Some Binghamton Area School Dismissals On Tap For April 8th

Are you excited for the big event on April 8, 2024? Many are, and some are just shrugging their shoulder with a no-big-deal response. Each to their own, I suppose.

As you know April 8th is the day of the huge anticipated solar eclipse. According to Click 2 Houston.com, every 50 years, only 5 percent of the world gets a total solar eclipse. So your chances of seeing one again where you live, are slim to none.

It will be a treat to see for those on its narrow path across the United States. While our part of New York's Southern Tier will not be in 100 percent totality, we will be at 97 percent.

The eclipse should begin its flight through our area around 2:10 p.m. with the maximum particle eclipse occurring around 3:23 p.m. and completely gone by around 4:38 p.m

In a previous article, I explained that many school districts in New York State are either giving their students a day off or early dismissal due to the solar eclipse.

It ranges from giving the students a chance to be home to observe the eclipse or because that school would be letting out around the eclipse cycle time, and it would be best to avoid the anticipated heavy traffic during that time.

Since the Greater Binghamton area will be close to a total eclipse, some local schools have also opted for early dismissals. According to the Binghamton Home Page website, Binghamton, Vestal, Maine-Endwell, Johnson City, Union-Endicott, Chenango Valley, Chenango Forks, Windsor, Deposit, Harpursville, and Susquehanna School districts are all dismissing students early.

Several local schools have the previous week off for spring break, so this is a nice bonus for those students. Check out the Binghamton Home Page article for exact dismissal times for each school in each school district. If your local school is not on this list, contact the district office for any information.

Binghamton Masonic Temple: An Exclusive Look Inside

It has been years since the historic Masonic Temple building on Binghamton's West Side was active. WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph toured the magnificent structure from top to bottom for a special photo gallery back in 2016.

Construction of the building at Main and Murray streets started in 1922 and it opened the following year. It was used for a wide range of events for several decades but it has been vacant for many years.

Although the building now is more than a century old, it appears to be structurally sound. But as our tour revealed, plenty of work is needed to bring the place back to life.

Gallery Credit: Bob Joseph/WNBF News