Dark Skies Over Heber

 The bucolic Heber Valley, home to approximately 30,000 residents, has a building code designed to protect it's clear, dark skies; that code is now under attack. While the citizens enjoy some of the best star-gazing views from their own back yards, and three state parks in the region are in the process of being accredited as "Dark Sky Parks," a force greater that the public is unleashing its attack dogs on the famous dark skies. 

No, it's not the deep state, it's not East coast elitist socialists, not some Hollywood moguls, gay liberals, communists, Antifa or anti-gun activists, its not even a big box retail shopping center.  

It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (which doesn't want to be known as Mormon anymore). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is building a Temple in the Heber Valley, and they have asked the county to change the existing codes regarding upward pointing outdoor lighting; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has submitted a proposed new law that will allow the building to be lit with upward pointing bright lights to showcase the Temple and allow it to be seen for miles during the evening and early morning hours. 

This new Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is being built east of the city boundary on a rise on the horizon, where it can be seen from the entire city and a large part of the Heber Valley. It will become a focal point in the skyline, and using uplights during the evening and early morning will give it great visual prominence in the Heber Valley, which from a business standpoint, is easy to understand. 

All of the other buildings, commercial or private, in the Heber Valley conform to the existing county building code, which is keeping with the rural atmosphere in this mountain valley. The residents seem to like it this way.

Sending the Wasatch County Council a proposed law changing the building codes to benefit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, while destroying the dark skies of this pastoral community, illuminates the excessive hubris of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Kind of like "asking" (telling) the media only to refer to them as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in all references in print or video and not to use the easier to type and say nickname "Mormon". 

Thank you for reading! Your comments are always welcome, please click on the word "comments"  in the white box below and write away!

R.M. "Bob" Hartman