He wants to construct a small building in Gulley Park to house the telescope to be visited by schools and scouting groups. The telescope currently is housed on private land.
Blazey appeared before the county commissioners Tuesday to request financial assistance in raising the approximately $56,000 to construct an observatory building.
The commissioners turned down a proposed plan to contribute matching funds, but said they would reconsider the matter if raising funds became an issue.
“I believe the geeky community in Warren County is very substantial,” said Commissioner Dave Young. “I think the level of private support you can find for this will be very high.”
Young suggested the committee sell bricks and pledged he would pay $1,000 of his own money to buy a brick if such a program came to fruition.
Walt Davis of the Warren County Area Progress Council, who is working with Blazey, said they were trying to raise enough money to be able to build by the fall.
Blazey said Gulley Park, near Fort Ancient on Middleboro Road in Washington Twp., is the darkest sky available in Warren County, offering a rare patch of relatively light-free viewing in Cincinnati suburbs.
“The observatory would bring scientific sophistication to Warren County,” Blazey said. “We have one of the few dark skies left in the Cincinnati Area.”
The proposed 660-square-foot observatory building would have a retractable roof to open for star gazing.
Blazey said he had already formed a Warren County Astronomical Society to assist in operating the observatory.
>Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.
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