TAAS Raffle, 1995

 

GNTO was broken into in 1995 and items were stolen and the building vandalized. To recoup some of our losses we raffled off a 12.5" f/7 Dobsonian telescope built by our own Mike Pendley. Tickets were $2.00 each and the drawing was be held December 9th at our Society potluck dinner. We raised over $1200 for the Observatory Break-In Fund. Many thanks to all of you who helped sell raffle tickets. Mr. D. vanWestrienen WON the TELESCOPE!!!!! Somewhat (though not completely) amusing was the most recent theft from the GNTO. To add insult to injury someone stole our roofless outhouse at the site. A new outhouse has now been built to replace the old, and we hope that we have made it as theft and vandalism proof as possible.

Sometime late August 11 or early August 12, 1996, The General Nathan Twining Observatory was broken into (again!). Tire tracks indicate two vehicles were used, one being a four wheel drive. The thieves used a power grinder to weaken the door hinges and the four wheel drive vehicle to pull the door out of the wall. After the last break in, SOP called for everything of value (except the telescope) to be packed out. Fortunately, the thieves did not damage the telescope. The loss was limited to a few chairs and extension cords.