I had volunteered in the Credit Astronomy courses at Edison
Community College since 1979.  (I graduated from North Fort
Myers High School in 1982) I originally assisted Professor Ed.
Kulakowski or “K” as he was affectionately known by students. I
worked with K to his retirement in 1983. Our Observatory at the
Fort Myers Campus was named the Kulakowski Observatory in
1984 in K's honor. The Observatory construction and outfitting at
Fort Myers was originally coordinated by Ed. Kulakowski. The
telescope at the Fort Myers campus is a 12.5" f/15 Newtonian
reflector built by former Fort Myers resident Sam Graf and his son
who were involved in the early "Fort Myers Astronomy Club"
which pre-dates the present club in Fort Myers.

1985 - 1986 found me on scaffolding riveting the new planetarium
Dome together and being involved in the then "Planetarium
Project"  (see my Resume for details. ) I worked for the
Planetarium  from 1986 to 1991.  We did not have the best
Director at that time.  His wife for a time served as Planetarium
Manager, it was overall not a good scene.  He could write Grants,
but he was a pompous man.  Many times his wife would pull me out
of a show and ask me "why aren't you talking to me"  See my
resume for my duties.

I was still in High School when I started going to the Fort Myers
campus in 1979. I became a regular assistant on class nights
helping out with the instructor's labs. The Fort Myers Astronomy
Department worked with many community groups, we were based
out of Edison Community College's Astronomy Dept. As such,
several times during the year K and we assistants would visit the
Girl Scout Camp on the Peace River where we would give
astronomy presentations. This was my first exposure to large
groups of several hundred people. After awhile K would send me
off with a slide projector to the old original Fort Myers Public
Library periodically to do Astronomy Presentations. At that time in
history, Brian Risley was the Senior Volunteer at the Observatory
in Fort Myers at ECC and he was also involved with the local
Astronomy Club which is how I later became involved with them.
Eventually I managed the Club's Newsletter and PR with one of the
founding members, Dave Brown, who also taught the Adult Non-
Credit Astronomy course. Brian is still in Fort Myers working as a
computer engineer.

I became involved in the South West Florida Astronomical Society
(SWFAS) in Fort Myers. We had cozy monthly meetings, remote
observing sessions, bar-b-ques etc.. From there I became involved
in the then Fort Myers Continuing Education astronomy course
(Now referred to as Adult Education) through another SWFAS
member and friend - Dave Brown.  Once a week I would go to
campus with Dave and help him out in class with the observing
portion of his course. This involved setting up and taking down the
8" Celestrons and finding objects for his classes to observe. After
Dave retired from teaching, John Missall, another Astronomy Club
member and friend took over the adult astronomy course. After
John retired from doing the course (I was by now teaching the
College For kid’s astronomy courses) in the late 80's, I took a call
from the Fort Myers Campus. The CE Dept wanted me to take over
the adult course. I told them I had only worked with children in the
College For Kids programs whereby the ladies in the CE Dept
assured me, that adults were only "bigger kids."  On a historical
note, prior to Dave Brown instructing the CE Astronomy course at
the Fort Myers Campus, it was managed by a gentleman named
Matt Ballantine who was a friend of my late father.

The Senior Volunteers at the Fort Myers Campus, when Instructor
Chuck (Charles) O'Neill came on board in the early 80's as the
new Astronomy/Geology Instructor, taking Kulakowski's place
after his retirement, were comprised of James Moore, Pete Myers
and myself. James Moore was a long time astronomy Volunteer at
the Fort Myers Campus. Jim had an observatory in Punta Gorda
Isles that housed his 14" Celestron. Jim was a great person and
fun to work with. Very knowledgeable. Sometimes Mrs. Moore
would come up and watch us all scurry around with the equipment
and the students. Pete Myers was another a long time assistant
and student there at ECC Fort Myers. Together we kept everything
running smoothly.

As assistants to the Professor we would train new astronomy
"assistants" from each semester’s pool of Astronomy students. The
way it worked was the students who successfully passed the first
exam could qualify to be assistants. They would still however be
responsible for completing all their tests in addition to assisting in
the labs.  Pete and I were involved in taking Chuck's Geology Lab
students on the Peace River to search for fossils on Geology Field
Trips. Imagine taking 30 or more students, many who had never
been in a canoe, on a long journey down the Peace River. On our
trips we would not only hunt for fossils but also provide a natural
history lesson of the area. One trip covered 23 miles downriver.  
This was easy for Chuck and therefore easy for us - you paddled
and moved or you were left behind in the dark.  Chuck was a
Marine Colonel. You paddled long and hard under his direction.  
Somehow I usually ended up in the front of his canoe doing all the
paddling while Chuck steered a bit.  

Dr. Charles O'Neill, James Moore, Pete Myers and I provided later
input into the design of what is now known as James and Barbara
Moore Observatory under the direction of their Dr. Yarger who
was Provost at the Punta Gorda Campus of ECC.  Around 1997,
after Chuck and Jim had passed away from illnesses I found myself
in limbo. I had ceased going up to the Fort Myers campus to assist
in the credited course there. It was not the same without Chuck,
Jim and Pete it was just too difficult to go up there and work
(Volunteer) without their presence.  There was a definite void.  
Pete Myers went off to Gainesville to complete his studies. When I
stopped going up to the campus other assistants that worked with
me also ceased attending. From 1995 to 1997 I managed my CE
astronomy courses at Fort Myers ECC and that was all I did. But
now another challenge faced me - the sky had become too light
polluted at Fort Myers campus for my class to use the equipment or
see the constellations. The growth of the city was swallowing us
up and that was long before the buildup that is presently around
the campus.  

The growth of Fort Myers eventually swallowed up the Fort Myers
campus with city light pollution. What had once been dark was now
made bright by shopping centers and housing developments. A
generation of people would be growing up having never seen the
stars... To get around this and survive I had to modify my CE
classes. I began taking my classes out to Lehigh Acres to observe
through my personal astronomical equipment under dark Lehigh
skies. I used my 8" SCT and a 17.5" f/4.5 reflector. The routine
was to meet at “RJ Gators” on Colonial for dinner and then carpool
out to our remote site in Lehigh for late night observing on dark of
the moon nights. The rest of the time we met in my classroom as
usual. It worked really well and everyone had a great time.

Sometime in 1997 I was at home when I received a call from the
Fort Myers Campus. "Call the Charlotte Campus and ask for Ed
Smith" so I called and we arranged a meeting at the campus. Ed
Smith was the recipient of the "Charles O'Neill Endowed Chair in
Astronomy". When I pulled into the campus from Airport Road I got
my first look at what I had only seen in blue prints years earlier
with Chuck Jim and Pete at the Fort Myers Campus.  We would sit
in the small eqpt. Room there or in Chuck’s office and go over “the
plans”… The Observatory now was finished, on a new dark sky
campus and when I walked up to it, it had the Moore's name on it.
It was absolutely gorgeous.   But again, it is very different for me
to walk in there, and up the stairs and not have the company or
knowledge that Chuck was bringing his class up  or that Jim had
beat me there to open up the dome.

What ever happened to Pete Myers you are wondering?.  Pete now
works up in North Carolina for a major company as an Engineer.  
He is still doing astronomy.  I am often asked "what degree do you
have?” I have been looking up at the sky since I was 8yrs old.
However I'm Dyslexic with my main deficit being Dyscalculia   I
was not able to attend College and go on to a University for the
obvious reasons. You see at the time I was going to school here in
S.W. Florida the schools I went to were not working with students
like myself (as they do now). Instead they would place you in a
"learning disabled" class and there you sat quite literally while the
world, or in my case universe, went by. I don't mind not having "a
degree" as I'm doing essentially what I would be doing anyway! -
teaching astronomy and helping people to see the stars, moon and
planets.  

Remember, I was in High School when I first started going up to
the Fort Myers Campus of Edison Community College. It was
Instructors like Ed Kulakowski who encouraged me to, "come back
next Wednesday night". Even giving me astronomy text books and
allowing me to sit in on credit astronomy classes. ECC was the best
thing that could have happened to me. It kept me busy and out of
depression. It and the staff I met provided me with encouragement
that I had not received elsewhere. I ultimately came to the
conclusion that you do not have to BE a "rocket scientist" in order
to convey your interest in the night sky and the treasures it holds
to others. I strongly encourage anyone with a learning disability to
NOT give up or give in.  And don’t let some “system” or
bureaucracy eat you up or your children for they may surely try.


** KULAKOWSKI   OBSERVATORY    UPDATE  CLOSURE**

2007

I went to see a play with a friend at the Barbara Mann Performing
Arts Hall which resides on the Campus of ECC.  Of course I had to
pop in the Kulakowski Observatory and see if it all looked the
same.  There was apparently a lot of construction going on
downstairs.  When we took the elevator up to the 3rd flood, where
the Observatory was,  I saw that the fencing was down to the
roof.  I thought, gee this is dangerous, you can walk right off the
roof.  So I e-mailed the campus.  I just had a bad feeling.  
Something that had been rumored happening long ago was still in
the back of my mind as a possibility of happening.

To my later grief, I received a standard boiler plate letter in return
04-05-2007

""Hello Ms. Jacobson,
Thank you so much for your interest in our observatory.  As you
point out, light intrusion on the Lee Campus has led to the closing
of the observatory.  We plan to relocate the observatory
equipment to our Charlotte Campus.
Thank you,
XXXX
Edison College, Office of Information & Recruitment""


So this is it I thought.  The final closure of the facility.  The place I
came to visit each evening and work with my old friends and
associates Jim Moore, Chuck O'Neill, Pete Myers, Brian Risley,
Dave Brown, John Missall  and countless others who all came
together under the sky to learn and to teach.   Luckily an
Observatory or a Planetarium does not close too often in the US.  
But every time one does close, we stand to loose.  I am told that
some of the equipment will be sent to Moore Observatory in Punta
Gorda.




















CLOSED.  Wow...  I need to go back up and get more images.
Some SW FL Astronomy history
James and Barbara Moore
Observatory.  Punta Gorda
Campus of ECC
Observing the Sun in H-alpha at the Kulakowski
Observatory at ECC, Fort Myers Campus.  Yes
that's me with our C12 and C14  SCTs. The C14
was brought in by James Moore.  Below Photo of
James Moore.  Moore Observatory is named for
both he and his wife.
On the Peace River with "K" at the
old GS Camp Chanyatah.  Photo
contributed by John Missall
What you see in this old
picture has now been
CLOSED.  Read further
down.
Above the Charlotte (Punta Gorda) campus
Observatory James and Barbara Moore Observatory
made possible by gifts from the Moores.  
Observatory facility planned by Provost at the time,
Dr. Richard Yarger, Dr. Charles O'Neill, James
Moore, Pete Myers and myself.  The Astronomy
Chair was named in honor of Dr. Charles O'Neill.

Dr. Yarger was instrumental in developing the
Edison Community College Charlotte campus.
Yarger, who served as the college provost for
nearly 20 years retired in October of 2002.  I
remember when the Charlotte Campus consisted of
a small strip mall where classes were held.  In 1984
his dream of a satellite campus of ECC started to
become the reality that you can see today.

JAMES AND BARBARA MOORE Observing Schedule:
To visit the website click here


Please scroll down for more web pages
I am often asked, how I become involved in Astronomy.  This should
answer those questions.  

I have included South West Florida Astronomy history links on the
Right of this page.  I cover the NASA STADAN Tracking Station and
the little known Porter Garden Telescope.
Top image:  TV Crew interviews Dr.
O'Neill prior to a Lunar Eclipse, as
seen from the rooftop walkway of the
Kulakowski Observatory.
I am in front, sitting, in red shirt and
straw hat.  To the right is Dr O'Neill in
blue shirt.  Behind him in a red hat is
Jim Moore.

Image shot from the sweltering rooftop
of the Science building prior to solar
eclipse.
External websites  on Astronomy and other popular
topics.  Hit your back button to return to this site.

How to Choose a Telescope
Astronomy Magazine
Sky and Telescope
Celestron International
Meade International

Bigfoot - UFOs - Ghost?  
Recommended links.
UFO Evidence.org
CIA FOIA Documents via the CIA site
Peter Davenport NUFORC

Florida ghost hunters, paranormal investigators,
investigations, rants & more are located here.

Report Bigfoot Sightings HERE

OR if you have Questions, SW FL sightings,  E-mail
the Astronomy Gal.  I collect local stories!
Pages in Progress:
Additional Fort Myers Florida Astronomy History
pages I have written up:

Fort Myers Florida NASA  STADAN Station.  Bell
Tower & Daniels Road.  More local Astronomy
History I bet you didn't know about!  
c1958 - 1972  click here.

My Vegetable Gardening info
The image above is of my friend James
Moore.

Pete Myers designed all of our piers
above.  Where are you now Pete ?  
Call or write me.