Williamstown Officials In 'Twilight Zone' Over Biker Rally
 Town Manager Peter Fohlin models a trench coat left in the meeting room in hopes someone in the television audience would recognize the garment. |
At Monday's Selectmen's meeting, the board discussed a letter from Charles "Rusty" Ransford, who had applied for a camping permit for the Aug. 17-19 event but already been denied an application to sell alcohol at it.
Ransford's letter cited opposition by "a small number of residents" and added "it is clear that the town is now in agreement with these folks."
However, Ransford's five-paragraph letter dated July 6 also included the following: "anyone who does arrive pursuant to the advertising will be invited to remain for the weekend, if they wish, as my guest at no cost."
In earlier publicity for the event — billed as a fundraiser for veterans — Ransford advertised a charge of $50 to attend the rally, which would include the opportunity for primitive camping.
On Monday evening, three days after Ransford's July 6 letter to Town Manager Peter Fohlin, the "Hogs on the Farm" event still was listed on the website bikerplaza.com, without any reference to an admission charge.
"Like many biker events that are just starting up, we have been running into much opposition," reads the listing, which is credited to "Angie."
"We don't want to give up on this event, so we would still like to have a camping weekend," the listing continues. "It may not include all of the activities that many events offer, but you are sure to have fun. The farm is a gorgeous place and the location offers many opportunities for great rides and activities. While you are there, we may ask for your input on how to make this a successful yearly event."
Fohlin told the Selectment that Ransford hand-delivered the letter on Monday, after the board asked Ransford to attend Monday's meeting to report his progress on obtaining necessary permits.
"He told me he has canceled arrangements for six bands and has canceled arrangements for 'vendors,'" Fohlin said. "He did not define what vendors. ... He said he intends to have six port-a-potties on site so if people do arrive for the allegedly canceled event they'll have sanitary facilities."
Fohlin said Ransford did not indicate whether he plans to withdraw or pursue an application he previously submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals to allow camping on his property.
"I feel like we're in the 'Twilight Zone,'" Chairman David Rempell said at one point during the meeting, which Ransford did not attend.
"Does this make it more attractive because there's no cost? ... In some sense I'm more concerned now about the ambiguity about what will take place."
Rempell noted the board's June 11 meeting at which it asked town counsel to draft a letter outlining to Ransford the issues he needed to address before he would be issued an entertainment permit as well as underlining the need to seek a camping permit from the ZBA.
"Now that he's canceled, I guess we'll receive no answers," Rempell said. "I'm feeling very uneasy about the situation we're in right now and what we may be facing next month."
The Selectmen decided to ask Town Counsel Joel Bard whether Ransford needs a camping permit to entertain "anyone who does arrive pursuant to the advertising" and whether acceptance of free-will donations at the rally (as opposed to charging admission) makes it a commercial enterprise.
 |
|
| Colonial Pizza owner Constantine Anagnos and his son Ted, top, and Hops and Vine owner David Aldecoa and manager Michelle Forth appeared after their businesses failed alcohol compliance checks. |  |
Co-owner David Aldecoa and manager Michelle Forth represented Hops and Vines on Water Street, and owner Constantine Anagnos and his son Ted represented Colonial Pizza on Main Street. Both businesses failed May 26 compliance checks by the Police Department when they served alcohol to underage customers without checking identification.
Aldecoa reported that in the wake of the failed check, Hops and Vines had certified or recertified all 13 of its employees under the state's TIPS (Training and Intervention Procedures for Servers) training program. It also had suspended the server who served the underage patron and reassigned her to another area of the restaurant where she would not be serving alcohol.
Aldecoa and Forth said they discuss compliance with alcohol laws on a daily basis with their employees.
"We talk about the excuses people use like, 'Don't you remember me? I was here yesterday?' or 'I left my ID at home,'" Aldecoa said.
They also talk about the need to cut off patrons who have had too much to drink, he said.
"We've had instances in the past where we cut off people many times, and we back up our employees 100 percent," Aldecoa said.
Ted Anagnos told the board that alcohol is a relatively small percentage of business at the family's pizza parlor, where beer is offered for on-site consumption "as a convenience to our customers."
The younger Anagnos served as a translator for his father, who was cited personally for failure to check identifications and who plans to undergo TIPS training as soon as the family can arrange for a trainer in the elder Anagnos' native Greek.
Selectwoman Jane Allen noted that both Hops and Vines and Colonial Pizza had passed previous compliance checks with flying colors, and the board voted unanimously to issue letters of warning to each establishment without taking further action.
The board also voted unanimously with one abstention to allow organizers of the town's Saturday farmers market to experiment with operating a smaller version of the event on Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. in the town parking lot at the bottom of Spring Street.
Ronald Turbin, who is a co-manager for the farmers market, brought the request to the attention of his colleagues and abstained from the vote.
Tags: alcohol violation, biker rally, camping, motorcycles, permitting,
