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Larry “BILKO” THE Bilkszto PAPER THAT PELHAM READS Your Local Sales Representative 905-563-3330 • 905-641-1110
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Larry “BILKO” Bilkszto
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bilko@rgcmail.com Vol.21 No.21
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
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Partial eclipse shades Pelham, moves on
Column Six The Road Warrior
Momentary drop in heat on a humid afternoon was most notable feature
BY SAMUEL PICCOLO
The VOICE
T
BY VOICE STAFF A partial solar eclipse made a (dis) appearance in Pelham on Monday, a brief stop during its five-hour tour of the continent. While solar eclipses are relatively common—there will be 77 partial and 68 total eclipses in the 21st century—Monday’s was considered special because it was the first time in over a century that a total eclipse was visible from coast to coast in the United States. In Canada, the highest coverage was 89 percent, in Victoria, B.C, while here in Pelham a maximum of 72 percent coverage occurred at 2:33 PM. The special glasses required to safely view the sun during the partial eclipse were in short supply in the area, so residents were forced to find other ways to observe the moon’s silhouette. The Fonthill Library had a live stream from Kentucky, where a total eclipse occurred, projected on a wall. Joe Bouchard watched the feed intently as the moment of “totality” approached, pointing as the final sliver of the sun disappeared. Bouchard has seen two full eclipses before— one as a child in northern Quebec, and one in Nova Scotia in 1970, the second thought to be the same famously referenced by Carly Simon in her song, “You’re So Vain.” At 2:33 several staff went outside and used a variety of methods to have a look. Using the forward-facing camera on their phones, library employees Clare Irwin and Elaine Anderson turned their devices towards the sun while looking them
Susan Poirier projects an image of the sun as Clare Irwin, Elaine Anderson, and Joe Bouchard look on. on an angle, and were able to see the moon’s shadow without hurting their eyes. Anderson recalled watching an eclipse when she was in elementary school, and in the days before selfie-cameras, her teacher had the class bring in a strip of 35mm film to look through. As Anderson, Irwin, and Bouchard looked on, Susan Poirier, another library employee, held out two sheets of paper. The upper one had pricked in it a small pinhole, casting a safely-viewable image on to the paper below, and as the moment passed, the shadow of the moon moved just slightly across the paper. For days—even weeks—discussion of the impending eclipse was rampant across all media, with astronomical experts on hand to explain exactly what happens to make the sky go dark. These experts all maintain that knowing when and why the event occurs makes it all the more wondrous, and indeed it’s often called the most significant astronomical phenomenon visible to
the eye. But perhaps there is a case to be made that all of this explaining has made the darkening of the day somewhat of a sterile occurrence. In antiquity, eclipses were accounted for in all sorts of strange ways that are sure to make most modern observers vaguely pleased to be living in such an enlightened time. Though the specific animals differ, common to most ancient cultures was a belief that celestial beasts ate the sun during its brief absence. In China, a dragon was thought to be to blame, while in Norse legend, it was wolves. Most oddly, a frog was thought to be guilty in Vietnam. Many beliefs involved action, too. In some places, people would make a real racket, banging bells and pots and pans, hoping to scare away the angry man on the moon. There are legends that eclipses poison food, harm fetuses, and even make the year’s flowers bloom with greater colour. Even among the scientifically devout, solar eclipses take on some-
VOICE PHOTO
thing of a religious element. Kate Russo, a clinical psychologist from Northern Ireland, first observed a solar eclipse in France in 1999, and since then has travelled to catch every one. “I’m an eclipse chaser,” she told the New York Times. “When I discovered a map that had the paths of totality for all future eclipses I thought: ‘This is the structure of my life for the next 20 years.'" But at the library, no one seemed to be too worried about cosmic disturbances or ravenous wolves. They were happy just to be peering at their phones from the corners of their eyes. And even though they missed out on the glasses, there is reason to be hopeful. In 2024 there will be another solar eclipse, and this time, Niagara will be in the “path of totality.” Anderson resolved to have the glasses on hand then, and even Bouchard was looking forward to the date. “I just hope I’m still around then!” he said. “Seven years is a long time.”
HE BEST HALLOWEEN costume I ever wore was in eighth grade. This was in the autumn of 2008, just as it was becoming clear that the world’s economic turbulence was not a brief rut but instead something rather more severe. I was without inspiration the night before the day when my father said, “Wear a suit without trousers. You can be a broker who lost his pants in the market.” It was a hit. At school, most kids were more amused by the fact that I appeared to be walking around in my underwear than actually appreciating the timeliness of the joke. When I went out trick-ortreating that night, though, I cleaned up. Our neighbours must not have lost much money in the crash, because they all were endlessly entertained by a 13-year-old capitalizing on the news to build his own sugary portfolio. It was my last year of collecting the stuff, and I remember acquiring enough that night to last through the winter. The only other time my father had suggested a costume, I didn’t take him up on it. This one was less original—the idea was to dress all in black, with a white stripe down my back and pieces of yellow conSee COLUMN SIX Page 11
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