I'm happy to report that, no, Karen Hartstein isn't the only one who misses bright stars in the sky or the field by the Wendy exit (Feb. 5 T.O. Acorn letters, "Goodbye and good riddance to Costco").

I was heartened to read her letter and want to say that she speaks for me, too. Our Newbury Park bedroom doesn't get really dark at night anymore, something I particularly noticed after being on a trip and returning home.

Many scientific journals are full of studies- National Geographic, Nov. 1, 2008, for example—showing the large toll that light pollution is taking on wildlife and human populations.

I miss the bright stars and sense of space. I wonder where our priorities are? I'm happy there's a reprieve for this small forest of trees and hope it becomes permanent.

I'm happy to drive a few minutes down the road either way to find a Costco store. Do we really need another huge store here?

What is the real price of the store in noise, traffic, lights, lost trees, displaced elderly? Must we illuminate empty parking lots all night with huge multiple lights?

I sometimes wonder what we would think of our choices if we could see ourselves from a distance and saw what we're doing to our town, not to mention our world. Susan Frye Newbury Park