Hi gents, long time since my last post here. Hope everyone is well.
In Vic I grumbled about the clouds and my work and...ahem...my spouse as the biggest challenge in getting out and observing.
Now, living in Arizona, the weather is pretty good. Sky not as dark as Oz, of course, and the northern sky more or less 'sucks' compared to the southern, but, again...it's workable.
But my standard dark sky site here south of Phoenix is called Vekol Road.
Several weeks ago a deputy came under assault rifle fire from suspected smugglers at o-dark-hundred less than a click from our observing field. He was wounded but returned fire and help arrived in the form of choppers and hundreds of LEOs with automatic weapons.
Our forum chat raised several issues, but since this was apparently isolated and we are all in groups out there, club members have been going to this site for decades, and most of us are armed (admitted lightly compared to smugglers) we figured...okay, let's not jump to conclusions. This is a good site, eh? We're in a large group (minimum 4 cars worth of observers). We'll be fine, they'll see us and steer clear with their bags of dope as they sneak on through the desert....sure, yeah.
Last night two probable smugglers were shot to death again very close to the site. No one was out there (it's mid-week thankfully).
We Arizonans are a fairly tough and slighly 'mad' lot (we like to think at least....probably not as tough as your average Queenslander, but...still!). I will with amusement share the fact that last year during a club outing, after a heated discussion about gun control laws (I was explaining how safe I felt in Oz, but was still against any radical changes to our national gun policy short of a federal-level public referendum!), I spoke up and asked aloud to the dozen or so folks there that night about defense options, there were 3 rifles (ARs) and as many pistols counted in verbal poll. Concealed carry is legal here and one chap had his 1911 pistol under his shirt beside me as clicked through Messier objects. "Snakes" he said when I asked why. Didn't know if he meant reptile or human snakes, and figured it wasn't worth asking about...
But we are NOT that nuts to take on smugglers for the sake of some precious billion-year old photons!
Looks like we'll be finding a new spot!
CHeers from Scott in Phoenix
(formerly Sandringham, Vic)
(email from club president below)
If you have not heard, there were two people shoot and killed in what is believed to be our Vekol Rd area this last weekend.
An Unconfirmed report says that there was an AK47(s) with the victims bodies.
A KTVK news article is referring to this as the “Casa Grande Desert”, but it is the Vekol Rd corridor.
As stated in the article, this is the same area as the Deputy was shot at a few weeks back.
The KTVK article has a video clip of the news report, and some amazing video….
This is serious stuff !!
The bodies were discovered because one of the victims was able to call 911. The GPS on his phone gave the location.
When the SO arrived the next morning, they were found.
The amazing part of the story continues…. (and I must say… this part is unconfirmed, but does match the news story details).
The SO did NOT respond to the 911 call that night. For safety reasons, they were not sending deputies into the area in the darkness.
They did not go in until daylight…. And then only with backup.
I think EVAC and its members should start taking this matter a little more seriously. You NEED to READ the article.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/Identit...-95830999.html
Many of you know that I am retired from DPS. Although not a sworn officer, I do know many from the sworn community.
I have spoken directly with officers that work this specific area, and I have received several warnings not to use that area at this time.
As President of EVAC, I am going to officially take the Vekol Rd location star party off the calendar for the time being.
I will put this matter on the agenda for a Board meeting for further discussion.
I highly recommend that you consider other dark sky sites until such time as this situation calms down…. If ever.I
If you elect to continue using the Vekol site, please use EXTREME CAUTION and make sure someone knows where you are at.
.
Nothing like this here. Wow! Imaging in the wild wild west. 
