Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009

ABATE supporters confront county commissioners

by Kenneth Lassiter

Representatives of ABATE met with county commissioners Monday to discuss concerns previously talked about going into the Labor Day weekend’s annual ABATE motorcycle rally at Paradise Point near Perry Lake.

The visit came in reaction to a meeting between commissioners and Delvis Steffey, who lives at the junction of 118th and Ferguson Road just east of the rally site, on the Monday before Labor Day. Steffey voiced concerns about the speed of motorcycles on 118th Street and Sheriff Jeff Herrig raised the possibility of putting speed bumps on 118th Street to help slow riders.

In the end, no speed bumps were placed on the road and ABATE officials met with Steffey to hear his concerns. Herrig said Monday no major issues arose over the weekend with the rally.

Vickie Boose, corporate secretary for ABATE of Kansas, said the ABATE board had been contacted by concerned members who had heard the county would like to see the rally moved elsewhere. Commissioner Richard Malm had said in the discussion with Steffey that the lease was soon to expire at the rally site and he would like to see changes made before it was renewed. Boose said Monday the lease wasn’t to expire until January 2011.

Boose said there were more than 4,500 participants in this year’s rally and stated the group of attendees’ concerns with the idea of placing speed bumps on the road. She said the road is posted at a 35 miles per hour speed limit when, in the past, it had been 55, and the group supported the lowered limit. She pointed out ABATE sponsors numerous community events and organizations across the county.

Kerry Jackson of the American Legion voiced his support for ABATE, as he said 85 percent of the locally raised Legion funds come from the ABATE weekend at the lake. He said losing the event in the county would cost the Legion dearly.

Ozawkie Fire Chief Dan Rosencutter spoke out in support of ABATE as he said the organization donated to the fire department each year and always supported the department’s fundraisers. Janet Wise of McLouth, who owns Westside Liquor in Oskaloosa, said the loss in tax dollars in the county from the attendees of the rally would be great if it is moved elsewhere. She said she has had no problems with the ABATE group and “couldn’t imagine” the county thinking it was a bad thing. David Samuelson, owner of The Grainery Saloon in rural Ozawkie, also voiced his support, as the rally attendees helped the saloon do three times its usual weekend business with no problems.

Herrig, who was present for the discussion, spoke up to say it was his idea, and not the commissioners’, to put speed bumps on 118th Street. He said that was the only solution he could think of to ease the worries of the area residents about the speed of the motorcycles. He said when he discovered the speed bumps wouldn’t be needed, he was glad and the weekend had gone without a hitch. He said the fact the sheriff’s office and Kansas Highway Patrol had collaborated on DUI checklanes and driver’s license checklanes over the weekend may have helped some, too, and he had hopes to continue that practice next year.

Others also spoke in support of the rally and said the group would do whatever it could to make the relationship with the county work. Tony Trower of Valley Falls said he had concerns about statements made during the Steffey discussion that the event was dangerous. He said he had met “more wonderful people” at the rally than he had “in any other place I’ve ever been.”

Wise asked what concerns had sparked the first discussion. Commissioner Roy Dunnaway said residents in the area of the rally had raised concerns about the speed, plus concerns about riders going onto private property and noise from the event. He said commissioners were just making an effort to ease those concerns.

Commissioners pointed out the area residents are the event’s “neighbors” and those concerns need to be listened to. Malm said nobody on the commission had said they wanted the rally out of the county. He said the county only controlled what happened on 118th Street and the fate of the rally depended on the Corps of Engineers’ stance on the event.

Malm thanked the group for attending, but said it would be more productive to have such a meeting well ahead of the event, rather than after it. He said he felt the proverbial air had been cleared by the discussion.