View the total eclipse in Cheatham County
Amy NixonNashville is the biggest city to go completely dark for the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, and in Cheatham County, residents will get to see complete totality for about two minutes, depending on where exactly you are located. The total eclipse is expected to begin around 1:26 p.m.
More: http://www.tennessean.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2017/03/21/total-solar-eclipse-august/99456238/
County residents will have multiple opportunities to watch the eclipse together as a community.
Pleasant View
In Pleasant View, where the totality should be somewhere around 2 minutes and 19 seconds, head to Pleasant View Community Park for Lunch Under the Stars. There will be food, games and music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event is sponsored by North Cheatham Civitan, Community Bank & Trust and Pleasant View Action Council. They are also looking for volunteers. Anyone interested in helping with parking or event coordination can visit www.fb.com/lunchunderthestars and click the "volunteers" link.
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor can click on the "sponsors" link. All excess proceeds will be donated for playground equipment at the Community Park for children with special needs.
Ashland City
In Ashland City, join in the fun at Riverbluff Park at Dark in the Park, sponsored by the Town of Ashland City. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. enjoy activities for the kids and grab a lunch from one of the food vendors, or bring your own lunch. The first 300 people will receive free eclipse shades or moon pies. The totality here is expected to be around 1 minute and 51 seconds.
The Cheatham County Public Library is planning to hold some solar system programs at the library. In exchange, the Space Science Center is expected to give the library 2,000 pairs of solar glasses to disperse among the community.
Kingston Springs
Kingston Springs will hold its viewing party at L.L. Burns Park. Details are still being worked out, but John Lawless, assistant city manager, said they planned to have food available and likely viewing glasses as well.
Hayshed Farms in Kingston Springs will be offering camping on their grounds Sunday night to Monday; or come for the day on Monday. They hope to have games and some educational programs on space. They're located at 1514 Kingston Springs Road.
South Cheatham Public Library will host an educational program about the total eclipse on at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 3. Guest speaker will be weather anchor and forecaster Lisa Spencer from WSMV Channel 4. Guests can also participate in fun activities like making "moon pizzas."
The library will have 200 pairs of viewing glasses to hand out at the program.
School District
The Cheatham County School District will be closed on Aug. 21, according to a statement made by the district July 18. Originally, the district had planned to be open and host viewing events for students and staff members in the Pleasant View area.
"One of the prime viewing areas for the solar eclipse is in Middle Tennessee, including Cheatham County. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to visit the area that day to seek the best possible view,” said Director of Schools Dr. Cathy Beck in the statement.
After consulting with the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security and Tennessee Highway Patrol, the district made the decision to close due to potential safety issues among students and the anticipation of increased traffic on local roadways throughout the day.
“The safety of our students is our top priority,” Beck said. “The unprecedented nature of an eclipse of this magnitude leaves many questions unanswered, and the unique and unfamiliar nature of the day is out of our control.”
The district also notes that several Middle Tennessee school districts that are in the direct path of the eclipse have decided to close that day as well.
Even though school will not be in session, the district will embrace this learning opportunity and the science phenomenon with excitement in the classroom leading up to the eclipse.
In addition, every student will receive solar eclipse glasses that are being recommended to wear while viewing the eclipse. The district will educate its students on the importance of wearing the glasses to ensure they will have an optimal and positive experience in viewing this phenomenon.
The district will use one of its 13 stockpile weather days to account for the day out of school.
The district’s daycares will be open that day, while the central office will be closed.
After-school activities, such as athletic practices and games, will continue as planned.
Cheatham County students and families are invited to watch the eclipse together at one of the many viewing events planned in the county.
Some things to keep in mind
Don't look directly at the sun, even when it is partially covered by the moon. So make sure to have eye protection during the eclipse.
According to space.com, some NASA representatives are predicting that Aug. 21 may be one of the worst traffic days in history. In fact, they predict that the traffic inside the path may actually double. So make sure you plan ahead if you are doing any traveling that day.