Ozona Bank is a long time and very familiar member of the Wimberley Valley neighborhood. It’s also prominently located on Ranch Road 12, Wimberley’s main thoroughfare. So, Ozona Branch Manager Caroline Adams recognized the importance of the bank doing what was needed to contribute to the valley’s hard-won International Dark Sky Community designation. “Myself and others in the bank saw the importance of joining this program,” Adams said. “We thought it was important and a great cause. We were more than happy to make the changes necessary to make this happen.”
Making the improvements needed to protect the valley’s dark skies was not highly costly, but it did entail a focused effort to move all the parts into the right places.
The building’s walls had four large, unshielded lights that allowed unnecessary brightness to project out from the building toward the streets. They replaced those with small, shielded lights, which were mounted lower on the wall. These supply all the light needed to show and protect the building in a way that is kinder and gentler to passersby, yet still highlights and does not add to light pollution.
There were unshielded lights around the ATM, which is important to have lit at night to give users a feeling of security. They moved the lights under the roof of the adjoining structure, which not only gave good illumination for ATM users, but made it easier for them to see what – or who – was around them, because bright light was not in their eyes.
Taking their effort a step further, Ozona contacted Pedernales Electric Cooperative and had it turn off a vapor lamp by the Cypress Creek Bridge. In October, PEC will also be replacing another vapor lamp with new Dark Sky lighting.
The Night Sky Friendly Business Award is a project sponsored by the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce, endorsed by the Hill Country Alliance and awarded by the Wimberley Valley Dark Sky Committee. Now that the changes are made, the bank is finding them beneficial, and appreciated.
“We have had compliments,” Adams said. “We have the stickers on our doors certifying us as a Night Sky Friendly Business. People think it’s wonderful that we’re helping keep our night skies – as well as conserving energy. They think it’s great.”
