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up front Wednesday 21 august 2019

Area 51 events in Nevada prompt emergency crowd planning

how far our resources are “We don’t want them go- require festival and event
going to go,” he said. “A ing down to government organizers to submit final
lot of it is equipment and property; it will probably be plans to the Lincoln County
financing. The county only blocked off,” he said. “We Commission by Sept. 3.
has so much money to don’t want civilian people “They have to have their
deal with.” in contact with the military security, medical, parking
Higbee said visitors should at all. That will get ugly.” plans and few other things
not to try to enter Area 51. The conditional permits (ready),” Higbee said.q

In this July 22, 2019 file photo, Linda Looney wipes her face
outside of the Alien Research Center, a gift shop on the
Extraterrestrial Highway, in Crystal Springs, Nev.
Associated Press

Continued from Front ter souvenir shop in Hiko,
a town of about 120 a
“Oh, we’re taking this se- 45-minute drive from Ra-
riously,” Lincoln County chel, plans a Sept. 20-21
Commission Chairman Var- exposition.
lin Higbee told the Las Ve- The events evolved from
gas Review-Journal . “With an internet post inviting
the possibility of 35,000 to people to run into the re-
40,000 people showing up, mote test area in the Ne-
yeah, this is serious.” vada desert that has long
County officials are con- been the focus of UFO con-
cerned that a surge of visi- spiracy theories.
tors will crowd campsites, County Sheriff Kerry Lee
gas stations and public said Tuesday he was meet-
medical, internet and cell- ing with state emergency
phone services. Officials planning officials.
count just 184 hotel rooms County officials have also
in the county nearly twice met with officials from
the size of the Connecticut. the Las Vegas Metropoli-
“The cellphone system is tan Police Department in
going to go down,” Higbee Clark County, the sheriffs of
said. “You get more than White Pine and Nye coun-
a couple of hundred peo- ties, and the Nevada High-
ple there, and it’s going to way Patrol.
crash. Cell service won’t be Eric Holt, county emergen-
available.” cy manager, asked com-
The Little A’Le’Inn in the missioners to “pre-sign” the
community of Rachel, pop- emergency declaration.
ulation about 50, is sched- Higbee, who has author-
uling a three-day music ity to invoke a declaration,
festival Sept. 20-22 dubbed said it would let Lincoln
Alienstock. Hotel co-owner County seek financial help
Connie West has said she’s and emergency personnel
expecting 10,000 people. from the state.
The Alien Research Cen- “We don’t know where or