The Region - News from March 28, 1986

A unique deep-space observatory at Borrego Springs that monitors radio waves from the edge of time in search of unidentified celestial objects is about to go out of business, for want of a worldly $400,000. Astronomers at the 25-year-old Clark Lake Radio Observatory say they are angered by the news because the facility’s observers have made significant discoveries in advancing not only man’s knowledge of the universe but, in more practical applications, improving military over-the-horizon radar systems. “To shut down this observatory would be a crime because there’s absolutely nothing else like this in the world that can do anything near what this one can do,” said M.J. (Mike) Mahoney, resident director of the observatory. The facility’s owner, the University of Maryland, notified Mahoney that because of cutbacks by the National Science Foundation there will be no money to operate the observatory beyond April 26.