August NYC Events 6/ 7

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branches. Some branches have collection bins for these books.
29,000 rubber bathtub toy ducks (and other animals) were sweeped
off a cargoship in North Pacific on way from China to Seattle WA in
1992. Within a year many washed up on west coasts of US and Canada and
in Hawaii and Alaska.
Since then, a myriad or so escaped thru Bering Strait into Arctic
Ocean, where for several years they were locked in ice. Late in 2002
they floated into Greenland Sea, then branched to Europe and east
coast of Canada and US. By July -- eleven years after the spill! --
the ducks were found in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Oceanographers anticipate that during August 2003 the ducks will
hit shorelines around New York City! If you find one, please document
when and where it was and return it to manufacturer, The First Years,
of Avon MA. It'll reward you with a $100 US Savings Bond for each duck
(or other toy). Details at either phone number.
The Philadelphia Area Space Alliance took a daytrip to the City on
SUnday 20 July to celebrate the moonwalk anniversary. There was no
special program in town; the club took the date to visit the Hayden
Planetarium and adjacent Museum. NYSkier and NSSer John Pazmino
welcomed the group of eight, under Earl and Michelle Bennett, at the
planetarium's gate at 10:00.
They took in the 11:00 spaceshow, did lunch in the food arena, and
then split to see the various halls. One treat were free chocolate
samples at the 4th floor cafe', part of but outside of the new special
'Chocolate' exhibition. By 15:00 most members were full and began to
return home.
The club wants to come back to New York for the August NSS meeting
to hear outgoing president Elaine Walker's show on her trip to the
Devon Island Mars camp.
August sees the partial operation of Secaucus Transfer, Secaucus
NJ. This new rail depot will work on weekends only until the new PATH
at WTC is finished later this year. The station straddles two main
raillines to allow transfer between them. Until Secaucus Transfer, the
lines crossed with no means of interchange.
The station is unusual for being isolated with no outside access
or destinations! Riders can only get off one train and board an other,
altho there are comforts and conveniences within the edifice.
Darksky advocates are going bunkers over a new first-ever
revelation. They (and any one else) can visit Governors Island!! This
1/2 square kilometer dot within musket shot of the Battery was for
almost all of New York history a military base. The final occupant,
the Coast Guard moved out a few years ago and the land was surplused
to the City. What to do with it?
Several plans are in hand but now it's time for you, the
astronomer, to get involved. To assist and promote public involvement,
the City starting in late July is running free tours on Thursdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays at 10:00 and 13:00 thru end of September.
While free, you have to register to get on the boat at the Coast
Guard ferry depot, just east of the Staten Island ferry terminal. Call
the phone or visit the website for further information.
Here is one of the utterly unique chances to make a signature
darksky project! Wisely darksky fans know that, despite the luminous
graffiti ringing the horizon, the sky overhead is amazingly dark when
viewed from the Staten Island ferry. That view lasts only about
fifteen minutes during the ride. The ferry passes Governors Island, a
fabulous prospect for a terra firma urban skywatching base, along with
the other public amenities planned for it.
West Nile virus was found in the City for first time this year in
Willowbrook Park SI on July 17. It quickly spread to the rest of new
York by the 25th and the rain of dead infected birds was underway.

Astro Politics
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June and July 2003 were mad months at Amateur Astronomers
Association since the start of the 2003-2004 season. NYSkies continues
the dialog on the severe troubles of AAA noted in NYC Events for July
2003. Major writings by senior AAAers and Board seatholders are placed
in files area under folder '\AAAStuff'. The '\candidate' folder was
removed and its contents were shifted to AAAStuff.
John Pazmino, victim, and Stew Rorer, witness, on 12 June filed a
complaint for the menacing of Pazmino by Daniel Harrison. After
obtaining copies of the complaint, Rorer, as a favor, mailed it to
the Board members on 10 July 2003. He, by computer process, put on the
envelopes the AAA's, rather than his or Pazmino's, return address.
On June 16th Mike O'Gara cancelled the emergency meeting sine die,
banking off of an out-of-town funeral in John Pazmino's family. On 17
July 2003, after the Board received Rorer's mailing of the menacing
report, he reenstated the session for 28 July. As at 29 July, there
was no news from this meeting; check with NYSkies.
Just before this new meeting, O'Gara was rear-ended by his August
2003 Eyepiece. It repeated the ineptitude of the May issue by listing
wrong dates, the 7th and 21st, for the Recent Astronomy Seminar. The
Seminar meets on August 14th and 28th. It also misses mention of the
Staten Island chapter, continuing a trait starting in the May issue.

NYSkies
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Astronomers are exploiting NYSkies as a quick, handy, friendly,
and potent source of astronomy news relating to the City. And there is

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