Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 29, 1994 TAG: 9405310113
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
About five years ago, a visitor to the observatory stumbled against the giant telescope's mount and caused the instrument to topple.
It took a crane to raise the 400-pound instrument from the floor of the observatory dome to the outside. Since then, it has been stored in the Wysor Museum, part of the same building as the observatory, and a smaller telescope on loan from New River Community College has been used.
In April, the Pulaski County School Board agreed to begin negotiating with Honeywell Inc. on developing a system-wide energy management plan. Honeywell specializes in programs to save money on energy costs through such planning.
While visiting school buildings in the system, some Honeywell representatives - who happened to be amateur astronomers - came upon the telescope sitting in the rock and geological museum in the Wysor Building. They volunteered to repair the broken parts.
The observatory may be the first facility of its kind on public school property in the country. At least, Pulaski County educators know of none elsewhere.
``We hope to be the second, when we get our new building constructed,'' said Pat Duncan, director of the nearby Southwest Virginia Governor's School. ``We have an observatory designed in it.''
Rick Fisher, who teaches higher math courses at the Governor's School, has been curator of the Wysor observatory and museum since last October.
He also is interested in astronomy, and has presented programs on the topic at Pulaski County schools and at the Governor's School. He says he's found interest at all levels, including elementary students.
``I just couldn't believe the questions they were asking. They were asking questions that adults ask,'' he said. ``... their hands were constantly shooting up.''
Superintendent Bill Asbury thinks that the obvious interest by young people in space can lead them into other areas such as math and science, areas that could lead to good jobs.
``At an early age, we've got to do more with kids to turn them in that direction,'' Asbury said. ``You've got to have a hook sometimes ... I think this is one of the ways that we can do that.''
The facilities were given to Pulaski County by Wysor, who was born in Dublin in 1888. He was the first Virginia Tech student to graduate with a major in geology in 1910, and went on to become a world traveler and mining engineer.
Dublin Elementary School Principal Wallace Bruce met Wysor several times, when Wysor would visit the campus to see how his facilities were being used. Winsdon Pound was principal at the time and Bruce worked under him.
``He was an amateur astronomer and an amateur photographer,'' Bruce said of Wysor. ``He helped to construct three telescopes, and that is one of them. ... He ground and polished and shaped the lens that is on that table,'' Bruce said, pointing out the thick glass by the telescope.
``He's a fellow that you felt lucky to have met. That's the way he impressed me.''
Wysor donated the money to construct the building, and filled it with mineral specimens from all over the world as well as astronomy photographs which now line its walls. It opened the same year as Dublin Elementary School, in 1969.
Students at the elementary school get to use the facilities when they're studying rocks, astronomy and space.
``You can almost sense [Wysor's] spirit here,'' said Pat Duncan, director of the Governor's School.
She suggested using Fisher's knowledge of astronomy for a summer science program at the Dublin facility. ``We'll be glad to work with anybody from any county to do that,'' she said.
An in-service program for teachers is another possibility, she said.
by CNB