The Clovis Astronomy Club uses Ned Houk Park for outreach and during the summer months into the fall, we plan to observe sessions for the public each third Friday of the month. Additionally, our club members will set up out there to increase our observing and equipment skills due to the favorable conditions out there. On good observing nights, the Milky Way is plainly visible even with moonlight flooding the area. This is one of the best areas to observe, not just in our area but many folks around the country would love to have a sight as dark as this one.....But there are growing concerns:
First off, the road conditions in the park are full of huge potholes. This is destructive for small vehicles. These roads need to be re-done completely. Areas, where we set up, have uneven ground making setup of gear obtainable, but not the best.
Second, there's no sense of who owns what area around the park. We see vehicles all through the evening go through the fields near the park. I can live with this, but sometimes the movement of such vehicles makes me nervous.
Overall, the park is a wonderful place to entertain family and friends and it is beautiful. It is a relatively short drive from town and I'm glad there is some distance. If the roads were to be worked, it would be even more awesome. I'm very grateful that this park is available for us in our area. read more