2017 Great American Eclipse – Do you have plans to view in Wilber and Crete?

You have read it in previous articles, you have seen it on Facebook, seen it on TV and heard it while listening to the radio but do you know the span of the phenomenon that is coming through our town?

On August 21st a total solar eclipse will make its path through the United States for the first time in almost 40 years. Wilber and Crete are two of the most prime viewing locations in the state of Nebraska at 2 minutes and 36 seconds of totality, only 4 seconds shorter than the longest totality in Illinois of 2 minutes and 40 seconds. The last total solar eclipse that was viewable in the United States was February 26, 1979 when darkness fell on the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and parts of North Dakota. This time around it is our turn to witness the darkness!

What is a total solar eclipse? A total eclipse of the sun, also known as “totality”, occurs when the Moon lines up perfectly in front of the Sun completely blocking the Sun from our view. In order to safely view the eclipse, you must wear special glasses. No one should ever look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection. Sunglasses will not provide this level of protection. The partial eclipse will last approximately 90 minutes before and after the eclipse beginning at 11:36:46am. The drop in temperature and the sky darkening will signify the totality approaching. If any part of the Sun is visible the glasses must be worn.

The Wilber Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Crete Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Saline Solar Shadow, a weekend long event celebrating this once in a lifetime event. OSI certified glasses are currently available for $1 a piece by Wilber and Crete Chambers at Food Mesto, First State Bank, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Downtown Family Vision in Wilber and The Crete Chamber office, Ace Hardware, Heath Sports and Great Western Bank in Crete. Saline Solar Shadow t-shirts are also available for pre-order by contacting Heath Sports at 402.826.5187 or by visiting our website at www.wilberchamberofcommerce.com.

Czech Days is also right around the corner and as always we are having our annual vehicle raffle. This year we will be raffling off a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 4×4. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Fritz’s Bar and Grill, The Wilber Republican, Barnas Drug, First State Bank, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Frank’s Smokehouse, Wilber Body Shop, Wilber Plumbing, Heating, & Air, and Western United Mutual Ins. or by mailing a check to; Wilber Chamber of Commerce, Attn: Vehicle Raffle, PO Box 1164, Wilber, NE 68465 (please include your phone number if not on the check).

With everything that Wilber has to offer in August, there’s no better time than now to visit our historic town!

Busy schedules and hot weather must mean summer is in full swing. The Wilber Chamber of Commerce would like to extend an invitation to all community members to join us for some exciting events coming up this summer.

Bring your family and friends to the Wilber Care Center on Sunday, July 2nd for the annual 4th of July Celebration and Community Barbeque. It will be an evening filled with food, fun, and fireworks.

Tickets will soon be available for the annual Czech Days Vehicle Raffle. This year, we will raffle off a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 4X4.

Mark your calendars for August 19th – 21st for an epic weekend ending in totality – the Saline Solar Shadow. In partnership with the Crete Chamber, we are hosting a variety of events commemorating the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st . Visit our website for a complete schedule of events including a fun run, pancake feeds, educational panels, street dance, BBQ cook-off, volleyball tournament, shopping, eclipse viewing and more.

In preparation for the Saline Solar Shadow, here are a few facts:

• A total eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon lines up perfectly in front of the sun completely blocking the sun from our view.

• Wilber is in the direct line of the eclipse and will experience 2 minutes and 36 seconds of totality at 1:01:36pm on August 21, 2017. A partial eclipse will begin at 11:36:46am.
• In order to safely view the eclipse, one must have special glasses and lenses. Eclipse glasses are designed to protect one’s eyes during the partial eclipse and will allow one to monitor the entire eclipse leading up to totality.
• As long as any bright part of the sun is visible, proper eye protection must be worn. Saline Solar Shadow eclipse glasses will be available at select local businesses leading up to the event as well as available at the viewing locations the day of the event.

The next few months are busy ones for Wilber and the Chamber. Grab your calendars so that you don’t miss any of these events.

Last year Wilber got the opportunity to host UNL’s Harvest of History. Community members were given the opportunity to bring in heirlooms to find out there worth. This year UNL will be coming back to town to give a presentation on their findings. The presentation will be April 27th at the Wilber Cultural Center, starting at 7pm.

On May 5th and 6th Wilber will be having our Community Garage Sales. Everyone is welcome to participate. If you are interested in being on the map please contact Dee Drake at 402.239.3679 or email to wilberchamber@gmail.com. The fee to be on the map is $5. The deadline to have your name on the map is April 30, 2017.

Come to the Legion Park in Wilber on May 20th to celebrate National Armed Forces Day and for the dedication of the NEW Legion Building.

The Louis-Milan American Legion and Auxiliary Unit #101 organized another successful Easter Egg hunt this year on April 15 th . The Wilber Chamber gave their members the opportunity to sponsor egg this year for the hunt. We had some great prizes and some extra candy for the kids. Thank you to the following businesses for sponsoring eggs; Abbi Coffey – 202 HairDo, Barnas Drug, Food Mesto, Karen’s Salon, Downtown Family Vision, Wilber Physical Therapy, LLC, Great Western Bank, Legends of Clatonia, Western United Mutual Insurance Association, Wilber Body Shop and Florian Essentials.

A huge thanks to all of the Grand Prize sponsors; Waddell & Reed, Inc., Linda Sue Placek, CFP® (bike with training wheels), Franks Smokehouse (Scooter), Public Heath Solutions (Bike helmet gift basket), Wilber Czech Craft Shop (Hat and Crown), and Wilber Care Center (Outdoors gift basket).

Other upcoming events are the Annual Downtown Scavenger Hunt in June and the Saline Solar Shadow Event, August 19th through 21st . To stay up to date on all of our upcoming events please like us on Facebook or check out our website at http://www.wilberchamberofcommerce.com/.