An eclipse can be pretty enlightening

The coffee at Wendy’s is pretty good! I had my first cup there this past week when I stopped for breakfast. Wasn’t sure how I would like their coffee. Guess you could say I was more of a McDonald’s coffee kind of guy. It was a good experience. I’m sure I will stop at Wendy’s more often for a cup of their coffee.

The much-anticipated eclipse is now behind us! It was indeed a memorable experience and I can see why people travel great distances to observe this natural phenomenon. The wife and I were able to observe it from our back porch. Looking at it through our required glasses was interesting, especially seeing the slivers of the sun as the moon was passing, but the most interesting time was the period of total darkness! The streetlights and walk lights came on, the sounds of nature changed and the whoops and hollers of nearby observers could be heard. The sky off to the west was still bright, even though it was dark locally. Then daylight slowly returned. In roughly five minutes things returned to normal. I could only imagine what people long ago thought when something like this happened and they had no understanding of what it truly was!

The preparation for this event was something else. There were estimates of anywhere between 10 and 20 thousand people crowding into the area on the weekend before. Planning started several months ago to discuss situations and propose possible solutions. Meetings were held with many organizations on a regular basis. Ideas for entertaining the expected crowds and supporting local businesses were discussed with several adopted and arrangements made. Concern about traffic congestion both before and after was addressed on a regular basis, comparing it to traffic on the 4th of July. Tickets were sold for events to be held downtown on the Saturday before. I did notice that almost all tickets were sold to local residents indicating the need for more non-eclipse events for local residents to enjoy. Although the crowds locally were not as big as planned, the preparation by local organizations was the biggest takeaway from the event!

The collaboration among the various organizations to plan and prepare was the most important part of this exercise. Bringing forth ideas for discussion and evaluation provided valuable insight into ways to improve or handle various situations. We, as a community, need more of this on a regular basis. Perhaps, and this is just a perhaps, we should assume there’s another eclipse coming and plan accordingly. Just a thought.

I want to provide an update on the Evan Witty Memorial Dog Park project. Comcast has put up the new cable rerouted around the area. Soon, the current cable will be removed. Once that’s removed, the existing utility poles will be removed. A representative from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stopped by the potential sink hole. We discussed possible alternatives to address this area. It was stated it may not be a sinkhole due to mine subsidence. If not, the hole could be filled in by the city without DNR involvement. To check that possibility, holes will be drilled at the site to see if there are voids below the area. If voids are found, it becomes the responsibility of DNR to address, usually taking 2-3 months. If not, it can be filled in the next day. It’s important this gets fixed correctly, as that is where some of the parking will be located. Once this hole is taken care of, gravel can be put down for parking and the actual fencing for the dog park can be installed. After that, electricity, streetlights and water will be added and then it can be opened to the public. We are also evaluating signs for each entrance naming the park Evan Witty Memorial Park. So far there have been some private donations in support of this project. From an earlier blog, if you have any questions about donating you can send an email to lintonprideinthepark@gmail.com or contact me at jpreble@cityoflinton.com. Checks can be made out to Pride in the Park and mailed to Bob Evans, 2245 N 1175 W, Linton, IN 47441. Please note Evan Witty Project for any donation.

John Preble is currently serving his first term as the Mayor of Linton, Indiana. This blog will serve as one way for the Mayor’s office to communicate news and items of interest to readers.