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Get Ready for another "Latitude Adjustment"!
2007 Winter Star Party
Saturday at Sunset
The 25th ANNUAL WINTER STAR
PARTY
February 21 - 28, 2009
Gate opens @ 12 pm on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009
The 25th Anniversary Winter Star Party already promises to be one to be remembered! Even now, WSP Staff are planning for the "BIG 25"! So, mark your calendars and get ready! Yes, this is going to be an 8 day event to mark the special occasion.
Get set for The Winter Star Party! The 25th Annual Winter Star Party is scheduled for February 21 - 28, 2009 at Camp Wesumkee, Florida, an 11 acre girl scout camp located on West Summerland Key (a.k.a. "Spanish Harbor Key") in the Florida Keys. Astrophotographers and amateur astronomers often bring their families from across the U.S. and around the globe to make it a truly international event. Southern winter skies are a real treat for our Canadian and northern friends!
The 8 day long "Stellar Star Party" includes vendors promoting their latest products for amateur astronomy, nationally recognized guest speakers, a popular "Kids Kamp", mirror-grinding lessons, the ever popular door prize giveaway on Friday afternoon and much more!
Registration / information kits will be mailed around early September 2008. November 15, 2008 is the deadline for WSP registration (postmarked). A $15 "late registration fee" will be charged per application after that date. Tickets are on a first-come first-served basis.
Mail your application ASAP as tickets are limited and the Winter Star Party is always sold out! Tickets can be transferred to someone else if your plans change (please notify the WSP Registrars if a ticket is transferred).
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The ANNUAL WINTER STAR PARTY
Established in 1984, the Annual WINTER STAR PARTY is held in the Florida Keys, and hosted by the Southern Cross Astronomical Society (SCAS), Inc., of Miami, Florida.
During a new moon week each February, approximately 650 amateur astronomers from around the world travel to the warm subtropics of the Florida Keys to enjoy nightly observing in 360º of clear steady night skies, exchange information and advice on the hobby, meet SCAS members and distinguished guest speakers, shop for astronomical equipment from the finest vendors in the country, participate in photo contests & workshops, go sightseeing in the "Conch Republic", and record the awesome beauty sparkling in the southern night skies.
TO REGISTER: Please contact the Winter Star Party Registrars listed above. The 2009 WSP Registration Materials will be mailed out in early September 2008. The Winter Star Party is scheduled February 21 - 28, 2009 and everyone must vacate the camp by 10am Sunday morning, March 1, 2009.
TRAVEL: Getting to the WSP is easy. From the Miami International Airport, it's 45 minutes on the Florida Turnpike south, followed by two hours on scenic Highway US-1 down the Florida Keys. Connecting flights to Key West (Marathon Airport no longer has scheduled air service) are also available, reducing driving time to under an hour.
We advise you NOT to make non-refundable travel plans until you have received confirmation of your registration.
WHERE TO STAY: The Girl Scout Campground has plenty of room for tent camping and a limited amount of room for RVs (see registration form for prices). Chickee bunks are also available. Each chickee sleeps six. The campground has showers and clean bathrooms, but this is not a resort and facilities are rustic.
If you prefer to stay off-site, there are several hotels on neighboring Keys (look for accommodations in Big Pine or Marathon).
Remember, this is the peak of tourist season in the Keys, so reserve early. For information on area accommodations and recreational activities, call 1-800-FLA-KEYS or see The Official Florida Keys web site link below.
RV INFO: There are NO electrical, water, or sewer hookups for RVs. Please plan to be self-contained upon entry to the camp. RV's will be pre-assigned to an "entry group" and should enter the camp on Feb. 4, 2008 no earlier than and no later than the time period in the registration packet received. Once parked, RV's cannot be moved before the end of the event (Sunday morning, March 1, 2009). Maximum RV capacity is 26 units for Camp Wesumkee.
PACKAGE DELIVERY TO CAMP WESUMKEE: Please be advised that you will not be able to receive mail or package deliveries at the girl scout camp during the Winter Star Party. However, we have made arrangements with the "Keys Shipping & Business Center" in Big Pine Key to accept deliveries on your behalf along with a special discount for providing the service to you. Just mention that you are with the WSP or ask for "Sue".
Keys Shipping & Business Center
235 Key Deer Blvd., Big Pine Key, FL 33043
305-872-9648
There is also a "UPS Store" in Marathon located in the Publix Shopping Center on the left hand side as you drive towards Key West.
(Vendors: This notice does not apply to vendors shipping product in via freight carrier. Vendors need to coordinate on-site deliveries with the WSP Vendor Coordinator prior to delivery.)
FIRE ANT NOTICE : Each Year, prior to the annual Winter Star Party, the Winter Star Party reimburses the Girl Scouts to hire an Orkin Exterminator to treat the grounds at Camp Wesumkee for fire ants. Even after a professional exterminator has treated the grounds for fire ants, experience has shown us that we can only hope to reduce the ant population. Total elimination of the fire ant population is nearly impossible!
Therefore, we highly recommend that you take precautions and protect yourselves from their stings (they only bite to jab their stinger into you);
- If you must use an insecticide, we only authorize the use of Amdro and/or approved equal ant bait. Sprays, liquids and powders will not be allowed since they can harm your neighbor’s optics and poison the grounds. Fire ant bait is of a low toxicity and much safer for the environment when used as directed on the packaging. Fire Ant bait will only be available in hardware store gardening sections in the southern most states adjoining the gulf. Due to limited supplies in the Florida Keys we suggest you visit The Home Depot or Lowe's on the main land. Please refer to store web site for listings, locations, and directions from either US1 or the Turnpike.
- The formic acid which the fire ants inject has been seen to slowly dissolve through tent flooring creating tiny holes. We recommend that you sprinkle fire ant bait over the area where you plan to pitch a tent. For Further protection we recommend placing a tarp between the tent flooring and treated ground surface.
- Fire ants also have an affinity to electric fields and have been known to find new homes in electrical appliances. We recommend that you lightly sprinkle your observing area and support any electrical appliance above and off the ground. Please be aware that it will take a couple of days for the bait to start affecting the ant colony, and therefore, over pouring ant bait will not result in a speedier control of the fire ant population.
PARKING BEFORE AND DURING THE WSP: The waiting line for entry into Camp Wesumkee forms at 6am on Feb. 19, 2009. Please be aware that Monroe County Ordinance prohibits overnight camping alongside US-1.
If you are not staying at The Winter Star Party campsite, and wish to leave after 7pm each night, you must park your vehicle along US-1 and walk into the camp for nighttime observing. The Southern Cross Astronomical Society and Winter Star Party are concerned for your safety and therefore would like to remind you of the following:
- Please be aware that the posted speed limit on US-1 in front of the campsite is 55 mph.
- Please park on the same side of the road as the camp (south side of the road). This keeps you from having to cross this very busy highway at night! If you are traveling southbound from Marathon, you can turn around at the boat ramp on the right side BEFORE you cross the bridge to Big Pine Key, or you can cross the bridge to Big Pine Key and make the left hand turn into the "Big Pine Key Fish Camp" and then turn around to come back over the bridge to West Summerland Key.
- For your safety and of those around you we request that you park away from the road edge allowing ample room for opening doors and walking along the roadside shoulder.
- More so, we suggest that you walk between the cars and the campsite fence-line whenever possible. This keeps the parked vehicles between you and the traffic on US-1.
Vehicles that are parked on the ‘Berm’ must be parked elsewhere well before sunset. This step is taken in consideration of the neighbors in the ‘Valley of the Dobs’ to allow them their sunset and southern object viewing. We request that everyone with vehicles parked on the ‘Berm’ to remove them by 5:00 pm.
VENDORS: You will be able to buy everything astronomical from T-shirts to telescopes. Be sure to check out the bargains! Check out the list of vendors attending the 2009 WSP by selecting the button. You can also see a list of vendors and exhibitors from the 2008 WSP on the same page.
SPEAKERS: Once again, an outstanding lineup of speakers will educate and entertain you in the air-conditioned Wheelhouse. A Guest Speaker Schedule will be posted on the schedule of events (select button ) and at the Wheelhouse and will also be included in your welcome package.
ACTIVITIES: A Swap Meet will be held on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 to noon. Bring your "astronomical trash" and take home a treasure! Hands-on activities will be provided for children on a daily basis.
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Click on the following icon to visit the official Florida Keys Tourism web site!
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Click on the icon below to visit the Yahoo Tech Groups forum dedicated to the Winter Star Party
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(Note: The Yahoo Group web page above requires membership. Please select "Join This Group" on the yahoo web page and indicate you are attending the WSP. A group moderator will approve your request to join.)
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