Next year will bring a once-in-a-lifetime event to Avon Lake.
City Parks and Recreation Director Erin Fach noted that the last time a total solar eclipse passed over Ohio, the year was 1809, and the next opportunity after the 2024 eclipse will not come for nearly another century.
To help bring awareness of the truly special event, coming April 8, Fach and the city of Avon Lake have scheduled a series of “Totality Talks.” The next two of these community forums will take place on Jan. 24 and Feb. 22, and will discuss city safety during the eclipse.
Avon Lake’s population is set to triple in size on April 8 and will likely surpass even that estimate, Fach said, adding it is imperative that the city puts safety first in their plans for the eclipse.
“Jan. 24 will be focused on the police department, and the plans sort of surrounding traffic, and things like that,” Fach said. “The Feb. 22 (talk) will also be focused on police, but we’ll also have the fire department present, to be able to share their plans.”
Fach said that Avon Lake has tried their best to plan for the amount of traffic that the city will have on April 8. Additionally, the city has sought out a private security firm to make sure everything goes smoothly on the big day.
“We put a plan in place with the personnel that we have,” he said. “We also have hired a private security company to help us, not only with the watch party, but also traffic. We are really trying to plan for a high volume of traffic.”
Fach also noted that the city has been working with nearby communities, such as Sheffield Lake, Bay Village and Avon, to try to mitigate traffic flow concerns.
The two community forums will also include information for visitors coming from out of town, out of state, or even out of the country.
“There will be things from out of towners (at the forums) as well,” he said. “Part of this is working with the hospitals, the urgent cares and doctors’ offices. All of those folks may need those types of services when they come.”
Fach urged people coming from out of town to book sooner, rather than later. He noted that most hotels in Avon Lake, Lorain County and the Cleveland metropolitan area as a whole are already mostly booked for the day of the eclipse.
Fach said that he is excited for visitors to experience Avon Lake and “totality’s best seat” in northern Ohio.
“We really have tried to think about just about everything, but obviously, it’s impossible to truly include it all,” he said. “Really, it’s a way to share what we have planned, as far as safety and security goes, as well as any concerns that there might be.”
The Jan. 24 and Feb. 22 “Totality Talks” forums will take place at 7 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. respectively. Both events will be held at Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd. The events will also be recorded and shared at later dates for out-of-town visitors.
