When it's too bright to see the stars at night

To the editor: If you ever drove down Union Corners Road at night in the fall, you’d swear it was 12 noon. The Warwick Town Park installed ball field lights a couple of years ago and has diminished our quality of life. We in the neighborhood want to see the kids have fun and enjoy sports, but why do the lights need to be on when no one is using the soccer field? First of all, it’s disgusting, it’s a gross waste of energy (especially in these times), and it is light trespass. My hobbies are astronomy and astrophotography; with the ball field lights on, the sky is washed out and you can’t see the night sky. Little by little we are loosing our night sky. With all the preservation that is going on in our area, why is THIS overlooked? I didn’t move to this part of town because I like urban sprawl. This area has farms, fields and homes on large lots. My home and property are the largest investment I will ever make; I don’t like to think I made a mistake in my investment. A number of us also started an astronomy club in the area; we do star parties for anyone interested. In the past we have hosted the boy scouts, girl scouts, beginners star parties and local schools. Our hobby is being taken away, the Milky Way is disappearing and it’s the children who will suffer most from this irresponsibility. Joe Stefaniak Warwick