[ATM] Stellafane

["Francis J. O'Reilly" <foreilly@verizon.net>]

To you who missed Stellafane, whether it be due to other gatherings or for other reasons, It was wonderful. 

I arrived on Friday. All hotels in the Springfield area were sold out, however, the Clarion at Castle Point in Cavendish, about the same distance as the Holiday Inn Express from Stellafane, but in the next town over, was available, albeit at a somewhat higher price ($129.00 per night with military discount)

Friday night skies were spectacular, with excellent viewing in spite of the humidity. Many telescopes were available to look through, including some big gun Obsessions, 25 inch, a twenty eight inch and John Vogt's 32 inch.

The informal talks were, well informal, but professionally done. The beginner's program, headed by John Briggs, of the Springfield Telescope Makers and the Clay Center Observatory in Andover Mass was perhaps the most professional treastment of the topics covered imaginable. Geared towards the audience it addresses. John's incredible depth of knowledge shone through in a way that only a dedicated professional educator can.

Saturday morning was the competition. Two minibusses were available to transport people form the lower fields to the Pink Clubhouse. There were five Schupman telescopes, Ross Sackett's telescope was on display, and it won two prizes. There were also a large number of other telescopes including a restored 12.5 inch f/8 scope, the largest newtonian reflector mounted equatorially that I have ever seen. Perhaps the most innovative scope I saw was a reflector on a wooden laminate ball and socket mount, somewhat akin to a salad bowl

The area was staffed with helpful and informative memebrs of the club.

The Springfield Telescope makers had a number of glass blanks out in the Flanders Pavillion including a 27 inch full thickness blank for those who wanted to try to push glass to give it a try. Alot of peopel were there expounding on how to do it. I usually asked how many mirrors they had made before listening too closely to them. The people who made the fewest mirrors had the most to say generally, including one expert who was half way through rough grinding on his first project. The quietest guy there was a gentleman from Maine who worked for Criterion in West Hartford CT for a number of years making mirrors. He stated that he had never made one by hand, but I know that the mirrors he had made, of which I own three, were of the highest quality.

The high point of the technical talks came first at 2:00 with Dick Parker's continuation of last year's lecture on judging mirror quality. I was amazed at how well Dick communicates. Six credits of college junior level physics in just under 45 minutes, and understandable. Some people have the gift of gab. Dick has mastered the science of communication!

Shortly after Dick's lecture, my daughte and I, weary from the prior night's observing, retired to the hotel for a nap. Took a ride through some ajoining towns on the way back to the hotel for some sightseeing. Upon arriving at the hotel, Elizabeth decided that she really wanted to go swimming, and I obliged her. Then we took a nap went for Chinese at the Shanghai Garden and returned just after seven for the evening talks. The keynote speaker spoke on picking martian landing sites. We decided to do some more observing after the awards. Had a good time. Elizabeth kept picking up satellites, which pleased her no end. (Dad, I'm the satellite queen!)

Sunday morning, Mass at St. Mary's around the corner from Hartness House, then on to the ATM museum at Hartness House and back to Stellafane to say goodbye before leaving.

Sore point, The service at most of the restaurants was surly. Not just in Springfield, which was horrible, but also in Ludlow. The shining exception was the Shanghai Garden, which was excellent. Lew who provided the food service at Stellafane has been doing it for too long. He was quite rude and it got to the point where he simply ignored my daughter when she was waiting to pick up her meal that I had ordered for her, not once but twice. I could understand if they were busy at the time, but they were not. I guess I can see why.

Francis J. O'Reilly
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