Ready or not the total solar eclipse is coming our way on April 8! We can confidently say that most of Chautauqua County is ready. This is thanks in large part to Chautauqua County Emergency Management Director Noel Guttman, County Executive PJ Wendel, the Martz-Kohl Observatory, and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau. Along with our staff at the Chamber of Commerce, these individuals and organizations have made a point of urging local organizations, individuals, and businesses to be prepared. Preparation includes planning ahead for traffic, supplies, and eye protection.

Here in Chautauqua County, we have dozens of businesses and organizations going out of their way to host eclipse watch events, open extra hours, and provide fun and interesting activities around this incredible celestial event. The Chamber of Commerce and the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau have assembled lists of places that are holding special events and/or special hours during the eclipse weekend and the day of the event. You can find information online at www.chautauquachamber.org and www.tourchautauqua.com.

For businesses and organizations hosting eclipse watch parties, this coming week is your last chance to stock up on supplies. Restaurants may want to be prepared for extra guests. Local hotels and other guest accommodations are mostly sold out, and visitors will be seeking places to eat and shop during their stays.

With an influx of tourist traffic anticipated for the eclipse, Chautauqua County government proactively purchased thousands of special eclipse glasses. By using Occupancy Tax funding – paid by past visitors to our county – they were able to acquire eclipse glasses for residents and visitors alike. They are ISO certified and meet the international standard for safe viewing of the sun. These glasses are available for free through most municipalities, libraries, and through the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. Here are some safety tips for using them:

Do not look directly at the sun without proper eye protection

Regular sunglasses – even very dark ones – will not protect your eyes for solar viewing.

Limit sun viewing, even with eclipse glasses, to three minutes of continuous use – or intermittently over several hours.

If you wear regular prescription glasses, put the solar eclipse glasses OVER your normal glasses.

Supervise children to make sure they are using them properly.

Once the eclipse is in totality, you can take off the glasses. Put them back on when the sun starts to show again.

Use a solar eclipse lens filter over all camera lenses, including a phone camera, to avoid damage to your lens. Do not view the eclipse through binoculars or a telescope.

Emergency Services Director Noel Guttman is urging people to prepare as you would for a winter storm. Traffic tie-ups are anticipated, especially on major roads where people will be heading to and from eclipse viewing areas. The path of totality includes Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY and congested traffic is expected on roads in that vicinity.

The eclipse will start as a partial eclipse just after 2pm, and totality will begin somewhere between 3:15 and 3:18, depending on your location. The duration of totality will range from about 2 minutes 30 seconds along the southern edge of the path in New York State to 3 minutes 45 seconds along the Lake Erie shoreline, which is closer to the center of the path. Even on a cloudy day, the sky will get dark as if it was night.

We are all keeping our fingers crossed for good weather and clear skies as Chautauqua County gets to participate in one of the most amazing events of our lifetimes. We urge one and all to enjoy it safely!

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT MAZZA CHAUTAUQUA CELLARS IS APRIL 11

We are already anticipating a great crowd for our next Business After Hours, to be held from 5-6:30pm, Thursday, April 11 at Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Route 20 in Westfield. Join us for this networking opportunity where you can meet businesspeople from all over the county in a delightful setting. Chamber member businesses can send two people at no charge. For non-members or anyone above the two-person limit, the price is $10. Advance registration is not required but is appreciated for our planning purposes and will get your name and business included in our Who’s Who in the Room list. Business After Hours at Mazza is sponsored by Mazza Chautauqua Cellars, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, Observer, The Post-Journal, and R & R Property Services & Landscaping. Sign up now through our web calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE BREAKFAST APRIL 19

The Chamber is pleased to once again host County Executive PJ Wendel for the interactive annual County Executive Breakfast. This is an opportunity for local businesspeople to join us for a candid question and answer session. It will be held at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Celoron. Check-in will begin at 8am, with breakfast and the program to start at 8:30. The price is $25 for Chamber members or $29 for non-members. Advance registration is required. The County Executive Breakfast is sponsored by Brooks-TLC Hospital System/Kaleida Health, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, Community Bank, County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, DFT Communications, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown Mattress, LaBella Associates, Media One Radio Group, National Grid, Observer, Phillips Lytle, The Post-Journal, Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, Southern Tier Environments for Living, and UPMC Chautauqua.