History

of the

ROCKLAND ASTRONOMY CLUB

By

Tom Massey

 

 

The Early Years

 

 

The newspapers ran headlines so large you could read them a mile away.  People were very upset and concerned.   The cold war was raging and the average citizen wondered what was happening.  There were reports that amateur radio operators could hear signals from space.  It was October 4, 1957 and our arch rivals, the Russians had placed an object in orbit around our planet, a feat thought by some to be impossible. But, they did it first.  The age of space exploration had begun.  People began to look up and wonder what was up there.  Groups formed to go out on clear nights and watch the sky for Sputnik to pass overhead.  It was exciting but it also had ominous potential to further disrupt the political relations between the United States and Russia.  It was a boon to some telescope companies who rushed to manufacture and market little satellite telescopes, tabletop instruments that could be used to spot satellites overhead.  Teams of observers were organized to participate in this activity.

 

However, for a small group of sky watchers in Rockland County, NY it was a chance to gather together to look for satellites and at the same time, observe the heavens and the objects that could be seen within it, with real telescopes.  It was now 1958.

 

Two names have surfaced as being early members of the group:  Dick Gregorik and Fred Goldsmith. Fred was associated with the Amateur Astronomers Association of NY and was President from June 1964 to June 1966.  Dick was active with the club through the late 1980s when a health issue decreased his participation.

 

We don’t know all their names but we do know they were out there looking.  They banded together and became bonded by the common interest in the sky.  They did not form a formal alliance but they did, at every opportunity, get together to observe and discuss astronomy, space and telescopes.  Thus, the beginnings of a local astronomy club were forged.

 

 

Articles headlining Public observing sessions began appearing in local newspapers,

telling all who may be interested about observing the universe.  “Joy of the Universe”

was coined as a catch phrase to get people interested in learning about the sky

Courtesy Al Nagler.

 

Through chance meetings of these individual people and their social relations emerged an opportunity to involve others.  These relationships were on a local level as well as a national level.  Since the 1920s when Russell Porter started the “amateur telescope convention” in  Springfield, Vermont, amateur astronomers have been making their own telescopes and fabricating their own optics.  Scientific American magazine had published all the articles concerning amateur telescope making by Porter and others. The articles were compiled and edited by Albert Ingalls into three volumes that were widely read.  It was Russell Porter and the Springfield Telescope Makers who began the annual Stellafane Convention in Vermont where “amateurs” gathered to show off their wares and discuss the subject.  Amateur telescope making was a big part of amateur astronomy in the 1950s and 1960s and Stellafane was THE place to go every year to display your optical and mechanical prowess.

 

The following description of the three volumes mentioned above was excerpted from the current description on the internet:

First, some history about how the Amateur Telescope Making books came to be. In the early 1920s a naturally curious fellow, Albert Ingalls, happened to read an article in an obscure magazine by an even more curious fellow, Russell Porter. The article was about the "Poor Man's" telescope and told the story of how a group of Vermont villagers built their own reflecting telescopes. It was to be a fateful event because Albert Ingalls was an editor of Scientific American magazine and telescope making was about to gain a much larger audience through America's preeminent science magazine. Ingalls and Porter would, during the next 30 years, create and inspire from others a body of literature that would eventually span a three-volume set of books.

The three volume set is still being published today, Amateur Telescope Making, Books I,II,III.

Many people are surprised when they find out that the optics for a 6 or 8 inch Newtonian reflecting telescope can be made by hand using the simplest of tools and materials. Since the invention of the telescope about 400 years ago, telescope making has always had an amateur component. Some amateur telescope makers were fascinated by the process itself, while others (like the great observer of the night sky, William Herschel) became amateur telescope makers as a means to their ultimate objective of exploration.

 

 

Although there was a fraternal relationship between amateur astronomers located in Rockland County during the 1960s, a real club had not yet been formed and “members” were scattered about the area.

 

Dick Gregorik, who passed away in 2008, at the age of 64, was a close friend of Edwin Hirsch, and was instrumental in starting a club in 1969 according to a newspaper article titled “ Lonely Astronomers Unite” which featured Dick and Al Nagler.  Just prior, in 1968,  Ed Hirsch, a professional photographer, and Al Nagler, a fellow amateur astronomer, met for the first time.  Edwin Hirsch lived in Tomkins Cove, NY. near Al Nagler, who had moved to Rockland County from NYC in 1966.  Both had photographed a total lunar eclipse and both had their pictures published in Sky and Telescope magazine.  They forged a friendship during their first meeting.  “Eddie” as he was affectionately called, also had an observatory attached to his house that included a 14” Celestron telescope.  His passion was solar observing.  In 1973, Eddie became a founding member of “Astronomy Island” along with Bob Little of Criterion Telescopes,  Fred Hess of the Hayden Planetarium, Craig Small and others. They sponsored cruises to Bermuda and observed with the Bermuda Astronomical  Society under pristine dark skies. Al Nagler went a few times and fondly recalls dining with Isaac Asimov, who gave incredible lectures on the trip.

 

 By 1977, Eddie became a telescope equipment dealer and advertised his products in Sky and Telescope magazine. The ads included “filtergrams” of his solar images.  A few years later he became one of the first dealers for Al’s new Tele Vue company.

 

Edwin Hiesch and Alan Green

Look over an observing list at Lake Sebago

In Harriman State Park, NY

Photo courtesy Joe Folmer

Ed Hirsch, c. 1984, capped with his

Famous red beret, poses next to what

Appears to be a Clark Refractor set up

For a public Joy of the Universe

Session at Lake Sebago, NY

 

 

Sometime in 1980, a high school student named Michael Gordy, who was also a fledgling amateur astronomer, had an idea to form a more focused group.  He advertised in a library bulletin that he wanted to form a club to be called  the Rockland Astronomical Society. Meetings were held at 2 schools including “Green Meadow” ( Some years later, Al Nagler and Allan Green checked out the school’s observatory which had an 8” Springfield mounted telescope. The eyepiece end had a small sliding drawer in the optical path.  When Al asked what the drawer was for he was told that they were trying to see if starlight would affect the growth of seeds placed in the drawer.).

 

 It was from these school meetings that the two became close friends. When Michael Gordy had  to leave for college, Allan offered to host meetings at his home in Pearl River. The club would now be known as the Rockland Astronomy Club.  The word “Society” was dropped since it sounded a bit “stuffy”.

 

Edwin Hirsch referred many of his customers to the Rockland Astronomy Club and Allan Green.  Al Nagler was very busy establishing his new company, TeleVue Optics, as the premier manufacturer of sophisticated telescope eyepieces.  His first eyepiece was introduced in 1980 and production tested  in his home, as Al explained.  TeleVue’s web page exclaims, “.Al Nagler begins design on telescopes and eyepieces for fellow amateur astronomers”.. ( See TeleVue Optics, About TeleVue at

http://www.televue.com/engine/page.asp?cat=8)

 

With Alan Green at the helm, membership in the club grew, due in no small part from referrals from “Eddie” Edwin Hirsch.  Local amateur astronomers purchased much of their equipment from him and he referred them to the club.  Meanwhile, Allan Green was forging a relationship with the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.  Allan wanted to bring astronomy to the public by offering to hold public star parties each month during the warmer months (and not so warmer months) at Bear Mountain and the Perkins Drive lookout for viewing the Perseids, and also a lunar eclipse. In return the park would receive good publicity and so it did.

Portrait of Alan Green taken at Harriman Observatory c. 1990.

Alan was very excited about reactivating and using the 24”

Cassegrain telescope .  Photo by Tom Massey

 

 

One of Rockland Astronomy Club’s longtime members, Joe Folmer, explains, “ There were literally thousands of people there and it was a madhouse.  I had to walk from a quarter of a mile away and lug my new C8 to the top of the hill.  While there I met Al Nagler and Allan Green.  Al Nagler took a look through my telescope and asked me who collimated it, since it was so good”.  I said, “I did”. Al was impressed.

 

Perkins Drive was soon found to be not the best place for public observing so other sites were used in the park.  Silvermine Ski area was the most popular and Lake Sebago was used for the monthly observing sessions with the public.  Al Nagler suggested calling these sessions “Joy of the Universe” and they truly were. (The book Joy of Sex was pretty popular at that time)  The club purchased a 17” Coulter reflector, named it “Homer” and brought it to many observing sessions in the park for both members and the public to use.  The park advertised these sessions and Allan placed notices in the local newspaper.  Often, Al Nagler would bring prototype equipment to these events just to see how they would be received by the amateur community.

 

In addition to public outreach, Alan Green was also interested in travel.  He purchased an RV in the early 1980s and took it to the Stellafane Convention in Vermont and the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys.  Other members followed him.  At many of these events there would be upwards of 15 RAC members attending, representing the club. Len and Audrey Salvatore, long time members of RAC have attended every one since its inception 25 years ago.  Allan also invited his closest friends to his Windham, NY, dark sky, get-a-way on clear weekends.  If you were lucky enough to go there, the skies were a far cry from light polluted southern NY and NJ.  While there he would often dabble with his Schmidt camera.  He was intrigued by these instruments and had some fine photo specimens to show for the laborious work involved to capture them.  Mike Kitt, a lunar specialist, Marge Melanson, Bill Thys, Joe Folmer, Larry Westby, Selwyn Malin and Al Nagler had great times at Allan’s NY retreat. Allan started a small business building fiberglas body Dobsonians called “Safari Telescopes” and always had one handy for retreat observing.

 

In August of 1984, club activities were featured in a NY Times article with a photo in Eddie’s observatory which included Dick Gregorik, Ed Hirsch, Al Nagler Allan Green, Joe Folmer, Larry Westby and Bob Slone, another solar enthusiast (who designed the club logo, and lead trips to Hawaii for the 1991 solar eclipse, and a reprise trip to Bermuda). Allan was a bit of a practical joker: The NY Times dutifully reported Allan’s tale about “The Polaris Alignment Society, a group concerned with the North Star and telescope alignment.”

 

Allan reached a milestone in diversion, when, along with Al and Judi Nagler and Bob Slone, they cooked up the 1989 club dinner presentation. Unable to get a real NASA speaker, they wrote a script and prepared a slide show for a hired actress to address the club as Vilma Chardas, of Vilnius, Lithuania. Ostensibly in charge of NASA’s office of liaison to amateur activities, she told of upcoming NASA missions, including the “food from space program to drop food to starving peoples” and NASA programs of “paranormal science research”. Of course, a few people giggled  at the acronym of another  NASA “program” – the “Super High Infrared Telelescope.” All of this was of course “performance art” with an increasing crescendo of “baloney” to see when the act would “blow”.  Most people didn’t clue-in until the end when Judi Nagler thanked Vilma, on behalf of Nancy Reagan, the founder of NASA,- the “National Association of Space Astrologers.” No one there will ever forget this once-in-a-lifetime performance ruse.

 

RAC was, by design, an observing club.  There were no business meetings and no officialdom.  There were social gatherings at Allan’s home and the Joy of the Universe sessions and the star party travels. Members were allowed access to observing sites in Harriman State Park whenever they wished.  Alan referred to his club post as a “Benevolent Anarchy” and everyone was happy with the idea.

 

Bill Thys, long time member, recalls Allan and the Halley’s Comet trip to Australia in 1986.  Bill joined the club in 1983.  Alan, through a travel agent acquaintance, arranged for a trip to see the comet apparition in the southern hemisphere. Bill recalls the trip today as if it was yesterday and recounts that many club members were fortunate to go along.  Allan went back to Australia, I believe, two more times following the original trip and before he moved to New Mexico. Bill recalls that Allan was a very kind and generous person who often offered his own equipment for others to use indefinitely. Everyone seems to have the same impression.  He handed Bill an eyepiece one day and said, “here, you will probably use this more than I will.”

 

Len and Audrey Salvatore recall joining the club at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in the very early 1980s that was attended by Allan Green.  Allan, apparently made the rounds of community meetings advertising the club and its activities.

 

1985-Present-. Recollections by Tom Massey:

 

Halley’s Comet got me going on amateur astronomy once again, as my main pastime hobby.  After a long stint with amateur radio I decided it was time to devote all my hobby time to astronomy. All of a sudden, the apparition of this famous comet was upon us, starting in 1986 after a long trip around the sun that took 76 years.  This would be a great time to get really involved again.  I had been a member of the Montclair Telescope  club since I was 14 years old but needed a geographically closer club

 

But, things had changed drastically in amateur astronomy in 20+ years.  Now, we had real eyepieces, courtesy of  TeleVue Optics and Al Nagler, whom I had never heard of.  Back in 1958 just about the only place to buy eyepieces was Edmund Scientific.  They had Ramsdens, Huygens, Kellners and Orthoscopics.  A Brandon eyepiece would set you back $16 and that was a lot.  There was a revolution happening with telescope eyepieces.

 

And so, I sought to find a club to augment my keen interest.  At the time, Sky and Telescope published lists of clubs throughout the United States and I found The Rockland Astronomy Club in Pearl River, NY,  in 1985.  A telephone call produced an official looking application by mail and noted that the club held public observing sessions at Harriman State Park, just over the NJ/NY border from my home in Bergen County. Years before, most observing sessions were conducted in members’ back yards and travel to a dark sky site was not even thought of.  The northern NJ skies of the 1950s and early 1960s were not so light polluted and one could actually see 4th or 5th magnitude stars from many locations.

 

So, at the first opportunity, it was off to Harriman State Park to meet the Rockland Astronomy Club.  What a pleasant experience this was.  Lake Sebago was the perfect venue for the “public” sessions.  And, as many as 30 or more telescopes were set up before dusk,  by club members. There were telescopes of all sorts.  There was a large grassy area in front of the Lake Sebago building complex. The public arrived and joined in the fun of observing the heavens.  It was an educational experience and a challenge for the members to locate and observe many of the skies wonders. The adults and kids loved it and to Allan Green’s pleasure, many could not easily believe what they were seeing in the many eyepieces.  Signs were posted in prominent places along Seven Lakes Dr. with the words  “Joy of the Universe” for visitors to locate the site.

 

Allan Green, the club’s leader, was soft spoken and very interested in what would be called today, public outreach.  His relationship with the Palisades Park Commission allowed the Rockland Astronomy Club to not only hold public sessions on a monthly basis but to also allow “private” sessions for members of the club, at the darker Silvermine Ski area, a few miles away.  So, in return for popularizing the park facilities with the public, the club benefitted.

 

 

Bob Slone (deceased) and Al Nagler share a look at the

Ha Sun.  Bob was an avid solar observer, one of very

Few lucky amateurs to possess a Daystar Filter. He

Shared his love of viewing the sun with his fellow club

Members as well as lots of interested non-amateur

Astronomers.  Photo courtesy Joe Folmer

 

 

Silvermine, part of Harriman State Park, was an observer’s dream.  The area had been a working ski slope for public use but at some point, was abandoned as a ski slope and used as a park only.  There was a large parking lot (still is) and a hill to the south that tended to block light pollution from NYC and NJ.  On occasion 5th and 6th magnitude stars could be seen and it was a fairly short ride from the suburbs of NY and NJ.  This was ideal for Comet Halley and was regularly used for casual observing at anytime.  It had a heated building that was wonderful in the dead of winter,

to avoid frostbite.  Often, we would have ten or more observers and we also held some special public observing sessions there for meteor showers. Al Nagler would often bring new products to test on unsuspecting members.

 

Allan Green was a professional cinematographer and was also interested in astrophotography using a Schmidt Camera.  As previously mentioned, he was a soft spoken, kind and generous person who willingly shared both his knowledge and equipment.  He maintained a giant 17” Dob for the club that was often seen at public star parties.

 

During my first visit to Lake Sebago I met and became friendly with many fellow amateurs that to this day, I am still close to and cherish those times.  As they say, not in any particular order. I quickly befriended Alan, Joe Folmer, Bill Thys, Len and Audrey Salvatore, Mike Kitt, Selwyn Malin, Al Nagler and others.

 

 

Rockland Community College also provided a venue for talks and educational meetings periodically.  All this kept the active members very busy.  There was more.

 

Allan Green, in addition to being head of the club, also liked to entertain his entourage at his own home.  He would say something like, “ If you are not doing anything, stop by the house on New Year’s Eve”.  Well, he must have said that to a lot of folks because a lot of people who were doing nothing showed up at his house for New Year’s Eve.  And, it was a great time too.  He did this for several years and in the summer had at least three such “parties” (usually Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day) to which many members attended.  It really kept the club going and provided a venue to talk astronomy.

 

Besides the trip to Australia there was a trip to the western US for a tour of observatories.  These trips, organized by Allan, were attended by several members.

 

One of my favorite trips, and there were several, was to Bear Mountain Inn at Christmas time.  Allan had arranged to set up our telescopes on the “green” at the Inn, which was not green but snow covered and cold.  But, it was beautiful, with the Christmas lights, blustery weather and the giant fire indoors when the cold got you.  We observed planets and the moon and presented them to the public. There was a core group of “followers” who always showed up, regardless of the cold.

 

During the Halley comet apparition, many special events were held at Silvermine.  One such event, after Alan had made arrangements to advertise the event on television, drew 2000 people and required traffic control on Seven Lakes Dr. in the park.  It was bedlam but everyone in the long lines got a chance to see the comet even though it was dismally small, a little puffball.  But everyone wanted to see it no matter how unimpressive it was.

 

During one of Allan’s New Years gatherings at his home in Pearl River, there appeared a rather young women with a young child, a friend invited by another guest.  She was present at a few of these meetings.  Allan Green, having divorced years before announced at some time around 1989 that he had decided to move and was re-locating to New Mexico.  He also planned to marry the young lady with whom he had fallen in love.  They were married unceremoniously at some point and Allan did move to New Mexico, to a home he had built in the mountains outside of Albuquerque.

 

But before he left the area he had one more thing up his sleeve.  The Northeast Astronomy Forum and Telescope Show had its beginnings on his watch.  The first two were presented at the Rockland Community College in the hallway outside the theater with perhaps a half dozen exhibitors.  Al Nagler and Allan Green had attended an astronomy expo in Connecticut  given by Bob Rinaldi of New England Astro, one of Al’s dealers a year or two before 1990.  Alan had an idea to have a similar event at RCC.  (Al told him no one would come to Rockland for such a major event, but Allan proved him wrong)  And when Allan moved, there was someone else out there, waiting in the wings with their eye on moving the club forward in Allan’s absence.

 

One evening in 1988, I received a telephone call from Don Urban, whom I did not know at the time.  Don told me he was interested in joining the Rockland Astronomy Club and had been given my number by Alan Green, for more information.  Don was also interested in the membership and where were the meetings were held?  I explained to Don that the club was mainly an observing group and had no regular meetings except special events occasionally and public observing sessions in Harriman State Park.  Don was surprised at this.  He had recently re-kindled his interest in amateur astronomy while camping in the Berkshires Hills of Massachusetts, his former boyhood summer residence.

 

Don contacted Allan and arranged for a meeting.  Don, being computer oriented, offered to assist Allan with club matters to organize the membership roles.  This was just the right moment for Alan since he planned to re-locate in New Mexico.

Don Urban, of Closter, NJ, advertising his

NEAF T-shirt, unselfishly and faithfully

Conducted the club for more than 14

Years.  He also founded the Summer

Star Party in the Berkshires of Massachusetts

Amd contributed to many worthy amateur

Clubs and organizations.  He also

Continued and nourished the Joy of

The Universe public sessions.  He remains a

Member, now living in Illinois. 

 

 

 

And so it happened that when Allan moved, Don stepped into his shoes and began his organizing of the club on his terms.  His agenda was somewhat different.  He was interested in increasing the membership of the club and interested in structured meetings and more member communications.  To this end, more meetings were scheduled at Rockland Community College and a relationship was forged with North Rockland High School, that housed a very nice planetarium that was also used for meetings. At the same time the club was somewhat involved with Harriman Observatory (see a previous issue of Distant Light) .  This venue was also used for several club meetings and observing sessions.

 

At some point Harriman Park sites were no longer available for casual use. - only special events were allowed. So

a new observing site was obtained at Lake Waywayanda in New Milford, NJ.

 

The new site had an open lot with 360 degree horizons and the club obtained insurance (a requirement).  In addition, the PIP allowed use of the Anthony Wayne parking lot along the parkway in NY, for special public events.  Generally, the public sessions at Lake Sebago and Silvermine were suspended and gone were the Christmastime sessions at Bear Mountain Inn.  However, the club membership grew.  NEAF, now an annual event, moved to the Holiday Inn in Suffern, NY and became more popular under Don’s direction and organization.

 

  Joe Folmer, joined RAC in the early 1980s and quickly befriended

Al Nagler, and the rest of the group, becoming one of the clubs most avid observers.

Notice the caption under the picture identifying Joe as Al.  This picture

Appeared in one of the many news articles about the club and its

Activities. 

 

 

Perhaps to make up for the loss of some observing areas Don decided it was time to start a “Star Party” of his own.  He had visited the Winter Star Party in the Florida Keys with Allan Green on two occasions and liked the idea of the extended star party vacation.  What better place than Shady Pines Campground in Savoy, MA.  And so, in 1990 during the month of July, five club members decided to try it out.  Don had his travel trailer set up on a green field surrounded by evergreens.  When it got dark, the sky was ablaze with stars from horizon to horizon, with the Milky Way riding high and bright overhead.  We were not used  to this. It was so clear that individual constellations were not easily seen.  This was, without a doubt, a great observing location only 3.5 hours from the NY/NJ area.  During the day there were ample things to see and do in the area and above all, it was an escape from the hustle and bustle of suburban and city life and lights.  Thus, the Summer Star Party was born.  Don scheduled it for July or August every year and arranged with the camp owners to provide food and campsites to club members and anyone who wished to attend.  The SSP always coincided with the Stellafane Convention.

 

The Summer Star Party and Camping Vacation was now a regular annual event, and grew and grew each year.  Attendance swelled to over 200 adults and children..  Along with the SSP, NEAF grew by leaps and bounds as well.  NEAF became so popular that it was necessary to move back to the college.  Only now it would be a much larger venue and would be held in the Field House rather than the hallway.

 

A club dinner was arranged each year, planetarium shows were held at Clarkstown  High School, talks at RCC, NEAF, SSP and the continuing public observing sessions.  And Don Urban shouldered all this responsibility pretty much himself, with some assistance from a few club members.  He enjoyed doing it but it was becoming somewhat of a burden after more than 10 years. Like Allan Green, Don loved to promote the hobby and he did so in many ways.  He attended many star parties and advertised the RAC functions.  NEAF had been so successful that the club made several donations to other clubs and organizations such as the Astronomical League, Stellafane, United Astronomy Clubs of NJ and Arunah Hill in Massachusetts and the Winter Star Party.  The club even provided subscriptions to Sky and Telescope magazine to local libraries and provided funding for an Astronomical League award for at least two years.  Don received recognition for his achievements on several occasions over the years and became a friend to many in the amateur astronomy community.  He and I became good friends and attended many events together.

 

 

The Stellafane Telescope Convention in VT. each August became a

Favorite trip for many club members. Here, Bill Thys shows off his

Home made star tracker that he planned to take with him

To photograph Halley’s Comet in 1986. and did just that.  

Photo courtesy Joe Folmer.

 

In the late 1990s or perhaps in 2000, Don solicited help to make decisions regarding all these activities and wanted to form what was called an “Advisory Committee”.  The committee would be composed of interested club members who were willing to shoulder some of the responsibility regarding club decisions and in particular, disposition of club funding for all the activities in which the club was involved.  Meanwhile, once an advisory committee was formed, it had a place to meet on a regular basis.  Ed Siemens relationship with the Challenger Center on Rt. 59 proved helpful in providing a permanent meeting place for the committee to meet each month.  Don Urban stayed on as chair and his responsibilities and duties were divided among the members of the committee.  Decisions that had been made by Don alone were now open for discussion and action by the committee.  This arrangement worked well.  The major events of the club would now be chaired by several individuals.

 

Even more club involvement in the community, and in particular, with the Challenger Center, has filled an important gap for public outreach and astronomy education.  NEAF, now chaired by Alan Traino, has risen to a world class event attracting thousands to the annual event.  And, the Summer Star Party, chaired by Jose Alvira continues its popularity.  Other members have pitched in to shoulder various responsibilities such as the annual dinner, (Frank Bifulco), the club newsletter, (Angela Yanette)

 

One member of the committee in the late 1990s (Mies Hora ) volunteered to continue the production of a club newsletter.  Previously a club newsletter had been distributed by Don. A new publication named Distant Light was professionally produced, published and distributed via email containing timely articles and club related news.  Mies did an outstanding job in this regard, for several years until personal commitments necessitated his handing the reins over to the current club newsletter editor, Angela Yanette.  Ed Siemens currently chairs the advisory committee and has increased the club’s public awareness by conducting programs for youngsters, in cooperation  with the Challenger Center and continuing the public observing sessions at the Anthony Wayne site.

 

In forming the Advisory Committee Don Urban was free to step aside from the workload of the club.  Perhaps unconsciously, he knew he would soon retire and leave the area, in the early 2000s, for a new life in Illinois, close to his family, who had moved there several years before.  He had achieved his goal of leaving the club functions in capable hands and with the success of NEAF and SSP, had ensured the financial success of the club as well.

 

Members have contributed much to the club’s activities.  A lecture series, spearheaded by Keith Murdoch, has proved popular.  Jim Burnell organized and produced the Northeast Amateur Imaging Conference in conjunction with NEAF and held two days prior to NEAF.  Mark Hettinger took over the duties of the treasury and Bill Thys took on membership responsibilities.  Frank Bifulco chairs the club dinner and Alan Traino is the chief NEAF organizer.  Len and Audrey Salvatore volunteered to be the club librarian and Bernie Sokolowski handles the clubs inventory of loaner telescopes.  Angela Yanette took on the club newsletter continuing to produce a top notch monthly publication.  Bob Godfrey oversees the Solar Star Party at NEAF every year.  There are many other contributors to club activities. Al Nagler, of TeleVue Optics, has provided valuable insight and direction in club matters.  More recently, Bob Moore (Advisory Committee) announced that his young daughter Caroline had discovered a supernova in a far distant galaxy.  She is the youngest person to have ever done so.

 

I re-located to Florida after retirement in early 2002.  However, I cherish my continued relationship with the club and with my good friends that I have made for life, by being associated with the Rockland Astronomy Club.

 

At the conclusion of the February 2009 Winter Star Party the club was congratulated, and awarded a plaque honoring its outstanding Outreach Program

 

In this, The International Year of Astronomy, congratulations and Happy Birthday to RAC..  The enthusiasm and dedication of its members ensures the continued success of the club in the 21st century.

 

I wish to thank those that contributed to the documentation of the history of the club:  Joe Folmer, Al Nagler, Len and Audrey Salvatore, Bill Thys. I have been associated with the club for more than half its existence and consider it a privilege to be a member with such a wonderful association with all my good friends and fellow members.  Thanks for the memories. 

 

And a salute to those that contributed so much to the club, but have unfortunately passed on; Allan Green, Dick Gregorik, Ed Hirsch, Selwyn Malin, and Bob Slone.

 

May the purpose, spirit and fraternalism of the Rockland Astronomy Club live on for at least another 50 years?  Think about the technological advances that will be available then.  The possibilities are not even imaginable. 

 

Postscript:  This article was written in 2009.  In 2010 RAC sponsored a bigger and better Northeast Astronomy Forum and Telescope Show that attracted upwards of 5000 visitors including an Imaging Conference.