I'm sure you've all been anxiously awaiting my further insight into this issue (ok, maybe not), but here's what I think anyway. Right now we are just two races away from the end of the first half, so it seems pretty unrealistic to ask "guys" that have been going week in and week out in search of that all-elusive championship to NOW all of a sudden stop going to teach Middleboro a lesson; its just not going to happen- regardless of how strong they feel about the issue at hand. But I think I might have come up with a pretty good second move for us. See, last time we were there, we made it known that we were unsatisfied with the way things were, and that they had better change. Well, since change doesn't happen overnight- it certainly couldn't have happened while the 200 of us stood there confronting Norman (and hence the "Middleboro 44" took one for the team and transferred their entries- though with overbearing and unexpected consequences). But now its two weeks later, and Norman has hopefully become two-weeks-wiser (not Bud-weiser). He's had more than enough time to think things through, so this should be it, this is where we draw the line- after this weekend. If we arrive Sunday morning, and the facility is still deemed by the riders to be unsafe and unsatisfactory- well, we gave them their chance, and they lost. Time to cross off "Capeway Rovers, PO Box 2304, Abington, MA 02351" from the back of your rule book, and stop sending them your money. If you continue to do so (and lets just make sure everyone understands I'm not making any threats here!) you will be in effect telling them that you like their long sign up lines, you like their track, you like waiting around till after 9pm for your trophy- and you want them to continue doing business as usual. Well, that's your choice- but its not the one I'm going to make- and you shouldn't either. After this weekend, the second half will be starting up shortly- and thats when we make our move. If its the first race of the half, then you have NO reason to NOT go- everyone has zero points and you're not giving up anything to anyone. If everyone tells a few of their friends at the track about what we're going to do, then maybe enough people not race that first race and Capeway Rovers will realize that its not just the opinions of 44 people (which as someone pointed out- they consider an acceptable #). Then I got to thinking- the letters they sent out said something stupid like 'if caught trespassing, prosecution will be...blah blah blah'. Now I'm going by sheer memory, but I think that their "no trespassing" sign is on the metal gate at the end of the dirt entrance. What if the 44 riders that got banned, and anyone else that wants to support them, all show up bright and early (bikes and all) and start parking along the right side of the dirt entrance way, or even on the road leading to it from Cumberland Farms. And you know how Central used to stop everyone at the gate and have them sign in? Well, what if someone did that too and started an NERC list for those people that wanted to "join". And to reply to Gary Mikalson's rhetoric question about how much it costs to send letters to all NESC riders- I'm pretty sure we could do the same thing via email and get it done much quicker and more efficiently (but we ride in New England- why would we want that?). I'm not saying that my ideas are the best or only solution to our problem, but hopefully they'll atleast spark some conversation- which is all I was trying to do. But I ain't one to gossip, so you ain't heard it from me...

-- Garrett Kaye #20 (motoxer@wpi.edu), July 06, 2000

Answers

GARRET I USED TO THINK U WERE JUST ANOTHER DUMMY FROM CYCLE CENTER BUT OBVIOUSLY U ARE VERY INTELEGENT PERSON ,WHY DONT U ASK LENNY FOR HIS VICE PRESIDENTS JOB ( CAUSE HE AINT HELPING US )AGAIN VERY GOOD ARTICLE,.

-- JACK CAMELIO (jack camelio@aol.com), July 06, 2000.