Letter to the Editor - J.A. and Janice Engram

To the Editor:

When was the last time you saw the Milky Way?

Half a century ago, when I was a kid visiting Grapeland, I enjoyed seeing all the stars and the Milky Way. They haven’t gone anywhere, they’re still up there. They’re just harder to see now because there are more lights in and around Grapeland. Though we still have a more starry night sky than Houston, where I’m from for example, we can do much better controlling what has come to be known as light pollution.

Nighttime lighting is important, but if property owners were careful to use no more lighting than necessary, employ visors and aim their lights carefully, they could save money in the long run and restore the natural night sky that is our heritage. A building that is carefully illuminated with directed lighting is far more pleasing to the eye than a big, glaring light visible a mile away.

Yes, I know that I am an outsider, not from around here, didn’t graduate from high school here. On the other hand, it means that I look at Grapeland with fresh eyes. What I see is a lovely, small town, far from the noise, grit and glare of Dallas and Houston, with the potential to be a Dark Sky destination.

Do a web search for “dark sky”, “light pollution,” or “starry nights” to find out more about preserving the heavens. Let’s strive to make that old standard, taught to me at my Memama’s knee, ring true once more: “The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.”

Starley “Mac” McGuyre