Some Not Pleased By Bright Lights At Mamaroneck High School
MAMARONECK, NY (CBSNewYork) -- Bright lights, little village. It seems that not everyone is cheering about the new synthetic turf athletic field at Mamaroneck High School.
WCBS 880's Sean Adams: Blinded By The Light
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Some residents are complaining that the stadium lights are blinding and invading their homes at night.
Kelly Galvao's hilltop home overlooking Mamaroneck High is being penetrated nightly by beams of light.
"Like spot lights, it's almost like 'Star Wars.' As far as I know what light pollution is, this is light pollution," Galvao told CBS 2's Dave Carlin.
Her husband, Gary, took Carlin inside their kitchen. With every house light off it was still very bright inside.
"It's an invasion of my privacy to know they are going to be on seven days a week almost the whole year," Gary Galvao said.
Added resident Andy Genovese, "Lit up the kitchen. I could do hand puppets, hand puppets. I can still do 'em."
Other neighbors demanded the lights be directed down and the brightness dialed down.
The Mamaroneck School District told Carlin, "We are working with a lighting consultant right now to make adjustments and address neighbor concerns."
The school district spokesperson also said there is a strict curfew for the lighting. The lights are supposed to be turned off at 9 p.m. sharp.
That doesn't satisfy Kelly Galvao.
"Someone will say, well why do you go to bed at 9 o'clock and, hello, someone has to get up at 5 o'clock to go to work," she said.
Kelly Galvao and others are demanding the district get the light off their homes or they may have to get lawyers on the district.
George Markentonis described the glare in his grandmother's kitchen as being like someone holding a flashlight two feet from your face.
"I don't need lights and I can't see in that direction... You look out the window and all you see is the light staring you in the face," Genovese added
"On a weekday, nobody's on the field... They usually turn off by 9-9:15, I think... They're not keeping me up, but it's just annoying," neighbor Sean Martinson said.
The district said that the lights do comply with state regulations.
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