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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2017)
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017 S moke S ignals 13 'This is something that a lot of people don’t get to see' ECLIPSE continued from front page ing the eclipse. “As I was telling her (10-year-old witness the long-awaited celestial daughter Tasi- event. na Bluehorse), Dave Shrestha set up an Orion this is the only SkyQuest telescope on the sidewalk time she is going just south of the intersection so to see this in her that his wife, Anupma, and son and lifetime,” Grant daughter, Kavi and Devina, could said. watch the total solar eclipse safely. “It’s pretty “We decided not to risk it,” Dave cool,” Bluehorse, Shrestha said of staying on the who knew that Oregon Coast. the moon was The corner near St. Michael’s passing between Catholic Church became an im- the Earth and promptu observatory for many sun, said. from Pacific City who hightailed “I think it’s it inland during the early morning great,” said Trib- and also set up portable telescopes. al Elder Marvin In Tribal Elder Housing, Elder Davis, who also Herman Hudson sat in a lawn chair saw a total solar next to Gladys Bolton as the moon eclipse that oc- slowly encroached on the morning curred over the sun. Pacific North- “This is something that a lot of Photo by Dean Rhodes west in 1979. people don’t get to see,” the 92-year- “It was amazing Tribal Elders, from front, Steve Hudson, Herman old World War II veteran said. … history being Hudson and Gladys Bolton watch the total solar eclipse Hudson said he had seen partial made.” unfold in Elder Housing at about 10 a.m. Monday, eclipses before, but never a total Spirit Moun- solar eclipse. “This is totally differ- Aug. 21. Also watching in reclining lawn chairs in the tain Casino held ent,” he said. background was Herman Hudson’s daughter, Kathryn an Eclipse View- Hudson shared the experience Dunham, and her friends Patricia Love and Valerie i n g P a r t y on with his daughter, Kathryn Dun- Washington. Totality was reached in Grand Ronde at 10 Monday morning ham, and son, Steve Hudson. Dun- seconds before 10:17 a.m. and lasted 101 seconds. in the parking lot ham brought her friends Patricia near PlayWorld. Love and Valerie Washington with In addition, the casino’s main park- “The main reason was powwow, her from Washington state, while ing lot and the parking lot at Grand but this came in second,” Tammy Steve Hudson was with his friend, Ronde Station were full of people added. Rick Whitney (Cherokee). craning their heads at 45-degree Tribal Elders Marcella Selwyn Mike and Tammy Robison of angles up at the disappearing sun. and Marilee Norwest sat on their Springfield, who were staying with “We had about 450 people with a porch, watching the eclipse through Tribal Elder Steve Rife for Contest lot of people standing by in cars,” widely distributed safety glasses. Powwow weekend, used welding Marketing Manager Shawna Ridge- “It’s kind of exciting,” Selwyn masks to protect their eyes as bear said. said. “I had seen one awhile back, they watched the eclipse progress At about 10 a.m. as totality drew but I can’t remember when. It kind toward totality. closer, Tribal member Steve Hud- of scared me because I had never “We thought that since we’re son observed that the sun looked seen it before. Now, I know.” here, we’ll just take a look at this,” “like a banana.” The temperature Tessa Grant sat in her driveway Mike said while viewing the par- was appreciably cooler five minutes with her three children, watch- tially consumed sun at 9:45 a.m. later and Herman Hudson said that the other side of the moon facing the sun “must be hotter than Hell.” At 10:17 a.m., people took off their protective glasses and safely The Tribal Veterans Special Event Board is recruiting younger looked at the moon, which was sur- veterans – Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans – to join. rounded by the tendrils of the sun’s “Our committee is getting older,” said Veterans SEB Chairman Steve corona for what seemed mere mo- Bobb Sr., who is a Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran. ments. And then a sliver of sunlight Members of the Special Event Board attend events as flag carriers and represent the Tribe and their branch of service. Veterans interest- ed in volunteering should contact Tribal Council Chief of Staff Stacia Hernandez at 503-879-2304 or stacia.martin@grandronde.org. Board seeking younger veterans broke through, signifying the end of totality, and everyone donned their safety eyewear again. Steven Hudson, a musician, started singing The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” “That was so cool,” Dunham said. “I got tired there for just a sec- ond,” Whitney quipped about the sudden darkness. In anticipation of predicted heavy traffic, the Oregon Department of Transportation erected signs along Highway 18 between Sheridan and Grand Ronde, advising drivers not to park on the shoulder to view the eclipse. Meanwhile, Tribal Facilities staff erected a barricade to ensure eclipse watchers stayed off the Gov- ernance Center campus. Tribal Security and Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department personnel patrolled the area, ensuring that people did not trespass on Tribal lands. A few people in a hayfield south of the Women’s Transitional Center were asked to move before the eclipse occurred. General Manager David Fuller- ton said that eclipse aficionados trespassing on Tribal lands was the only problem he heard about during the event. “We also had to remove people from the campus, medical, Light- house Church and we turned people away from the powwow grounds,” Grand Ronde Police Department Lt. Tim Hernandez said. “Some people were parked on private property, blocking driveways, and the corner of Hebo highway and Grand Ronde Road got quite busy. We only asked two people to move who were too close to the highway fog line.” Except for a skeleton crew at the Health & Wellness Center, most other Tribal employees were grant- ed the day off so as not to contribute to traffic congestion in the totality zone. According to NASA’s eclipse app, a partial solar eclipse started at ap- proximately 9:05 a.m. over Grand Ronde and, after totality ended, lasted until approximately 11:30 a.m. Ad created by George Valdez