Weber County Commission presents proclamation of International Dark Sky Week
Benjamin Zack, Standard-Examiner file photo
Stars shine over the Northern Wasatch Mountains above North Fork Park in Eden. The park was designated in 2015 as an International Dark Sky Park.OGDEN — The Weber County Commission held its weekly meeting Tuesday, during which Commissioner Jim Harvey gave a presentation declaring April 21-28 as International Dark Sky Week in Weber County.
Endorsed by DarkSky International, the American Astronomical Society and other organizations, International Dark Sky Week is a worldwide event that aims to raise awareness about light pollution while celebrating the beauty of natural night. The annual observance brings into focus the economic and energy-related waste resulting from leaving lights on and the effects of artificial lights on humans, animals and ecosystems.
Ogden Valley’s North Fork Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Place in 2015, a rarity for a park located in such close proximity to an urban center. Other recognized Dark Sky places in the Beehive State include Antelope Island State Park and East Canyon State Park.
“It’s amazing to me; there are a lot of people who come in, who come up there to the valley just to see the stars because it doesn’t have that light pollution that we have on this side of the mountains,” Harvey said.
Held during the week of the new moon, International Dark Sky Week was founded in 2003 by Virginia high school student Jennifer Barlow.
Headlining the approved action items during Tuesday’s meeting was the approval of recommended legacy grants from the county’s Tourism Tax Advisory Board. Fourteen grants were recommended by the board altogether, including $7,500 for the 2026 Triple Crown Fastpitch World Series softball event and $3,000 each for the 17th annual Ogden Music Festival and the Ogden Arts Festival, respectively.
Recommended grants totaled just over $36,000.
Other approved action items include the appointment of Weber County Assessor Jared Preisler to the Multi-County Appraisal Trust, or MCAT, Board and the appointment of Cortney Ryan, formerly of the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, to the Friends of the Fairground Advisory Board.
Among the approved consent items was a settlement agreement in District Court case number 250900941.
The Weber County Commission meets Tuesdays at the Weber Center building. Commission meetings are viewable online via the county’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@webercountyutah/.
