At a private meeting with Watkins Glen residents near the festival site, Schuyler County Sheriff William Yessman and WGI racetrack President Michael Printup told neighbors that the festival organizers and local officials were prepared to deal with the crowds and traffic efficiently, according to an article in the (Elmira NY) Star-Gazette.

The Sheriff told the neighbors "not to expect another 1973", referring to the "Summer Jam" that year with the Dead, Allman Brothers and the Band and the estimated 600,000, mostly ticketless, who showed up. As a result, large outdoor concerts were banned in Schuyler County until last year. Sheriff Yessman said that he's "done more planning on this event than any other event I've been involved with in my 26 years on the job". The planning included attending Coachella last year to observe security operations and to monthly meetings that brought together representatives of emergency services, law enforcement, WGI and the Phish promoters.

Printup noted that the 60,000 cap was less than the NASCAR events at the track and that the WGI is experienced in handling large crowds and traffiic. The article also stated that WGI had filed a 400 page Environmental Impact Statement regarding potential impacts and mitigation of the Phish and other festivals WGI plans to host at the racetrack.

It would appear that, easy access wise, Superball IX will be more like Festival Eight at the Coachella site in Indio than the hours backup-ed, traffic-clogged festival gates at Limestone, ME, The Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, and the "Newport State Airport" in Coventry, VT. Sounds like good news to me!

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