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Total Solar Eclipse: A First Of Many For New Fanatic

Utah Public Radio News Director Kerry Bringhurst traveled to Aspen, Wyoming for Monday’s solar eclipse. She parked in a field near the Palisades Reservoir. Next to her was a brother and his two sisters who grew up together in California. Now living apart, they gathered in Wyoming for a family reunion. Their children and grandchildren had taped protective viewing glasses to decorated paper plates, cut out a small nose hole and then tied the gear to their heads.

A father and his three children from Germany camped at the state park overnight. In the morning they took a swim in the reservoir before setting up their camera to photograph the merging of the moon over the sun. 

One family from Cedar Hills, Utah traveled all night with five children. After arriving at 1 o'clock Monday morning they slept in their van.

There was a couple from Canada preparing a breakfast of eggs and bread as they waited for the eclipse. Other groups threw Frisbees and played Corn Hole. 

Scientist were setting up measurement instrumentation for NASA to gather data that will be used to assess temperature variations and solar activity. And helicopters flew overhead, for reasons unknown to spectators below.

And, plans were made by Bringhurst and others she met, to gather again on July 2, 2019 for the next total eclipse in Argentina. A fanatic was born. 

At 14-years-old, Kerry began working as a reporter for KVEL “The Hot One” in Vernal, Utah. Her radio news interests led her to Logan where she became news director for KBLQ while attending Utah State University. She graduated USU with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and spent the next few years working for Utah Public Radio. Leaving UPR in 1993 she spent the next 14 years as the full time mother of four boys before returning in 2007. Kerry and her husband Boyd reside in Nibley.