On April 6, the Times published a letter from Ms. Janice Gagner regarding the petition about the lights around Fountain Park.

It is clear from reading her letter that there has not been sufficient explanation to the public of just what the petition asks for. I would like to set the record straight by including the text of the petition here. The petition reads exactly as follows:

“We are in favor of lighting the path around Fountain Lake, but not shining light into the eyes of walkers or onto homes around the lake.

“Prior to the installation of the new path lights, residents and the Town Council were assured that the new lights would illuminate only the path, and not shine up or reflect into the eyes of pedestrians or onto surrounding homes. As anyone can see, they do both. Thus, the Town and taxpayers did not get what we ordered and paid for, our enjoyment of the park is diminished and our dark sky is polluted with light.

“Therefore we, the undersigned residents of and visitors to Fountain Hills, call on the Mayor and Town Council to demand that the companies we hired to design and install the path lights be held responsible for replacing them with truly ‘full cutoff’ fixtures that light only the path, and that this be done without any further cost to the Town. We ask only for what our Town was promised and our tax dollars paid for.”

Ms. Gagner’s statement that “these people who complained do not wish to walk at night” is simply wrong. On five consecutive nights over 200 people signed this petition during their evening walks around the lake. We feel this is an excellent cross-section of the population that matters most, i.e. those who use the path at night.