6 months to solar eclipse, area’s small towns prepping

With six months to go until the total solar eclipse, the area’s small towns are getting ready. The last time there was a coast-to-coast total eclipse in the U.S. was in 1918.

On Aug. 21, the skies of Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming will briefly go dark. Stargazers from all around the world are excited to descend on our region because the totality path goes right overhead. Many of our area small towns want to be ready for the influx of tourists.

Roberts is already getting a jump start on planning because this small town has a very unique position.

“We’re the only city, literally directly on the line and on I-15 in our region, so we’re looking at all these big quantities of people coming to our community. We want to present our community in the best light we can and make people comfortable and welcome in our town. The reality of it is slowly sinking in with the community and different people. The excitement, I think, will come more so as we get closer and the realization of how many people will probably be in our town, is going to affect us,” said Mayor B.J. Berlin.

Besides prepping for events, there is the emergency preparations side of it to consider. Rebecca Squires is the emergency manager for Jefferson County. She said there are two major concerns that keep her up at night and they will impact all of Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming.

“Communications could be very difficult and problematic because when you get more people on a cellphone service, you can anticipate that that cellular service will be unavailable,” Squires said. “So communications can be a problem. Also, for our responders when we have fire, EMS, law enforcement which all use the same radio frequencies, when we’ve all got something big going on, it gets a little busy on the airwaves. And so communications is a big concern. The other thing that we are a little concerned about is transportation. When people come up just for the day thinking oh yeah, it’s just a three-hour drive from the Wasatch Front, then we’re looking at I-15 or Highway 20 becoming a parking lot and then people not attending to their driving if they happen to be traveling during the actual eclipse. We don’t want to have bumper, bumper, bumper pileups.”

Squires is going to area small towns and providing a presentation on what to expect, concerns to watch for and preparedness for city government. She has done about a dozen of these meetings and has more scheduled. If your town is interested, her office number at Jefferson County Emergency Management is 208-745-0868.

Here are some of the events planned so far:

ROBERTS:

– A “festival day” the day of the eclipse Aug. 21.

– Lion’s Club, youth groups and church groups involved.

– Food vendors and music.

– One-time parking ordinance established to be used only during the eclipse.

RIGBY:

– Close Main Street 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 21 for “Totality Awesome Eclipse Watch” Artisan Fair.

– Vendors contact Earlene Poole at The Jefferson Star.

SUGAR CITY:

– Moving first-ever Pioneer Day events from July 24 to the day of the eclipse.

– Four viewing areas.

– Areas for parking, vendors and a tent city.

TETON VALLEY:

– Planning group named “Teton Totality.”

– Artisan fair Aug. 19 and 20.

– Located in the plaza at the Geo-tourism Center in Driggs.

ARCO:

– Early yet. Discussions with the county to be brought up at next city council meeting Feb. 27.

ST. ANTHONY:

– “Business as usual.”

SHELLEY:

– Nothing planned.