Page 5 - Spring 2024

The Maine Eclipse, continued

welcoming visitors to our community.

The Committee understood the perils these plans faced
with the Eclipse date coinciding with Maine’s infamous
mud season. They prepared and readied for the worst
of weather with tents, parking, transportation, lodging
options, alternative venue and viewing opportunities to
accommodate visitors in less than ideal conditions. The
team carefully planned with local, state and national
resources along with support from the local health
care community to ensure the safety and security of all Karen Donato ’69, Ambassador Fred Grant ’88
participants, visitors and residents. In the days leading Member and Kate Snow, NBC News Photo from Maine Eclipse Web Site
up to the big event, Mother Nature challenged the Photo submitted by Karen Donato
Eclipse Committee’s resolve with the worst April weather
Maine has seen in years. While the snow, rain and cold
conditions lingered for over three days bleeding into
the Festival Weekend, not one committee member
flinched. Each member continued to push forward with
a positive attitude tweaking the plans ever so slightly
to accommodate
the rapidly changing
environment.

The Gateway Temple Theater, NASA Scientists in Houlton
to Live Stream Eclipse
Ambassadors led by Site of NASA Streaming Team. Photo by Paula Woodworth ‘70
Photo by Paula Woodworth ’70
long time Houlton headquarters in the brand-new Maine Visitor Center
resident, Cis Rhoda, in Houlton Plaza to welcome visitors there, too. Karen

Donato ‘69, director of the Agricultural Museum,
energized their volunteers to assist. The owner of
WHOU radio, Market Pizza and Temple Theater, Fred
Grant ’88, organized parking and opened the Temple
Cis Rhoda, Ambassador Committee Chair to streaming services for NASA representatives. Nancy
and Weather Channel Meteorologist.
Submitted Photo Ketch ’82 provided her years of experience in event
planning and grant writing to capture grant monies
set up a central headquarters including generous donations by the Aaron A. and
in what many will remember Maria H. Putnam Trust providing seed money to the
as the former Bither’s Clothing Eclipse effort and to the Gateway Ambassador program.
store located in the French She also obtained a Simons Foundation grant to fund
Block compliments of current an educational center, The BioBus, and to fund the
building owner, Mark Hatfield building of an enormous eclipse glasses monument.
’84. They set up a secondary Headquarters Ready to Open
Photo submitted by Cis Rhoda New resident and co-owner of County Micro, Nina

www.houltonalumni.com 5