A Monumental Eclipse - April 8th, 2024

The Monumental Eclipse
On Monday, April 8th, a total eclipse of the sun will darken the Lake Erie Islands for about 3 minutes and 30 seconds shortly after 3 p.m. The Monumental Eclipse is a celestial marvel that rarely happens, and if you don’t get to see this one, you’ll have to wait until 2045 for another one in America. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099. The moon’s total blocking of the sun promises a unique midday twilight, by casting its shadow over our island, creating a mystical moment of beauty and wonder.

Everyone is invited to come to Put-in-Bay and witness the eclipse on the lawn at Perry’s Monument, the perfect backdrop for the viewing. This indeed will be a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable day where the sky darkens midday, creating a dusk-like ambiance, and witness the spectacular sight of the eclipse in total totality, a rare and awe-inspiring experience for all ages.

The eclipse also promises to be not only a breathtaking experience, but also an educational opportunity. Learn about the science behind solar eclipses, the history of eclipse observations, and their cultural significance across civilizations.

To ensure your eye safety and give you a clear and safe viewing experience, complimentary eclipse viewing glasses will be available. There will also be commemorative merchandise with special eclipse posters and stickers. These commemorative items will be available for purchase at the event and the visitor’s center.

Many island businesses will be open, so there will be plenty to do and see before and after the eclipse. Plan now to be at Put-in-Bay for the eclipse.

Dealing with the Eclipse
By Anony Muncule
Due to circumstances out of our control, there will be a full solar eclipse that will darken the island on Monday, April 8th. We thought it prudent to put out some tidbits to help get you through it safely.

It’s hard to predict what might happen that weekend and the day of. The islands are expecting a huge surge in people visiting the area. The biggest issues we see coming from this are: 1) Traffic congestion with hundreds of golf carts on our streets and roads; 2) The possibility of cell phone and internet degradation as towers and fiber optic cables offload some users; 3) Lack of traffic control and drinking water for the hordes expected to be on the islands; 4) Cloud cover obscuring the sighting causing people to riot; 5) Fishermen not using their running lights during the eclipse; and 6) Visitors driving golf carts and forgetting to take their dark glasses off after viewing the phenomenon and causing accidents.

We highly recommend not using face time for your cell phone calls. It will be dark and you won’t see anything. Using text messages to communicate during the darkness is encouraged, but not mandatory. When taking photos of the eclipse, use your flash option. Your photos will come out much better. We also suggest you have a powerful flashlight and extra batteries. Running into a stranger in the dark can be terrifying.

Here are some other things to keep in mind for the eclipse: 1) Top off the gas tank in your car or golf cart; 2) Top off extra gas cans, too; 3) Make sure your pantry is full and you have plenty of pet food; 4) Keep all pets inside; 5) Make sure you have at least a week’s supply of any prescription medications and hearing aid batteries; 6) Memorize 911 in case you have an emergency; 7) Protect your property from looters who will be using the dark to their advantage; 8) Have candles and matches on hand; 9) Make sure your will is in order at least a week in advance; 9) Don’t trust anyone passing out bottled water for free; and 10) Don’t applaud until the eclipse is over.

The biggest things to remember: Be Resourceful. If you find yourself panicking as the sun darkens the moon, don’t panic. Just be ready for absolutely anything to happen and hopefully nothing out of the ordinary will. And last, but not least, have fun! This is a once in a lifetime thing! But if you are not fortunate enough to be on the islands for the eclipse, next time you’re on the island, go down in Perry’s Cave and ask them to turn out the lights for about three minutes. It’s a similar experience.

Eclipse Protesters
Two separate groups of “anthelions” have been posting on social media that one of them will be holding a protest march and the other a sit-in on Monday, April 8th, at Put-in-Bay. Apparently, both groups are against anything to do with the solar eclipse that islanders will be experiencing that day.

The protest march group will be free to demonstrate, but will be confined to the parking lot behind the town hall. The other group, those who want to sit-in rather than march, will gather at the ball diamond on Concord Ave. In case of rain, the protestors will gather in the school gym and the sitter-inners will go upstairs in the town hall where there are plenty of chairs.

Both the village police and sheriff officers on the island will be reinforced with additional officers who will come from the mainland to make sure everything is safe and without violence. Deputy Jeremy Arnold told island officials he does not agree with the anthelions, so he has only called for regular sheriff deputies from around the area and not the SWAT teams that were called to the island to handle the situation that got out of hand last July. “These are not violent people, only misguided,” he told the Gazette reporter. Storm, the sheriff’s new police dog, will also be on hand to help with crowd control and howl at the moon as it totally blocks the sun. The other reason security is being beefed up is to guard against migrants sneaking across the border from Canada under the cover of eclipse darkness.

The protest and sit-in will last about 3 minutes and 18 seconds, the same as the total eclipse lasts, but then again who’s counting?

In a random nationwide phone poll interview with those likely to be coming to PIB for the eclipse, only 3% said the sit-in and protest would keep them from coming to PIB to view the once-in-a-lifetime event. And 100% of that 3% also mentioned that being afraid of the dark will factor into their final decision.

Chamber of Commerce director Windy Chambers was happy to announce that the other eclipse events will go on as scheduled and not be canceled due to the anthelions protest marching and sitting in. She added PIB welcomes normal people to the island to see the sun blocking the moon and hopes they will incorporate eclipse myths into their own celebrations of the celestial wonders on April 8th.

And lastly, Neuman Boat Line is also offering a special ticket price to those protesters who come over on the 6 a.m. ferry from Marblehead. They will be able to purchase two one-way, round-trip tickets for the price of three.