Thursday, April 11, 2024
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Volume 10, Issue YY
Now that was totality amazing! Owen MacMillan The Community Guide
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Thousands flocked here to see the eclipse in the path of totality, the narrow track stretching from Texas to Maine that we were in, where the total solar eclipse was visible. Outside the path, there was a partial eclipse.
AVON LAKE — As a false night descended across the horizon in every direction at 3:13 p.m., it sounded as though the roughly 3,000 people in Avon Lake Memorial Stadium had taken off on the descent of a roller coaster. Onlookers screamed or cheered, some laughed and a few cried. After three minutes and 54 seconds, the crowd broke out again, this time in raucous cheers and applause, as the “Great North American Eclipse” of April 8 passed and the sun returned on Monday. Though the experience lasted less than four minutes, those who viewed it said the feeling would be with them for a lifetime. “That was the coolest thing I have seen in my entire life,” Cindy Walker, who traveled to Avon Lake from Minneapolis, said. “… I didn’t realize how beautiful it would be, it took my breath away. It was like rings, your phone couldn’t even capture it. You literally have to see it because I can’t even explain it. It was emotional.” The feeling may need to last a lifetime for many, as the next total solar eclipse to grace the U.S. will not be until 2044, while Ohio will not have another until 2099 and Lorain County will not again be in the path of totality until 2444. Totality is the stage at which the moon completely blocks out the sun and the
A DARK DAY FOR A WHITE WEDDING
See THOUSANDS, A2
There were no problems
3 ‘I do’s are timed for totality
It went on without a hitch Dave O’Brien The Community Guide
Lauren Hoffman The Community Guide
WELLINGTON — It started with the temperature change. A slight breeze blew over the Solarfest guests at the Lorain County Fairgrounds on Monday. “Do you take your fiance to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Around them, the sky slowly darkened despite it being the middle of the afternoon. “I do.” Above them, a sliver of the sun remained. “And do you take your fiancée to be your lawfully wedded wife?” A last burst of sunlight before a ring appeared in the sky. “I do.” Cheers erupted throughout the fairgrounds as the moment of totality hit. Meanwhile, newlyweds Katelynn Masters and Daniel Lashley beamed. “I am originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, and when we were looking for an event to go to we were looking at northern Ohio and found this fair,” Masters said. “Well, while we were looking through the flyer I saw that they had an opportunity for a marriage ceremony and so we kind of looked at each other and said, ‘Should we do it?’ and he said,
sun’s corona, its colorful outer atmosphere, is visible. Suzie Dills, director of the HooverPrice Planetarium in Canton, served as the event’s guide to the eclipse, walking attendees through the process they were about to experience and instructing them on what to do. Dills said she has explained the process hundreds of times but no amount of knowledge or explanation could have prepared her for her first in-person viewing of a total eclipse, an experience she shared with most of the attendees on Monday. “It is so hard to put into words,” she said. “All we do is show slides and pictures, and talk about it, talk about it, you know, this is what’s gonna happen. But to be in that moment is unbelievable. Dills described the beauty of the “diamond ring” that occurs as the sun is fully eclipsed and it turns instantly to a twilight feeling but again said the phenomenon cannot be wholly explained with words or even photos. She said that the fact the sky was clear enough to clearly see the eclipse, as well as Venus and Jupiter appearing in the sky during it, was a blessing. “As astronomy educators, we have been talking about this thing for the last two years and just getting people psyched for
LAUREN HOFFMAN / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Three couples, Matthew Jackson and Michelle Jameson of Wellington, Daniel Lashley and Katelynn Masters of Alliance and Justin and Tiffany Saya of Florida, all said
‘Why not?’ and it’s been a whirlwind ever since.” The couple has been together for over a year having met at a factory job in Alliance, Ohio. While both have already experienced one eclipse, Masters said this one is extra special. “I mean getting married is already a once-in-a-lifetime event, many people say, but to get it done while a solar eclipse is happening really seals the deal,” she said. “Hopefully, this is the start of something extra special for us both. A chance to settle down, build a house with some land and have another kid or two.” The Lashleys and two other couples, Michelle Jameson and Matthew Jackson and Justin and Tiffany Saya, all took the plunge, marrying during the moment of totality Monday at Solarfest. Jeff Shelton, a retired Wellington Police lieutenant, officiated the ceremony. Shelton said he has been officiating weddings for 15 years, but Monday was his first time during an eclipse.
“It’s a really neat idea,” Shelton said. “I know our three couples are very excited.” While the Lashleys and the Jacksons were saying their “I dos” for the first time, the Sayas took the option to renew their vows. “We are originally from the Tampa area and came out here to enjoy the eclipse,” Justin Saya said. “When I saw they were doing a marriage ceremony and were inviting people to get married and/or renew their vows we said, ‘Why not, let’s do it.’” Justin and Tiffany were joined by their children: 9-year-old Emberson, 16-yearold Justin and 14-year-old Isabella. The opportunity was also unique for Michelle Jameson and Matthew Jackson, albeit a little nerve-wracking. “We were actually supposed to get married tomorrow by the mayor of Wellington but Matthew was talking to him and he told us about the opportunity to get married here so we looked at each other and said ‘Why not?’”
Eclipse 2024 passed over Lorain County with fewer-than-expected visitors and no hiccups, emergency management officials, first responders and local officials said. Dave Freeman, director of the Lorain County Emergency Management Agency, reported no problems or issues in the county. And the weather cooperated, with good views despite fears of cloud cover or bad weather. “It was very, very quiet, which was a good thing for us … The eclipse was beautiful, there were just not as many people as expected” coming to Lorain County to see it, he said. Traffic appeared to clear out quickly once totality was over, said Freeman, whose agency was watching the crowds at several locations with drones and tracking traffic using the Ohio Department of Transportation’s OHGO traffic monitoring system. He said he saw a Montana license plate on Monday. Other eclipse tourists came from as far away as California, Colorado, Florida and New Jersey, based on license plates seen in the area. Freeman said he didn’t know if there would ever be an accurate count for eclipse tourism to Lorain County, though he said he would reach out to organizers of planned events and see how many people signed up at each location. Mostly clear skies and warmer temperatures may have brought more people out to enjoy the day, Freeman said. Most schools and government buildings were closed or on reduced hours.
INSIDE THIS WEEK Amherst
Marching band gets new director. A3
Oberlin
City expands free transit. A5
Wellington
Public meets supt. candidates. A4
SPORTS A6 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8