Windham County Sheriff's Department
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Riders' settlement decision off the mark

Editor of the Reformer:

The recently announced settlement agreement of $600,000 for the 300 motorcycle riders not allowed to hold their backcountry rally in Jamaica amounts to a token thumbing to our towns' long tradition of self-governance.

Yes, the sheriff's office made this an "incident" by handling the matter in an entirely unprofessional manner. However, this lawsuit amounts to nothing more than a select group grabbing an opportune moment to publicly assert its own agenda at the expense of local taxpayers -- Jamaica's share is $125,000.

For centuries, towns throughout Vermont have attempted to regulate certain uses of public rights-of-way. The Vermont Agency of Transportation, Windham Regional Commission and Vermont Better Back roads program assist towns in developing ordinances for protection and use of roads and town trails -- all backed by state law. The town was acting completely within its local capacity to manage a public resource by passing a Class 4 Roads Ordinance, which had been voted on by residents and adopted by the Selectboard.

Its only error was attempting to enforce the ordinance before the so-called 30-day "cooling-off" period -- that and having a sheriff whose office was in complete disarray, handle the matter in an entirely tactless manner. However, the club's co-optive use of these unfortunate circumstances in order to extort money from our state makes a mockery of the legal system and the very constitution that they tread upon in the process.

Personally, I enjoy motorcycling and believe this recreation could fit in nicely with Vermont's recreation-based economy.

I know a lot of markets, inns and pubs that would love the spin-off business. Towns with appropriate areas for these type of rallys could even promote such events if residents desired -- but visitors should respect a town's wish to regulate such activities as well.

This settlement amounts to a penalty on a town for trying to protect its residents' wishes and property and as a result future pathfinders may well find they've worn out there welcome here.

Steve Ovenden

Townshend, Oct. 22