The Ohio Renaissance Festival Protest

Click here to visit the Chivalrous Protest Site
With Photos of what I think are Crimes and Violations
now with News, Photos, Letters, and Forums

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look and do nothing.” – Albert Eistein

“If evil though knowest, then proclaim it to all as evil,
And make no friendship with foes. “ -Odin - Havamal (Loddfafnismal section)

“I believe that with what seems to be a huge number of Equal Access (ADA) violations, Health code violations, Fire code violations, Building code violations and other infringements on civility; the Ohio Renaissance Festival is positively medieval.” -ORF Former Blacksmith

It is my layman’s opinion that:

1 - The Ohio Renaissance Festival (ORF) is an important source of income for not only the hundreds of vendors and others directly involved in the fair, but the city of Harveysburgh, Ohio and neighboring city of Waynesville, Ohio.

2 – Peter Carroll, the owner of the Ohio Renaissance Festival (ORF) suffers from dementia, senility, and possibly Alzheimer’s. As a result, business decisions have already been made which might seriously threaten the viability of the fair as a business.

3 – Peter Carroll’s son, working with office staff, should cause Mr. Carroll to be declared incompetent and acquire a conservitorship of his business interests in the hope that ORF can be saved as a business entity and continue to serve the people who have come to rely on the commerce generated by the fair.

4 – If Peter Carroll’s son in unable or unwilling to secure a conservatorship, I believe a third party or perhaps the State of Ohio should step in by doing same and establishing a study to determine if it is still financially viable to repair the damage which has already been done.

It is my layman’s opinion that:

1. Potential Americans with Disabilities Act violations - The Ohio Renaissance Festival (ORF) has completely ignored the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and that the cost of compliance with this one issue might overwhelm the event’s budget due to so many years of neglect. The number of violations seems enormous.

“Under title III, the Department of Justice may also obtain civil penalties of up to $55,000 for the first violation and $110,000 for any subsequent violation.” - http://www.ada.gov/enforce.htm

2. Potential Health and Safety Violations - The Ohio Renaissance Festival (ORF) seems woefully below health code with respect to its food services management. Food is commonly left uncovered. Items which I believe require temperature control standards are left in the summer heat and then served. Condiments, including cheese products, are kept in server’s pockets. Rancid smelling waste oil leaks from 55 gallon barrels stored behind buildings in seemly close proximity to approved camping and water facilities. Wood shower floors are often thick with slime.

3. Potential EPA Violations - The Ohio Renaissance Festival (ORF) may have already seriously damaged the environment and local ground water. It appears that gray water is returned to he local ground water. Provisions for proper handling of wastewater do not seem to have been taken. Accusations of illegal dumping, including references to motor oil, antifreeze, and paint have been made. Dumpsters full of waste material, including plastics, Styrofoam, and other noxious materials are commonly deliberately burned by ORF staff. Management has been directly involved.

4. Potential Building / Fire Code Violations – ORF seems to have no concern for construction code. Untreated lumber seems to be the norm. Entire buildings are wired by extension cords. Occupancy permits, building permits, construction permits, and the likes are almost unheard of.

And to make matters worse, shortly after bringing some of these problems (and others) to the attention of management, I was thrown out of the Ohio Renaissance Festival and the building which I had invested over $20,000.00 in was taken without compensation. My property, thrown into the dumpster.

Hoping to make a change and gradually move the fair in the direction of compliance, hoping to address the many issues, which have plagued the faire, I applied for a position on its staff. With my application came the well wishes of each of the last four people to occupy the position, the site manager, and the acting vice president of the incorporation, fellow merchants and one Reverend Holly Father. I did not receive the position. I introduced myself to the person who filled the position, explained there were no hard feelings, and attempted to explore the issues of which I was concerned. Obviously, I was punished.

I do not think I am covered by Whistle Blower laws because I took my concerns up the chain of command the way I was taught in the military. Now that I have been defamed, thrown out, and unjustly deprived of my $20,000.00 building and the income it provided; I am taking a different approach.

What is the Ohio Renaissance Festival currently worth? Buyers beware! The cost of repairing these problems suddenly will be enormous. Should the EPA or branches of the local, state, and federal government become involved; I imagine the cost of paying fines will be enormous. It might not be too late but it seems rather obvious that if the owner is allowed to continue making the decisions he has, the event will be no more.

This blog seeks to rectify these problems by calling attention to them. This is something I had attempted to do civilly and from within its ranks but was punished for. Now, I am taking it to the people. This isn’t Peter Carroll’s fair, it is YOUR fair. Peter Carroll could not do a thing without YOU. You can cause him to turn it over to his son or a competent third party. If something does not change immediately, I believe it will be forever lost.

I believe the Ohio Renaissance Festival will be gone if something does not change imediately.