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BETHEL - The Town of Bethel has tweaked its mass gathering law - softening its requirements for activities it's sponsoring ot that are being thrown by nonprofit organizations it supports.
Critics, such as local businessman, Roy Howard, and his companion, Jeryl Abramson, say the change is sending a message in a town where Woodstock Concert anniversary celebrations spring up yearly. Howard and Abramson were connected to one held last year, and they're still fighting the trouble caused by that one in court.
"This pretty well says that the town can do whatever it wants, but if any resident tries it, they can't," said Abramson.
Board members contacted referred questions to Supervisor Allan Scott. Scott could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The new law, Local Law 2, of 1998, passed last week by the Town board, will make exceptions to the long string of requirements asked of any events expected to draw more than 5,000 for the town or its agents. An exception is that many of the requirements will not be asked if the event is being sponsored by the town, or held by nonprofit organizations made up of Town Board members or their appointees.
Howard and Abramson have tried to fill the void after businessman, Alan Gerry, purchased the original site off Hurd Road and announced he wouldn't allow any overnight celebrations on the site.
"We've never made money from it. In fact, it's cost money to try to have a place for people to go when they find out they can't go to the original site," Abramson said of last year's party on their farm, off Route 17B. "But Roy is willing to do it. The Town Board has always resisted. Now I know why. They want it for themselves."Abramson said the town's new law will "make sure that no one ever has a Woodstock festival...except the town...which has many residents up in arms."