, Reporter
06-24-2009
In anticipation of this year’s Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival, I have loaded up on tons of sunscreen (in person, my skin probably has as much color as it does in the black and white photo you see to your right).
You also need to plan for what you will need.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 100 degrees on Saturday, and the weather will only feel hotter because of all the nearby concrete.
Organizers are going out of their way to keep people who attend as comfortable and as safe as possible, but they also want visitors to use some of their own basic common sense.
I have lived out of state for many years and haven’t attended a Peach Festival in a long time. My mind’s eye cannot fathom 3,000 people crowding up Railroad Park, but it’s been done before, and it likely will be done again for the Ricky Skaggs concert.
Lt. Curtis Hawkins, spokesman for the Ruston Police Department, offers the following safety tips for people who plan to attend this weekend’s festival:
• Slow down and watch for pedestrians. Hawkins said this is the city’s busiest time of year, and one will find foot traffic all over the city, especially in the downtown area. Hawkins asks that drivers watch for people crossing roadways. A lot of visitors from out of town are probably unfamiliar with Ruston.
• Parents need to make sure they keep track of their children.
• Drink plenty of water before and during the festival. Wear a hat if you can and take frequent breaks. Go indoors and shop at area stores instead of staying outside all the time. Paramedics respond to several heat-related injuries at every festival, Hawkins said.
• Motorists should park away from private property, especially because they risk having their vehicles towed. Don’t park on the street. Make sure you aren’t blocking driveways, fireplugs or fire hydrants.
• Do not park on railroad property, especially around gate crossings. Some past visitors have parked their vehicles underneath railroad barricades, and that is not allowed, Hawkins said.
Volunteer officers with the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office will have a multi-seat electric cart available to transport people who need help during any heat-related emergencies. Organizers have asked medical personnel to remain available for similar emergencies. People who need a place to cool off may also take advantage of misting stations, said Scott Terry, president of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.
Terry also wants to remind people that they may not bring ice chests to the festival. Representatives with Community Trust Bank, however, will have a tent set up at the festival and offer bottled water.
Many people from south Louisiana are coming because of a large marketing campaign, so know that each of you is representing north Louisiana (often the forgotten part of the state). Please represent it well. Don’t be rude or crass. Give people in south Louisiana more of a reason to want to come up here (because it’s amazing how many south Louisiana residents have told me that they have never set foot in this part of the state).
Organizers will make air-conditioned port-a-potties available for people who need another place to cool off. I shouldn’t have to ask — but please don’t go in there solely for the air-conditioning.
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