June 7, 2023 Breakfast Meeting Notes

 

Tony trivia: The Hills are alive with the sound of music edition!

 

50/50: Lora won and donated to Tom’s tip

Mike won the chance to drew for the card game but drew the queen of spades instead of the game. The game goes on.

 

Alex brought a guest, Dave Gosslin.

 

Alicia introduced the transition grant recipients who spoke about their projects. Allie Johnson will be working at the Circle Program as a day staff nurse this summer and then will work as an LNA while in school for allied health fields with a hope of becoming a PA eventually. She will use her grant to buy a laptop. Ashley Bannon will be working as a nursing assistant at Midstate starting June 12. She will get her medical assistant license there. We are giving her scrubs and she will be buying sneakers. Jake Killian will be working at Camp Deerwood, which he has attended for 7 years. He will be cleaning up at the camp and this grant will help him to buy tools and equipment to repair the buildings at camp.

 

Our speaker today is Sally Jensen, speaking about upcoming eclipses. She is a Nasa Solar System Ambassador. There are 3 types of solar eclipses: total, annular, and partial. On October 14 of this year New Hampshire will have an annular eclipse (this will be a partial eclipse,, covering between 20-25% of the sun). On Monday, April 8, 2024 we will have a total solar eclipse in the northern part of NH; it will be 97-98% in central NH.  The total eclipse will begin at 1:30, peak 3:30, and end at 5:30. The entire country will experience the eclipse at some level. The next one  visible in New Hampshire will be in 55 years!

 

Why are eclipses so important? During the total eclipse, scientists can study the corona, which they can’t normally see. 

 

There tend to be a lot of people watching an eclipse. During the last solar eclipse in the US, in 2017, whole highways out west had to be closed down because they were clogged with people parking their cars to watch the spectacle. Here in northern New Hampshire we only have 2 routes heading into the north, so hopefully the state will be prepared to handle the traffic. Governor Sununu signed a bill proclaiming April 8, 2024 as Solar Eclipse Day and there are initiatives to be sure that the public is informed about this event. Rick Yeames started this program right after the last eclipse in 2017. They already have a poem, a song, and a special “Eclipse Mobile” with the eclipse painted on the hood and the planets and stars on the trunk. There is also a solar eclipse ambassador program for students to teach friends and families about the eclipse. They are teaching students in the schools and at the MacAuliffe Center how to use the special eclipse-viewing glasses. Remember that you should NEVER look at an eclipse with the naked eye (sunglasses do not provide enough protection).

 

We need to think about how can we get Plymouth prepared for the eclipse. There will likely be a lot of visitors to central and northern New Hampshire, so we need to think about lodging, traffic, and viewing The eclipse will happen rain or shine. We may want to be involved with distributing glasses (they are inexpensive right now but the price will go up after the partial eclipse this fall serves as a warning for the total eclipse in the spring.) SEU 48 already has the glasses for its students. We should think about how we can partner with local businesses, schools, libraries to promote safe enjoyment of the eclipse.

 

Fisher Cats Game to benefit Common Man for Ukraine: Mike, Alex, Denise, Beth, Ken Evans, all helped out…thanks! We will get $2000-$3000 from ticket receipts, and $1200 from the sale of caps and tickets. 

 

Beth reminded us that the Changeover dinner is coming on Wednesday June 21. Cocktails will be at 6 and dinner at 7. Price is $40 per ticket. Please let Beth or Mike know TODAY if you will be coming. They will notify the Barn of our final count tomorrow and that is the amount the final number. So if you sign up and don’t attend, you will still be responsible for the $40.

 

Today is New Hampshire Gives day. Give to your favorite New Hampshire Charity!

 

Saturday, June 17 is district changeover. Mike and Denise will be going. Denise has an extra ticket…let her know if you would like to attend.  It will be held from 5-9 pm at Lake Morey. Dress colorfully and brightly.

 

Kane cleanup report: 36 bags of trash were collected! Interesting finds included parts of a car, and an intact wallet from a Florida resident. Bud Light was the most-commonly encountered type of can.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lora Miller, secretary