Regional News (archive)

2009

  • Nov. 29 — The city of Boston has installed a set of LED-powered streetlights along a walkway on the Boston Common to gauge public reaction to these appearance of these state-of-the-art fixtures. A local lighting designer's critique is here.

  • Nov. 16 — The Keene Sentinel published a front-page story about light pollution in southern New Hamshire. It featured interviews with Stoddard amateur astronomer Fred Ward and NELPAG's Kelly Beatty. (The article requires a paid subscription to view.)

  • Aug. 17 — Officials in Andover, MA, have voted to turn off 626 streetlights, a move estimated to save $47,000 annually. This is about a third of Andover's nearly 1,700 streetlights, most of which are owned by National Grid.

  • Aug. 8 — Outdoor-lighting activists from around New England met Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, to discuss light-pollution issues and strategies. For information, contact organizer Maryann Arrien (arrien (at) optonline.net).

  • July 23 — This weeks crews began pulling the plug on roughly half of the 3,000 streetlights in Milton, MA.

  • July 15 — Today New Hampshire governor John Lynch signed HB 585, legislation that establishes regulations for outdoor lighting in state-funded projects and requires utilities to create "half-night" rates for streetlights that turn off after midnight. New Hampshire joins Connecticut and Maine as the New England states with outdoor-lighting regulations.

  • June 16 — NELPAG member Mario Motta authored the American Medical Association's Resolution 516 concerning outdoor lighting, light pollution, and the effects of glare on night vision. It passed unanimously today.

  • Apr. 28 — Today Governor John Baldacci signed Maine's dark-sky bill, designated HP 6, LD11. Maine becomes the second New England state with outdoor-lighting legislation in force.

  • Apr. 30 — A committee of the New Hampshire Senate favorably reported out HB 585 as "Ought to Pass," setting the stage for approval by the full Senate on May 6th.

  • Apr. 28 — Maine's dark-sky bill, designated HP 6, LD11, won Senate approval today (after House approval on April 16th) and is awaiting signature by Governor John Baldacci, who supports it.

  • Apr. 15 — NELPAG members Mario Motta and Kelly Beatty testified at public hearing on Beacon Hill in support of a quartet of bills to regulate outdoor lighting in Massachusetts.

  • Apr. 10 — Today is the deadline for voicing your opinion about the Model Lighting Ordinance, an effort by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) to create standardized wording for outdoor-lighting regulation.

  • Apr. 3 — Maine Watch, presented by the Maine Public Broadcast Network, highlights issues surrounding light pollution. Host Jennifer Rooks interviews Martha Sheils (the International Dark-Sky Association's section leader in Maine) and Robert Burgess (an active amateur astronomer and a NASA solar-system ambassador).

  • Mar. 28 — After a successful kickoff last fall, "Lights Out Boston" begins its spring program today and runs through May 31st. More than 30 commercial skyscrapers in the city's downtown are will turn off or dim all architectural and internal lighting between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to protect migrating birds.

  • Mar. 24 — The New Hampshire House of Representatives adopted HB 585, the Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Act of 2009, by unanimous voice vote. This "dark skies" bill now goes to the Senate for a committee hearing in late April.

  • Mar. 16 — All NELPAG members are urged to participate in “GLOBE at Night”, which begins this evening and runs through March 28th. Now in its fourth year, “GAN” is essentially a worldwide star-counting activity that anyone can do — no telescopes or optical equipment is needed. You'll use simple sky charts to determine how many stars you can see in the constellation Orion — the fewer stars seen, the worse the light pollution is at your location.

  • Mar. 3 — The first legislative hearing for HB 585 in the New Hampshire Legislature took place before the House Science, Technology and Energy Committees. Committee members heard strong endorsements from NELPAG and IDA, conservation groups, and the Electric Cooperative utility. A subcommittee will now take up the bill for further action.

  • Feb. 24 — Cambridge City Councilor Henrietta Davis held a Health and Environment Committee meeting that brought together community activists, lighting designers, and city officials to discuss problems with existing outdoor lighting and possible pathways for improving it citywide.

  • Feb. 13 — Outdoor-lighting bills have been filed in both the Massachusetts House and Senate. Written by NELPAG council members Mario Motta and Kelly Beatty, the bills have 14 Senate cosponsors and 16 House cosponsors. Details here.

  • Feb. 13 — By a vote of 5-0, selectmen in Groton have voted to turn off 199 of the town's 719 streetlights. The move came after a public hearing at which no one voiced opposition to the plan.

  • Feb. 12 — The Green Mountain State's outdoor-lighting committee met to hear noted lighting expert James Benya discuss the future of outdoor lighting. The group plans to meet again in mid-March.

  • Feb. 5 — The Maine legislature's Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development held a public hearing about a new statewide initiative that would task the State Planning Office with establishing uniform standards designed to limit light pollution.

  • Jan. 22 — HB 585, the "Outdoor Lighting Efficiency Act of 2009," has been filed for consideration by the New Hampshire legislature. Read all about it here, then contact your state rep to support it!

2008

  • Dec. 23 — Residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, got a setback when a judge ruled that time had run out to appeal the erecting of a 58-by-37-foot illuminated "storefront" on a Toyota dealership. But now Portsmouth's Planning Board wants to reexamine the dealer's original application.

  • Nov. 21 — Vermont's Outdoor Lighting Study Committee held its first meeting at the state offices in Montpelier. Members of the Board plan to develop a website and assess existing lighting ordinances. The next meeting will be held in January. For more information, contact coordinator Debra Sachs ( dsachs@10percentchallenge.org ).

  • Nov. 16 — Our Council met to discuss recent progress and plan future activities. Catch up on light-pollution initiatives throughout New England by reading the latest NELPAG Circular here.

  • Nov. 4 — By a vote of 2,270 to 568, residents of Bar Harbor, Maine, enacted outdoor-lighting regulations (Article 13) that should help to preserve the region's beautiful nighttime skies. A front-page article in November 28th's Boston Globe provides details.

  • July 31 — The Massachusetts state legislature ended its two-year session today without taking action on House Bill 808, which would have required fully shielded lighting for state-funded projects.

  • April 28 — The City Manager for Cambridge, MA, has been asked to draw up a plan "to make city outdoor lighting energy efficient and respectful of "dark sky" principles." Contact Councilor Henrietta Davis to voice your support!

  • April 6 — According to an article in the Boston Globe, officials in Shirley, MA, may turn off many of the town's streetlights to help bridge a $600,000 shortfall in the municipal budget. The Town of Winchendon likewise decided to turn off many streetlights beginning in July 2007.

  • Jan. 28 — Connecticut's Department of Public Utility Control issued a ruling that paves the way for "midnight rates" for streetlights. To see the ruling, download the document here and scroll to the streetlighting section on page 133.

2007

  • Dec. 16 — A thorough article on the spread of light pollution throughout Rhode Island and New England appears in the ''Providence Journal''.

  • Nov. 19 — A Union Leader article describes how Waterville Valley, NH, converted to fully shielded streetlights and loves the result.

  • Nov. 18 — House Bill 808 comes before the Massachusetts Legislature's Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy

  • Nov. 12 — The Boston Globe published an editorial, "Hope for a Dimmer Future," urging state politicians to pass outdoor-lighting legislation. See also the supportive Letter to the Editor published on Nov. 14th.

  • Oct. 4 — The Boston Globe publishes "Blinded by the Lights," a feature-length article about the spread of light pollution.

  • June 14 — NELPAG reps led a panel discussion about light pollution at a meeting of the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston.

  • May 27 — The home observatory of Mario Motta, a member of the NELPAG Council, is featured in the Boston Globe.

  • May 1 — The city of Newton, MA, begins replacing all 8,400 of its streetlights with fully shielded, energy-efficient ones.