Safety At The Farash Center

Please observe the following important safety information from past site director Bob McGovern:

  • If you are alone at the site, consider closing the gate behind you after you enter.  We have had a couple of cases where strangers see the open gate and viewed it as an invitation to use as the place for a lover’s lane or party place.  It’s an uncomfortable feeling to have it happen to you so, either just swing the gate closed or close it and lock it up if it makes you feel better.  Day or night, it is a good practice, IMO.
  • Have a cell phone with you in case of emergency.  If you call 911 from Ionia, ask the dispatcher to patch you through to the 911 center in Canandaigua and give your address as 8355 County Road 14, Ionia, NY 14475.  Even though Ionia and Canandaigua are both in Ontario County, Ionia is much closer to the 911 center in Livingston County.  You should put the Canandaigua dispatcher number below in you phone book list.

Emergencies of all types:  585-394-4560 for the Canandaigua, Ontario Co. dispatcher.  Call 911 also but you get Livingston dispatcher.  Explain where you are and maybe have them patch you through to Canandaigua dispatcher.

  • Do not drink the tap water at the observatory.  Use the bottled water from the water cooler, pop stored in the refrigerator or bring you own.  I hope to investigate getting a small, under the counter, water purification unit in the near future.
  • Mosquitoes rule the place this time of year so bring repellent or use that found in the upstairs restroom. DO NOT SPRAY ANYTHING AROUND THE OBSERVATORIES OR TELESCOPES THAT ARE SET UP OUTSIDE  AS THE MIST DRIFTS AND CAN DAMAGE THE OPTICS OF THESE DEVICES!
  • IF YOU ENTER THE WOODS OR USE THE HIKING TRAILS, SPRAY YOUR CLOTHING WITH A REPELLENT CONTAINING DEET.  THE PROPERTY IS OVERRUN WITH DEER, SOME OF WHICH MAY CARRY THE LYME DISEASE TICK.
  • We hope to store our propane tanks that are used for the grill and the gasoline cans used for the mowers in the small shed on the SE edge of the lawn.  Your current site key will give you access to the garage where that key is stored.  When you are in the garage, the key is on a carabiner hanging on a nail on the right side of the overhead door.  Please return it when you’re finished.
  • Until your eyes are fully dark adapted, it’s pretty easy to accidentally walk into other people’s equipment or trip over their power cords.  Move around the area slowly and perhaps carry a small red flashlight pointing downward.  For visitors who don’t yet have such a flashlight, please feel free to BORROW one for the evening from the LOANERS hanging in the library.  Thanks to Nick Lamendola for putting this stuff together!
  • If you are using one of the observatories and there is a power outage, the observatory roofs and domes can be closed manually or power from your car batter and an inverter.  Power cords can be found in the basement and the inverter is stored in the under counter cabinet in the Cave building.  The converter would be close to the car with the 110V power cord run to the building’s motor.  This will work for the following observatories that use 110V motor drives:  Big Dob Building (Wolk Observatory 20″ building), Solar building, Farash Observatory (Big Dome, motors on the observing deck) and the new 10′ Ash Dome going up in the very near future.  The Cave observatory has a 220V motor drive so the drive cable must be manually disconnected and the roof pushed shut.  See the building’s operation manual for details.  The other buildings must be closed manually.
  • If you do not plan on staying late, park in the lower field facing the woods (south) or lower on the driveway facing down hill so you won’t interfere with those observing.
  • Drive slowly when the the observatory grounds as a lot of stone dust is spread around and collects on equipment.  Deer are plentiful again this year and are out during the hours that we are so drive home slowly! A number of us have killed one already so it can easily happen to anyone.
  • If you are mowing or doing other work at the site, find someone to be with you as a safety precaution.
  • Please report any dangerous situation that you see at the site as well as any issues with equipment, etc. as soon as possible.  Thanks much,  Bob McGovern  585-315-1850.

Updated list of contact numbers :

An updated list of contact numbers is posted on the bulletin board at the site.

The contact list may also be obtained by emailing a request to any board member.