LIMA, OH (WLIO) - With Lima being in the spotlight next year with the total eclipse, the Schoonover Observatory is getting a makeover before the crowds arrive!
The City of Lima is getting a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to spruce up the observatory. There will be improvements made to the building, dome, and telescope. Another part of the project will be the removal of 23 trees that have come to maturity and are now obstructing the view of the heavens. The city will be replacing those trees with 45 smaller species around the building and the park. City officials hope the renovations and the excitement of the eclipse bring more people to the facility.
"To continue to take care of the building and you know spark new interest in the kids in the community to get out there and see, look into the stars and the galaxies and beyond what's out there, and spark some interest," said Kirk Niemeyer, City of Lima
Niemeyer says they will go out to bid for the project in the next few weeks. He wants to remind residents once the trees come down, the new ones won't go in until fall.
The Schoonover Observatory is located at 670 N Jefferson St, Lima, OH 45801. You can learn more about the Schoonover Observatory on the Lima Astronomical Society's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Limaastronomicalsociety/.
