NR - **PA/Pennsic Drought Problems***

[Jerry Mapes]

This is collected from a series of emails on the Rialto concerning
Pennsic
and current weather conditions. For those going I hope you find it
helpful. Also if you know others going that are not on the Rialto or
your Local/Kingdom lists, you may wish to pass it on to them. The best
advice under these conditions is simply to use common sense.

Ld. Tristan de Rochebrune
Shire of Bois d'Arc
Kingdom of Calontir


MOST, but not all of PA is under drought emergency. Butler county,
where Pennsic is held, is under drought warning, which is one step
below drought emergency. Of course this can change.
This information is from the PA website and the url is:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/hotopics/drought/drought.htm

For Pennsic goers, please be aware that a drought warning has been
declared in PA.  Coopers Lake has well water, but may be under
conservation by the time Pennsic rolls around.  
How this MIGHT effect you:

1)  Bottled water will be at a premium.  Most people in the area have
well
water and will be conserving by using bottled water.  Please think about
forgoing some extras and packing water.

2)  The swimming hole will probably not be there.  The Rivers are at
their
lowest in 35 years.  I haven't been to Cooper's to check this out,
though.

3)  Be careful in the wooded areas.  Now the entire region is having a
third or fourth record tick year - more reported increases in dogticks
and spotted ticks than deer ticks throughout the Northeast. Spotted and
deer ticks can carry, respectively Rocky Mountain spotted tick fever and
Lyme disease, but neither is a particularly new threat. These tend to be
grasslands crawlies and not woodlands crawlies. There has been also a
talk of possible rabies problems. THIS IS UNCONFIRMED. But still take
precautions where you or the youngers may become involved with wild
critters.

4)  The local crops are failing - there probably won't be much in the
way of local produce to buy.

Most of the conservation efforts should not effect Pennsic.  Keep an eye
out for PA to declare water rationing though if this drought goes on for
much longer (and it looks like it may).  


I believe the West Kingdom Fire Rules, designed to cope with this
kind of conditions, are posted on the web.  Pennsic-goers might find
them edifying.  
http://www.west.sca.org/fire.html .
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