by Rachel Hunter
The North Country was in the path of totality for the Great North American Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8.
Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that the path of totality included Gouverneur and the surrounding communities in the North Country region. Hundreds of public and private watch parties were scheduled, with people gathering at the Richville Free Library and Richville Playground, Gouverneur Public Library, Riverview Recreational Park in Gouverneur, among other local places to view the total solar eclipse. Eclipse viewing glasses were distributed throughout the North Country community, thanks to the North Country Library System (in coordination with the Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries (SEAL) Project, managed by the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado), as well as local businesses. The total solar eclipse proved to be an exceptional opportunity for family, friends, neighbors, community members, and visitors to the North Country to gather together.
The Great North American Eclipse, after years of anticipation, occurred on Monday, April 8. The total eclipse of the sun appeared in the skies above the U.S., all the way from southern Texas to northern Maine. The rare event − where the shadow of the moon plunges a narrow strip of land into darkness in the middle of the day − was an astronomical experience like no other that was unusually accessible to millions of people. The eclipse began at 3:23 p.m., and totality was at 3:29 p.m. in Gouverneur. There was some cloud cover which discouraged many “umbraphiles” or “eclipse chasers” from visiting the North Country. Livestream viewing of the eclipse was made possible by NASA.
New York State started making preparations about 18 months ago in readiness for the Great North American Eclipse. The North Country was reportedly highlighted as a good place to view the eclipse in such media outlets as USA Today and BBC News, among others. Expecting an influx of tourists, cooperation was received from the New York State Police, New York State Department of Transportation, in coordination with the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Gouverneur Police Department (and other local law enforcement agencies across the state), Village of Gouverneur Department of Public Works and Town of Gouverneur Highway Department, as well as local fire departments, rescue squads, hospitals, and more. Massena and Ogdensburg’s international bridges also reported that they made special accommodations throughout the weekend to support anticipated traffic from Canada. The county’s Total Eclipse Task Force has also worked diligently the last few months to ensure there were preparations in place for any complications over the weekend.
St. Lawrence County was prepared for an influx of 50,000 or more tourists for the Great North American Eclipse. The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce working for over a year to promote the county as a destination for Totality Seekers. As the Tourism Promotion Agent for St. Lawrence County, in partnership with the I Love New York program, one of the Chamber’s main goals was to have a strong online presence, and established a subsite, STLCtotality.com, which featured a public events calendar, approved viewing locations, an eclipse-themed playlist, where to buy local eclipse merchandise, view tips, safety precautions and more alongside the Chamber’s digital guides to St. Lawrence County, a business directory, and more. The Chamber encouraged local communities, tourism partners, and event planners to help provide a positive experience for visitors this weekend and in an effort to encourage return visits.
“Though we are a rural county, our area is attractive for those looking for a quieter destination with minimal traffic and an abundance of open skies,” said Kathryn Puleo, Tourism and Events Manager for the STLC Chamber. “We may have a few of these visitors return during our peak season to enjoy our beautiful waterways, hiking and multi-use trails, and premier fishing locations. Between the Canadian Border, the Thousand Islands Region, and the Adirondack Foothills, we really are in the middle of everywhere. We just need to continue to think outside the box and work together to put our best county face forward!”
The St. Lawrence County Chamber also reported that most of the county’s lodging was fully booked, as visitors planned to “arrive early and stay late” in the North Country region.
The Gouverneur Central School District was closed on Monday, April 8, utilizing an unused snow day. The District purchased viewing glasses for all students and employees. Any remaining viewing glasses were provided to the Gouverneur Public Library for the public’s use at the Watch Party at 60 Church St., Gouverneur. Much gratitude was extended for the donation. Other school districts closed for the day included Edwards-Knox Central, Harrisville Central, Hammond Central, and Clifton-Fine Central. The Hermon-DeKalb School District held classes on Monday, April 8. H-D Supt. Mark White, a former earth science teacher, took time to excite and educate the students about the total solar eclipse in preparation for the big moment. The Hermon-DeKalb family gathered outside the school for the moment of totality.
The total solar eclipse was also the talk of local politicians. New York State Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C-Black River) took to social media to encourage all to support the businesses in the path of totality.
At the Town of Gouverneur Council meeting on April 9, Town of Gouverneur Supervisor Dave Spilman, Jr. estimated that there were 200-300 people at the Eldon B. Conklin Gouverneur Community Center parking lot and the Riverview Recreational Park in Gouverneur to observe the eclipse. “That was really cool,” he said.
Village of Gouverneur Mayor Ron McDougall said, “I thought the whole event across the North Country was very good.”
Mayor McDougall added that there was only one major incident. The New York State Police issued the following report: On April 6, at approximately 3:04 p.m., State Police in Watertown responded to State Route 12E in the town of Brownville, for an individual who fell out of a moving trailer. Investigation revealed a 2019 Gray Ram pick-up truck, operated by Robert P. Woroniecki, age 59 from Stony Brook, NY was pulling a 2024 Gray Airstream (House Trailer) westbound on SR 12E. The driver's wife, Monika I. Woroniecka age 58, along with other family members were riding in the trailer for the last 20 minutes of their trip from Stony Brook. Witnesses behind the Airstream claimed they saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open, Monika Woroniecka’s arm hanging on the door after the wind caused the door to swing open, causing her to be thrown from the Airstream. Monika subsequently struck her head on the shoulder of the roadway. Cape Vincent Ambulance transported Monika to Samaritan Medical Center’s Emergency Room where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased. The investigation is continuing.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik attended the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory’s “Totality in Tupper Lake” event at the LP Quinn Elementary School with members of the community and visitors to watch the eclipse. On April 8th, 2024, a total solar eclipse took place across the United States with NY-21 mostly in the path of the eclipse. The Adirondack Sky Center is one of twelve locations nationwide that will be providing NASA with a live video feed of the eclipse. “The historic solar eclipse has been a huge economic opportunity to showcase our Adirondack small businesses and communities. Our district is so proud that the Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory was chosen to play a pivotal role in today’s historic eclipse by supplying NASA with one of only twelve live video feeds of the event. Because of this incredible organization in NY-21, millions were able to witness and enjoy what for many is a once in a lifetime event,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
The Great North American Solar Eclipse is still the talk of the town, with many local residents eager for the next total solar eclipse, which is expected to occur in August of 2044. The eclipse will begin in Greenland, sweep through Canada and end around sunset in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The next total eclipse that New York State will see is expected on May 1, 2079. It will start in eastern Pennsylvania and end in the Atlantic Ocean. A total eclipse will be visible along the path of Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Portland, Maine in the United States. The North Country is not anticipated to be within the path of totality for the 2044 or the 2079 total solar eclipse. It is estimated that an area will only see an eclipse every 300-400 years. See more coverage in this week’s edition of the Gouverneur Tribune Press.