Big party at Wild Center kicked off “Totality in Tupper” weekend celebration

by Dan McClelland

The Total Eclipse kick-off party Saturday at the Wild Center brought together many residents and weekend visitors to celebrate this once in a life time event in Tupper Lake.

The Wild Center was joined in co-sponsorship of this welcome party by the Adirondack Sky Center, the Tupper Lake Rotary Club, Woodmen Life Lodge, Blueline Concerts and the Tupper Lake Public Library. Each of the sponsors had booths set up with some of their informational products and large prizes which were the subject of online auctions that evening.

Hillarie Logan-Dechene, deputy director of the Wild Center, addressed the 150 or so guests that evening in the Wild Center’s great room, telling them there were three simple goals that evening.

“We want to have fun celebrating Totality in Tupper Lake. We want to shine a light on some of the great things that are happening in our community and the organizations that are making that possible. -And thirdly we want to give you a chance to support all the organizations you love with the silent auction.”

“Bid early and bid often,” she encouraged the guests. She said the procedure to bid was detailed on numerous signs in the room that evening, and staff members and volunteers were available to help.

Following her to the podium that evening were representatives of some of the Wild Center’s event partners, many of whom have spent what she called “countless hours” preparing for the eclipse event.

“The first person you will hear from is the epitome of that, Tupper Lake’s number one fan of totality, Mr. Seth McGowan,” chairman of the Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory.

Loud applause.

“Welcome everyone and welcome to Totality in Tupper Lake. The year 1349 was the last time we had this party,” he told the cheering guests.

He jokingly encouraged the guests to buy their tickets that evening for the next total solar eclipse coming to Tupper Lake in 2399. “I hope you’re here for it...I’m getting my tickets for it tonight!”

“Let’s talk about the big issue: the weather! Everyone is looking around...we have snow on the ground, we have clouds. You know what? The eclipse doesn’t care!”

He said the eclipse will occur if snow is falling. He said it will still get dark and it will still get cold.

It is estimated the temperature drops between 5 degrees and 15 degrees F. during a total eclipse.

“Animals often act weird...humans sometimes go weird- you know who I’m talking to, right?” pointing out into the crowd. “Pplus because of the instability in the atmosphere when that cloud comes moving 2500 miles an hour, it sometimes causes thunder and lightening and there’s an amazing array of light. It’s a beautiful event- even if there’s clouds. Don’t stay at home!”

He predicted “a bright sunny day and we’ll all get to celebrate that beautiful corona together (ring around the sun). So let’s pray for that and if we don’t get it, who cares? We’re still going to celebrate!”

On the note of celebration, he said “Totality in Tupper” is a community-wide event where his organization partnered with all of the organizations represented that evening.

“We have partnered with all of these organizations here plus the village, the town, the local newspaper and The Wild Center.

He said he hope those able partnerships last until the next one in 2399. “They have all helped put Tupper Lake on the map!”

He offered a special shout-out to Michelle Clement, marketing director of ROOST and the ROOST staff “for not only helping to bring many tourists to Tupper Lake for the event, but for their work spreading the word to bring many visitors this weekend to the entire Adirondack region.

“Finally I’d like to acknowledge that this is the event that the Adirondack Sky Center has hoping for, for a long, long time. We’ve been planning this since 2017, the last time the total eclipse happened across the United States.

Mr. McGowan and his family were at that event in Hopkinsville, Kentucky that year.

“This one is special because it’s happening in our own hometown!

Tupper Lake is positioned in the direct center of the 2,000 plus mile long, 100 mile wide “Path of Totality” that stretched from Texas to Maine, diagonally across this nation.

He said his organization has a very supportive board of trustees and that some of the founding members, including co-founders Marc Staves and Tim Moeller were in the room that evening. He also mentioned Gordie Duval and other observatory visionaries.

“What a tremendous idea this was to form our organization 24 years ago...when this little idea blossomed into an enormous lift for Tupper Lake. What a positive idea (the creation of the observatory organization) for the entire community!”

“I want everyone to enjoy themselves this evening. I’d like to thank the Wild Center for hosting this. Thanks everyone for coming and we’ll see you at 2:12p.m. Monday,” for the start of the eclipse.

Mr. McGowan introduced the next speaker, Susan Delehanty, president of the board of directors of Tupper Arts.

The local arts center on Park Street hosted an impressive art show at its headquarters the evening before that drew several dozen area artists with works themed about “darkness.”

“I wanted to start by giving a community shout-out” to Seth and his team at the sky center for their help in organizing this event and to the Wild Center for its role too, she began that evening.

“It was just over a year ago that Seth invited Tupper Arts to be part of the planning group for this event, and we were very touched to be involved with this!”

“Some of you may have attended our art show that opened last night. Thanks to the hard work of Evie Longhurst, our director, and all of our volunteers and our board members, to put together” one of the first events of this exciting weekend. She said her organization also appreciated being invited to be part of that evening’s online auction.”

She hoped everyone that evening would have a chance to see all the wonderful pieces at the various stations hosted by the participating organizations, and bid, and possibly be one of the successful bidders.

“We’re all looking forward to a nice sunny day on Monday, but as Seth explained, that doesn’t really matter! -And have fun tonight!”

She introduced Therese DeSalvio from the Historic Beth Joseph-based Blueline Concerts.

She explained the concert series will run this year at the local synagogue, the first performance that evening at the same time as the Wild Center party. “If you have been there, it’s a wonderful place to visit to learn its history, and we like it for concerts because the acoustics are absolutely beautiful.”

She said the entire interior is made of wood, “and the musicians who perform there love it!”

That evening’s concert will be repeated for the benefit of all who missed it Saturday on August 20, she told the crowd at the Wild Center. Party.

Another concert in the series is planned for August 15, according to Ms. DeSalvio.

“We bring up top- notch musicians from the city to perform and sometimes from the musical community at Potsdam.”

She encouraged everyone here to come out this summer and enjoy them.

The final speaker was Libby Clark, the development director at the Wild Center.

“First of all thank you for supporting this event. -And thank you also to our sponsors and to our many volunteers!”

She explained to the audience that evening how to bid online for the variety of paintings and other valuable donated prizes at the sponsors’ stations around the great room that evening.

“The proceeds from the sale of the auction items go to the organizations” that donated those keepsake items for the evening’s event.

She pointed to one of the unique gifts up for auction that evening: Larry Churco’s snowshoe coffee table, the proceeds from which will go to Tupper Arts.

The money raised by another special prize, a private star-gazing party, will benefit its host, the Adirondack Sky Museum and Observatory.

She pointed the guests, unfamiliar with the online bidding process, to the many posters in the room with instructions printed on them, and to the volunteers around the room who were there to help.

She told guests too the silent disco was planned later that evening, as well as the films being screened in the Flammer Theater.

The event featured complimentary drinks and an elaborate buffet of hors d’ oeuvres.

Also highlighting the evening were a number of door prizes awarded.