OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Office for the Aging (OFA) announces changes to some of its services on Monday, April 8, due to increased traffic expected by the total solar eclipse.
“The solar eclipse is anticipated to bring many visitors to Oswego County,” said OFA Director Sara Sunday. “Heavy traffic is expected, especially in the afternoon and into the evening. As a result, we have made some slight changes to our home delivered meal program and congregate dining sites on April 8. Seniors will not be missing out on any meals but instead will get them at a different time.”
Residents in the city of Oswego who receive home delivered meals will not receive meals on Monday, April 8. Instead, on Friday, April 5, they will be provided with an extra meal along with their usual Friday meal.
All other home delivered meals – for residents who live outside the city of Oswego – will be delivered one hour earlier than usual on April 8.
In addition, OFA congregate dining sites in Fulton, Phoenix and Parish will be open on April 8, but will serve lunch at 11 a.m. instead of noon. Seniors are encouraged to depart meal sites by 1 p.m. at the latest to avoid heavy traffic.
The OFA also offers tips for older residents to make sure they’re ready for this unique event.
“We advise our seniors to avoid making appointments for April 8, as traffic congestion may cause delays,” said Sunday. “If seniors want to avoid crowds, they should consider getting their groceries and picking up their medications before that day. For residents planning to watch the eclipse, it is essential they have safe eyewear for viewing. It’s also important to note that during the eclipse’s period of totality, the sky will turn dark, similar to when it is dusk or dawn.”
The total eclipse will be viewable throughout Oswego County, with start and end times for the event varying by location. Generally, it begins shortly after 2 p.m. locally, with totality starting and ending shortly before 3:30 p.m. Following totality, the eclipse continues as the moon moves across the sun, before concluding shortly after 4:30 p.m.
To avoid serious eye or vision injury, seniors should have safe eclipse glasses or a hand-held solar viewer to watch the eclipse before and after totality. Only special purpose solar filters that comply with the transmittance requirements of the ISO 12312-2 international standard allow people to safely look directly at the sun.
Some events and community centers such as libraries may have free eclipse glasses for the public while supplies last. The OFA will have a limited number of glasses to distribute at its March community hours held throughout the county. People can also get up to five free pairs of eclipse glasses from the Oswego County Tourism office while supplies last. The office is located on the third floor of the Oswego County Legislative Office Building, 46 E. Bridge St., Oswego.
Eclipse glasses are also available for sale at Wegman’s, select Walmart locations and other retailers. It’s important to check that eclipse glasses are marked with the ISO 12312-2 international standard to ensure eye safety. For details about safer solar filters and viewers, visit the American Astronomical Society’s eclipse website at https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters.
Along with solar viewers, people traveling to watch the eclipse should bring drinking water, snacks and extra layers of clothing or blankets for expected temperature changes. Seniors should pay attention to the weather forecast and dress in layers.
For more details about the eclipse, visit the Oswego County Tourism eclipse webpage at https://visitoswegocounty.com/eclipse/.
For information for seniors, contact the Oswego County Office for the Aging at 315-349-3484.
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