polk county eclipse - ellington...

February 15, 2017Itemizer-Observer

Section C

POLK COUNTY

ECLIPSEPLANNING GUIDE

2C Eclipse Planning Guide Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 15, 2017

TABLE OFCONTENTS

C Table of Contents, Section CreditsPage 3C IntroductionPage 4C Map of the Great American EclipsePage 6C A Blast from the PastPage 7C Making memoriesPage 8C Event roundupPage 9C Capturing the MomentPage 10C NASA @ My LibraryPage 11C Eye safetyPage 12C To rent or not to rent?Page 14C The chase

• Eclipse Planning Guide •Published by the Polk County

Itemizer-Observer 147 SE Court St., P.O. Box 108, Dallas, OR 97338

503-623-2373 • www.polkio.com • On Facebook andTwitter

Emily Mentzer — managing editorHeidi Leppin — ad manager

Lukas Eggen — reporter, photography, layout and designJolene Guzman — reporter, photography, editing

Rachel Best— advertising representativeKaren Sanks — client services, advertising representative

Dawn Ohren — classified line advertising/receptionKathy Huggins and Karyn Pressel — productionContributed photos: Charles Fulco, Dan McGlaun,

Nick Liepins, Elaine Cuyler

Dark Side of the Moon“The Great Eclipse Concert”

Pink Floyd Tribute Band:

Presented by

Sunday, August 20th8 pm - 10 pm

Beer • Wine • FoodFree and Open to Public

Main Street Park AmphitheaterMonmouth, OR

Bring blankets, chairs and yourenthusiasm for good music!

Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 15, 2017 Eclipse Planning Guide 3C

Polk County will be in the path of totality

At 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 21, some-thing extraordinary will begin.That is approximately the time

people in Oregon will be able to see a totalsolar eclipse during the Great AmericanEclipse. In Polk County, the duration willbe a little short of two minutes.

That doesn’t seem like a long time, butask people who have witnessed the rareevent and many will tell it changed theirlives. They have since pursued astronomyas a full-time hobby, written books aboutscience and space, or become “eclipsechasers” who plan vacations around op-portunities to see the phenomenon.

Those people will be coming here,and other places along the path of total-ity, stretching across the country.

Lucky residents of Polk County won’thave to travel far — perhaps only totheir backyard — to experience thewonder. That doesn’t mean you have tostay at home, though.

Cities, businesses and wineries areholding events before and during theeclipse, from concerts, wine tastings,seminars and tours, to weekend-longexcursions ending with viewing of theeclipse on the morning of Aug. 21.

You have the option of sharing yourexperience with hundreds of other peo-ple or finding a quiet hilltop to observein peace and solitude. Act early andyou’ll find your perfect spot.

Whatever your choice, remember afew things: Protect your eyes. Only dur-ing totality — when the sun is com-pletely eclipsed by the moon — is it safeto watch the eclipse without approvedviewing glasses.

Also, in a bit of advice from a Mon-mouth resident David Kasnick, who wit-nessed the total eclipse that could beseen in Oregon and Washington in 1979,remember to take in the spectacle.Don’t spend the entire time taking pho-tos or video of it.

Having those mementos is important,but so is soaking in the once-in-a-life-time experience — another total eclipsewon’t be seen even close to the PacificNorthwest until 2045, so this is youronly chance for a long time to see aunique event without traveling.

“Just enjoy it,” he said. “Don’t distractyourself. There’s going to be a millionpictures of it.”

A TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

The Great American Eclipse will give Polk County residents and visitors a chanceto experience a unique event.

Eclipse DefinitionsBaily’s Beads — the effect of sunlight shining on the moon’s terrain just be-

fore and after totality in a total solar eclipse, creating bright points of light atthe edge of the moon’s disk. Corona — the outer atmosphere of the sun that is visible during a total

eclipse as a white ring around the sun.Diamond ring — A burst of sunlight that shines like a diamond on a ring,

seen right before totality begins and as it ends.First contract —When the partial phase of the eclipse begins.Penumbra — The lighter part of the moon’s shadow. We stand in the moon’s

penumbral shadow during the partial phases of a solar eclipse.Shadow bands — Faint, wavy bands caused by the bending of light in the

Earth’s atmosphere that move across the ground right before and after totality. Totality —When the moon completely blocks the sun from view and casts a

shadow on the Earth. Umbra — the darkest part of the moon’s shadow, seen when the moon com-

pletely obscures the sun during a total solar eclipse.Umbraphile — A person who loves eclipses and will travel anywhere to see

them. Source: “The Big Eclipse” by Nancy Coffelt.


GREAT

AM

ERIC

AN

ECLIP

SE


On Feb. 26, 1979, it was over-cas t in Tigard . Ju l ieJoachims, then still in high

school, went outside to watch thesolar eclipse anyway.

“It was really cloudy that day, so itwasn’t as cool as it could have been,but it was still memorable,”Joachims recalled.

The 1979 eclipse was visible in to-tality in Northern Oregon, SouthernWashington and parts of Idaho,Montana, North Dakota and Cana-da. Totality in the Portland area wasaround 8:15 a.m. and Joachims anda collection of her neighbors experi-enced the eclipse together.

“A lot of people had come to ourbackyard because we had an acre,”she said.

Her neighbor and classmate,Nancy Coffelt, was watching theeclipse in a field next to her house.Coffelt describes herself as “kind of ascience geek,” so the rare event helda fascination for her.

“I know it was a school day, I was a senior in high school,but I don’t remember if I had permission to skip or not,” Cof-felt said.

Overcast skies did take some of the visual spectacle out ofthe eclipse, but Coffelt still was impressed. During an eclipse,as the sky darkens, the temperature drops and animals behaveas if the sun is going down.

“It did get noticeably darker,” she said. “Since it was Febru-ary, it was already kind of chilly, so I don’t remember much ofa temperature drop. But the birds did get quiet. That was verycool. … I remember that it looked like what the sky looked likejust before sunrise — a kind of dark silver.”

She said witnessing the eclipse made a lasting impression. “I was awestruck,” she said. “It changed how I looked at the

world around me — the universe around me,” Coffelt said. “Itsparked a love of space science that included writing aboutspace.”

Coffelt is the author and illustrator of children’s space-themed books, “Dogs in Space,” published in 1993, and the1999 follow-up, “Dogs in Space, the Great Space Doghouse.”

Coffelt teamed up with Elaine Cuyler, self-proclaimed “chiefeclipse officer,” who is educating about and promoting the up-coming Aug. 21 eclipse in the regions of the country on thepath of totality. They published a Coffelt’s third children’s sci-ence book, “The Big Eclipse.”

Joachims is working with Cuyler on promoting the bookand the knowledge of the eclipse, especially to children.

Coffelt is looking forward to seeing the August eclipsefrom a hilltop in her hometown of Baker City, which is onthe path of totality. The stronger possibility of clear skies ineastern Oregon has her eager to see what she missed during

the 1979 eclipse. “I look forward to seeing the sun dis-

appear and the diamond ring effectjust before totality,” she said.

Salem resident Nick Liepins said“Druids” enhanced his viewing experi-ence of the 1979 solar eclipse.

He watched and took photos of theevent in Washington, just across theColumbia River from Biggs. He tookphotos at a Stonehenge replica where apagan group was gathered to watchand celebrate the eclipse.

It was cloudy there just momentsbefore the eclipse. Whether it be co-incidence or spiritual intervention,Liepins said the sky cleared as thegroups chants got louder, and hecould see and photograph theeclipse without cloud cover.

He’ll be watching and taking pic-tures and video on Aug. 21 from hisbackyard observatory, and thought ifthe chants worked once, they mightwork a second time.

“I'm looking around for some ofthem to help with the weather in August,” he said.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Polk County is in the path of totality for the solar eclipse this August.

Nick Liepins captured a photo of the solareclipse from 1979.

Nick Liepins captured a total solar eclipse in 1979.


Organizations, cities and businesses have been meetingfor months — some as early as 2015 — in anticipationof the Great American Eclipse.

The event is a once-in-a-lifetime for many, and certainly forthose living in Polk County.

It gives us a chance to see a rare celestial event literally fromour own backyard.

Because we have such a good view with historically clear skiesfor the date of Aug. 21, chances aregood that we will be joined bymany visitors from around thestate — and the world — to take inthe view. While it’s difficult to im-possible to know how many peoplewill come, Travel Salem has esti-mated tens of thousands oftourists to the Marion-Polk area.

That’s backed up by the fact thatlocal hotels are full or nearly full.They are asking for prepaymentand signed contracts to ensure that

those who book the room will be in the room and not later rentit out for more money.

Continued on Page 8C

MAKINGMEMORIES

CUBANISIMO VINEYARDS1754 Best Road NW, Salem, OR 97304

503-588-1763 • [email protected]

Windermere/Western View Properties

484 NE Bovard Rd - Dallas • 503-623-2333 • www.yolandazuger.com

Trust Experience...Yolanda Zuger 503-580-7031

ABR, GRI, CRS, Broker. [email protected]

15223 Strong Rd, Dallas 2264 sq. ft. home on 4.32 acres! Gated entry,

waterfalls, paved drive, newer roof. Upscale finishes! RV Garage, Nice Barn & pasture.

Insulated/heated Shop with Office & full bath! $675,000 MLS #711394

Perfect Eclipse View!


Continued from Page 7CPolk County vineyards are planning large public and private

parties for the event. Cities are deciding how best to use publicspaces to accommodate tourists the week before the eclipse aswell as the weekend of the eclipse. Businesses are coming to-gether to discuss how best to provide services to out-of-townersas well as make a few extra bucks.

The opportunity for economic boost is palpable and excit-ing — but it’s difficult to tell how real it is. Understandably,events being planned around the Great American Eclipse areat different stages: How much time, effort and money shouldgo into getting ready for an event that will take less than 2minutes?

The entire eclipse will take two hours and 32 minutes in thisarea, but the totality will last 1 minute, 57 seconds.

We have compiled what we know about events happening inPolk County. Some of these events should be booked now ifyou’re interested in going — we expect them to sell out soon.Some haven’t completely materialized, while others have a fewkinks and fine-tuning to work out still.

The Itemizer-Observer will publish a special souvenir editionto honor the Great American Eclipse, available at the Polk Coun-ty Fair on Aug. 10 through 12, which will have more details aboutevents in the area. Our reporters and staff will be scatteredthroughout Polk County on the morning of Aug. 21 to tell thestory of the eclipse, with special coverage available on Aug. 23 inthe newspaper.

If you are planning an event for the Great American Eclipse,let us know by sending an email to [email protected], withEclipse in the subject line.

Indy goes dark In Independence, work is

underway to create a one-timebash at Riverview Park, a four-day weekend celebrating allthings Independence and theGreat American Eclipse.

A beer garden, wine tast-ings, live music, stargazingand food carts are just a few ofthe things that are beingdrummed up for Independ-ence.

While many events are stillbeing fine-tuned, much is laidin stone for the weekend, withactivities for the family as wellas party-goers, locals and visi-tors alike.

The weekend starts Friday,Aug. 18, with live music and arunning event, which will raisemoney for a local nonprofit.

Saturday, Feb. 19, a spaceparade will march throughdowntown. Activities in thepark for families and kids willbe ongoing, as well as livemusic.

Sunday, Feb. 20, will includea free bike ride opportunity,run by Salem Road Runners.Other events will focus on thecommunity.

Monday, social activitieswill be downtown. A speakerfrom Western Oregon Univer-sity will explain the eclipse toall who are congregated.

Eclipse Wine Festival at EolaHills

Eola Hills Wine Cellars will

host an eclipse weekend eventfrom Aug. 19-21, featuring livemusic, educational seminars,a winemaker’s dinner, winetasting, and bike rides throughwine country.

The main event will be theeclipse viewing party at Eola’shillside Legacy Estate Vine-yard, 1600 Oak Grove Rd.,Salem the morning of theeclipse, but there’s plenty tokeep you busy until the rarephenomenon occurs.

You can book the entireweekend or choose events youwould like to participate in.

The Eclipse Viewing Partyon Aug. 21 is $150 for adults,

$50 for those ages 12 to 21,and $25 for children youngerthan 12. A biking tour of winecountry is $79.

Accommodation packagesvary from a suite for threenights to shared rooms, tocamping and RV spots.

All packages include dailytransportation to and from theestate, a welcome reception,Pinot Noir Eclipse Wine, view-ing glasses, Friday throughMonday concert series, andthe lecture series.

A wine tour and farm-to-table dinner are available tothose who book the kingsuites, king rooms and double

queen rooms. Thinking about tying the

knot? An eclipse day wedding

package is available for $250. For more information:

http://eolahillswinery.com/total-solar-ecl ipse-viewing-party/.

Eclipse tasting at IllaheIlahe Vineyards, 3275 Bal-

lard Road, Dallas, will host atotal solar eclipse tasting onAug. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon

Tickets are $20 each foradults 21 and older. That in-cludes a full tasting flight.

Continued on Page 13C

EVENT ROUNDUP

Illahe Vineyards will hold a special eclipse tasting event.


Depending on where you are will determine how longthe full solar eclipse remains. But in Polk County, thetotal eclipse will last about two minutes.

That’s not a lot of time to capture those stunning images. Taking photos of the eclipse won’t be as simple as whipping out

a cellphone. Making plans ahead of time is key for taking photossafely.

Tips from www.ecli-pse2017.org: • Don’t bother bringing a point and shoot camera, which lacks

a long enough zoom to capture the sun. • Instead, use a camera with at least a 300 mm focal length lens.

The longer the focal length of the lens, the larger the image of thesun you can capture.

• Always use a tripod to keep the camera steady and to capturephotos without blur.

• Use proper solar filters to take photos of the sun before andafter totality. Remove filters during totality. It is safe to view theeclipse during totality.

• Without the correct filters, sunlight will damage a camera, andviewing any uncovered part of the sun through a lens could causeeye damage.

• Nikon suggests using one aperture and bracket the exposuresover a range of shutter speeds from 1/1000 second to 1 second tocapture totality.

• Do not use a flash of any kind. A flash will ruin the dark adap-tation of everyone’s eyes and spoil the show.

• Of course, make sure batteries are charged and there is enoughroom on an SD card to take lots of photos!

• To practice how bigphotos will turn out,take photos during a fullmoon. Eclipse2017.orgsaid a full moon is aboutthe same size as the sun.

• Photographer ArtBurkhalter suggestspracticing taking photosof the sun around April21. The sun’s positionand timing in the skywill be close to Aug. 21.

Mike Lowery, ownerof Focal Point Photogra-phy in Dallas, said heexpects demand forsales and rental of cam-era equipment to in-crease dramatically soplanning early is key.

There are many re-sources out there to getas in-depth as you wantfor your camera set up.Just be ready to act fast,because once totality starts, you won’t have long to capture animage to last a lifetime.

CAPTURING THE MOMENT

The Entire Solar System is CelebratingRedgate Vineyards 5th Anniversary

with a Total Eclipse of the Sun — come celebrate with us!

Join us for LIVE MUSICFriday, Saturday & Sunday 6-9pm

Monday 9am-4pm$40 event fee includes:

• Monday $10 taster fee waiver of award winning wines!• Sangria Breakfast Buffet Monday 8-12• Commemorative Redgate 5th Anniversary Eclipse glass• Eclipse viewing vizors • RV parking all weekend

8175 Buena Vista Rd., Independence503-428-7115 • www.redgatevineyard.com “if the gate’s open,

we’re open!”


Monmouth Public Library and NASA have teamed upto capitalize on the excitement surrounding thesolar eclipse in August to highlight science.

The library and NASA launched a partnership, NASA @ My Li-brary, earlier this year after Library Director Krist Obrist showedinterest in hosting activities about the eclipse.

Monmouth is one of three libraries located on the eclipse’spath of totality, the narrow strip of the country that will see thetotal solar eclipse, that is participating in the program. The part-nerships will continue for several years beyond the date of theeclipse.

Obrist said it’s an opportunity to offer educational program-ming to children and adults.

Planning for eclipse-centric activities is still in the works. InJune, the library will broadcast a virtual presentation on the solareclipse with a NASA scientist.

The summer’s reading program theme, “Build a Better World,”also offers chances for kids to learn about the eclipse and how toview it safely.

“We’ll be getting the word out about safety,” Obrist said. “Youneed to be safe and protect your eyes.”

The library is in the middle of planning activities for Aug. 21.“On the day of the eclipse, we will be having a viewing party,

with activities and all kinds of fun,” Obrist said.

NASA @ MY LIBRARYMonmouth Library Director Krist Obrist, left, speaks during a meeting about NASA @ My Library in January.

Keliann LaConte spoke with community members on Jan. 10.


You have your spot chosen. You have the camera ready.When the eclipse arrives, you can simply look to thesky, right?

Wrong. Doing so could have dire consequences.

It’s never safe to look directly at the sun. Unfiltered sunlightwill damage eyes and could cause permanent blindness.

Just because there will be an eclipse doesn’t change that fact.Normal sunglasses will not provide sufficient protection.

To view an uneclipsed or partially eclipse sun safely, use onlyapproved solar filters (“eclipse glasses” or welders’ goggles rated14 or higher).

When — and only when — the sun is fully eclipsed, it is safeto view without the use of eclipse glasses.

Don’t have eye protection? Eclipse glasses will likely be widelyavailable in the months leading up to the eclipse.

Telescopes, cameras and binoculars with approved solar filterscan be used to safely view the big event.

Always check solar filters before use. Do not use if scratchedor damaged.

There are also othermethods to view theeclipse.

A pinhole projectioncan also be used bypassing sunlightthrough a small open-ing such as a holepunched in an indexcard and project animage of the sun onto a nearby surface like another card, a wallor the ground. Always use protection when viewing the sun.

EYE SAFETY

Windermere/Western View Properties

I am a full time local agentready to help you with your real estate needs.

Sandra Paoli BrokerLicensed in the State of Oregon

[email protected]

To rent or not to rent?12C Eclipse Planning Guide Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 15, 2017

Nearly every room available inPolk County is booked for theweekend of Aug. 18 through 21

for the Great American Eclipse. The Cour-tesy Inn in Monmouth: Booked.

Best Western in Dallas: Booked. River-side Inn? Booked. Spirit Mountain Hotel?Booked.

Even Airbnb, out of 82 listings in PolkCounty, has no listings available for thedates of the eclipse.

It’s no wonder then that cities are open-ing public spaces — parks, soccer fields –and Western Oregon University hasopened some dormitories to make roomfor the masses of visitors Polk County canexpect for the eclipse weekend.

With rumors of people renting outcamping in their manure fields at the rate

of $500 per night, it makes one wonder,how much could I make by renting outthat spare room?

The question is hard to answer. Ofcourse you can only make as much assomeone is willing to pay — and how doyou get the word out? How do you ensurebackground checks? How much effort areyou willing to put into earning a littleextra cash this August?

Before you decide, call your city hall orthe county employees to see if there areany laws you have to follow or taxes youhave to pay. Cities collect transient taxesfor hotels, and may expect you to paythose, even if it’s just for a few nights dur-ing a one-time event.

Call your home insurer — if your guesttrips on your stairs or breaks your TV, will

your insurance cover that? Remember that on sites such as

Airbnb, guests expect a true bed-and-breakfast experience, which means youwill need to take extra care when decid-ing to become hosts or landlords for theweekend.

Also, be wary of guests staying too long.Oregon tenant laws may lean in theirfavor if they settle in for 30 days and de-cide not to leave.

Do you have pets? How would they feelabout having guests in their home?

Do you have locks on your doors? Areyour valuables secure?

There’s a lot to think about no matterhow you go about it. If you choose to rentout a room or space in a field, consider allthe options and cover your bases.

Expect places to stay to be at a premium leading up to the eclipse. Cities are opening public spaces to help make room.


Continued from Page 8CReservations are limited. To reserve: https://squareup.com/store/illahe-vineyards.

‘Dark Side of the Moon’ in MonmouthMonmouth will celebrate with a concert fit for a solar eclipse,

“The Dark Side of the Moon,” on Sunday evening to put every-one in the spirit for the big event the next day.

Monmouth Business Association and the city of Monmouthwill present the outdoor concert at the Main Street Park Am-phitheater. Pink Floyd tribute band Pigs on the Wing will playDark Side of the Moon in its entirety — plus other Pink Floyd fa-vorites.

The concert is free.

‘Lights Out’ in Dallas Downtown Dallas will turn into eclipse central on Aug. 21 for a

community celebration, “Lights Out.”The city will shut down streets surrounding the Polk County

Courthouse lawn for a viewing party. But Dallas is hosting much more than the eclipse morning

event. Historic building tours, art displays, concerts, specialmovie showings and eclipse science lectures are all planned forthe weekend before the eclipse.

For more information: http://www.ci.dallas.or.us/840/2017-Solar-Eclipse.

Here are just a few of our planned events!

INDEPENDENCE RIVERVIEW PARKRV/Campsites available!

Come for the Sun! Stay for the Fun!

Main Street, Independence

andpresent

4 DAY CELESTIAL EVENTS

Pyromania

Call 503-838-1212 for more information!

Aeromyth

Music!

Family Friendly!

Movie Night!

Parade!Beerfest!

RV & Camping

Fireworks!

Website: catherinebush.withwre.com Email: [email protected]

503-838-1141 OfficeWindermere/Western View Properties

Real Estate Broker, SFRLicensed in the State of Oregon

Catherine Underwood-Bush503-881-3560

Specializing in Residential, Short Sale & ForeclosureService Beyond the Sale!

Enjoy the eclipse from the view of your new

home!Let’s make it

happen!

Watch for the The Great American ECLIPSESouvenir Issue of The Itemizer-Observer


When the Great American Eclipse hits Oregon in Au-gust, don’t be surprised to see people from aroundthe country – and the world.

Dan McGlaun, owner and operate of the websitewww.eclipse2017.org, has seen 12 total eclipses around the worldso far.

Each time another total eclipse nears, the excitement returns. “It’s absolutely amazing,” McGlaun said. “It’s one of the most

spectacular sights you’ll see in your life. It’s hard to qualify whatyou’ll experience. It’ll affect you emotionally and physically. It’sone of the coolest moments.”

With the path of totality stretching across the country, eclipsechasers are choosing spots close to their region — so expect tosee lots of people from California, Washington and other westernstates, McGlaun said.

True eclipse chasers are flexible — ready to move to a differentpart of the path of totality if their first choice has bad weather.McGlaun has even seen people have planes ready to take themto other parts of the path of totality on a moment’s notice.Chasers will camp in fields, stay in hotels, or wherever they canto see an eclipse.

The truly dedicated eclipse chasers are willing to travel aroundthe world to see a total eclipse. McGlaun should know – he’s oneof them and makes plans years in advance. Why go to such greatlengths?

Seeing darkness during the day can lead to some interesting feel-ings, McGlaun said, and is an experience that won’t be forgotten.

“The total range of experiences that happens during totality isother-worldly,” he said. “It defies explanation. Be prepared for anemotional onslaught is the only way I can tell you.”

He’s confident that once someone experiences a total eclipse,something changes inside of them. He expects there to be a fewnew eclipse chasers to be born.

“It’s like a drug — you just want more,” McGlaun said. “It’s sostimulating and so unbelievably cool. You know what it’s goingto kind of look like, but they’re all slightly different. You can alsosee what the animals are doing. What the other people are doing.People who video tape themselves, the first timers almost alwaysdo things they are embarrassed about later.”

There’s something about seeing the sun totally eclipsed, feel-ing the temperature drop about 10 degrees and to standingthere in awe with a group of people that a photo can never cap-ture.

“It’s more than what it looks like,” McGlaun said. “If it was onlyabout that, you could look at it on TV or a photo. There’s some-thing that the camera can’t totally catch. You see it in person andthen you see a picture — you can’t believe it’s the same thing.Your eyes can see so much more tone range.”

While total eclipses are similar, they’re never quite the same,McGlaun said. And perhaps the most magical part is that for theeclipse to happen at all, things have to literally line up just right.

“If the moon were closer to the earth, it would block the sunalmost every month and no one would care,” McGlaun said. “Ifit were smaller and farther away, it would never eclipse the sun.”

The chase

An eclipse, like the one pictured above by Charles Fulco, can lead to a memorable and emotional experience.


Throughout Polk County!Will you be ready?

The Itemizer-Observer will offer full coverage of the events taking place throughout Polk County.

Plan ahead! ADVERTISE in The Great American ECLIPSE Souvenir issue.

Publishing August 16, the Wednesday before the Eclipse.

Ask your ad rep about it!

Call 503-623-2373Heidi x115, Rachel x110

or Karen x118

147 SE Court St., Dallas OR 9338 • www.polkio.com

polk county eclipse - ellington...

Documents