bright." The lights in the Towson Place parking lot - described as the aurora borealis of Baltimore County by one government official - have brought complaints from Sarkin and her Loch Raven Village neighbors since the shopping center was renovated a couple of years ago. The debate has helped to sweep the county into a growing nationwide movement against "light pollution."

Planning to wish on a falling star? It could make a lot of difference where you are -- particularly the next two nights.The Leonids are coming.The annual meteor shower from the constellation Leo reaches the peak of its 33 1/4 -year cycle tomorrow, and heading away from city lights is the intention of local sky-watchers hoping to see hundreds or even thousands of shooting stars.Some plan to camp out tonight and tomorrow -- starting at midnight, when the head of the lion (resembling a backward question mark)