18/09/2025
In response to pointing out the truth that the Goldendale Observatory State Park's decertification as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International was not due to increasing light pollution, but instead was the failure to meet the night sky conservation education and advocacy requirements for a Dark Sky Park, Jonathan Lewis stated Observatory Administrator Troy Carpenter "supported dark sky initiatives but just not in the way Bob Yoesle wanted."
Examples of Mr. Carpenter's support of the observatory's Dark Sky Park status include stating protecting a dark sky at the observatory is a "low priority because it's a politically charged issue that makes us very unpopular," and that education programs required to be an International Dark Sky Park are "hippy-dippy activism," "pandering to amateur astronomers," and a "waste of money."
Carpenter apparently sees the Observatory the way the Washington State Park's "partner" the Greater Goldendale Area Chamber of Commerce's and its former Director Dana Peck see it - an "asset to leverage... to fill up hotel and restaurant [parking] spaces." Carpenter himself states "tourism is our primary focus," and an International Dark Sky Park status was something that "never should have been pursued."
Washington State Parks stated night sky conservation at the observatory has become a “hot-button issue for the city of Goldendale and Klickitat County." Carpenter stated his boss Lem Pratt wanted the International Dark Sky Park to "go away," and Carpenter thereafter provided inaccurate night sky quality measurements to DarkSky International showing it no longer met Dark Sky Park criteria.
Washington State Parks then required the Friends of Goldendale Observatory to remove all references supporting night sky conservation from its Operating Plan, and stated a dark night sky for the observatory was just a "concept" and "not a part of operating the park." These facts - combined with Carpenter's failures to provide any night sky conservation programs and the obviously false night sky measurements - resulted in the revocation of the International Dark Sky Park designation.
Lewis himself as Vice President of the Greater Goldendale Area Chamber likened the observatory to an “amusement park.” When asked about his interest in astronomy, he replied he had none, and instead stated "my connection has more been from the Chamber, and looking at the tourism. The Chamber sees the Observatory as key to getting people to stay at the hotels."
Not surprisingly, Goldendale’s Chamber is largely funded by hotel occupancy taxes. In 2019–2020, the city awarded thousands of dollars to the Chamber to create an education program on night sky conservation, encourage voluntary lighting code compliance, and pursue a provisional designation as an International Dark Sky Community. None of these goals were met. No education program exists (and why the lighting codes continue to be largely unknown to the public), and the application for a Dark Sky Community status was so inadequate it was rejected outright. There's apparently no accountability by the city of Goldendale for the expenditures of public funds by the Chamber.
Lewis is now a board member of the Friends of Gorge Area Parks, and his letter to the editor continues the ongoing coverup of the real reasons for the observatory's unprecedented decertification as an International Dark Sky Park. This includes Carpenter's unending false statements on his personal Chamber-sponsored website (completely devoid of night sky conservation information or advocacy) such as "Goldendale Washington features beautifully dark skies and the city has taken steps to make them even darker with the installation of full-cutoff and dimmable LED street lamps." This statement is contradicted by actual satellite measurements, and are for the purpose of tourism marketing and Discover Pass sales, not reality.
These attitudes and failures reflect a broader pattern of neglect and misrepresentations, undermining the observatory’s original astronomical observation, education, and scientific mission, and are antithetical to the purpose of its once-prized International Dark Sky Park designation.
Bob Yoesle
Former President of Friends of Goldendale Observatory, observatory volunteer, and life-long amateur astronomer.
