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- More schools in Butler County, far outside the path of totality, have chosen to close for the entire day of the solar eclipse crossing Ohio for 8 minutes this coming April, citing dire warnings about “extreme demands and stresses on local infrastructure and services, including hotels, campsites, food, water, restaurants, utilities, law enforcement, fire services, etc.” How can one take these Chicken Littles seriously? They’re closing schools because of the possibility of long wait times at Red Lobster! (The Journal-News, 10/27/23). While Avon Lake City Schools will also be closed up tight the entire day of the solar eclipse in April, we have noted that they are at least planning to do some relevant science instruction with their kids before they are sent home to hunker down til the evil omen passes. However, we have recently learned that city officials there are taking advantage of the closure and hosting a public event on school grounds…charging $15 a ticket for folks to attend. (Cleveland 19 News, 10/29/23) Given the responses of districts to the impending
calamityevent that I have been reporting here for some months, I feel kind of stupid now for having ever expected any sort of serious and awesome science education-centered activity to accompany this once-in-a-lifetime astronomical opportunity. That being said, I still think I am justified for having expected something else besides medieval-era “take yer glasses and hide in your house” fearmongering and unabashed “step right up” hucksterism as the only two responses.
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