BETHEL - All they are saying is give tents a chance.
After a few hours of tough negotiations Thursday, Woodstock Nation followers camping on the site agreed to collapse their 32-foot Army tent. In turn, Alan Gerry agreed to meet with them at 11 a.m. Friday to talk about access to the property.

Abigail Storm and her family of four spent the night in the tent, eating donated fried chicken. The tent was pitched Wednesday in defiance of Gerry's recent announcement that people would be allowed on the site during the August anniversary of Woodstock, but wouldn't be allowed to camp.

Early Thursday, Mike DiTullo, who works for Gerry at Granite Associates in Liberty, came to the site with Gerry's daughter, Robyn. They tried to talk Storm and her husband, Daniel Eggink, into taking the tent down. The pair offered a counter deal: Give us an audience with Gerry and we'll keep the tent here - but collapse it.

A few hours later, DiTullo returned, saying a meeting had been agreed to. But he also brought an official letter notifying the campers that if they didn't agree to leave they would be trespassing.

''If you remain on the property . . . law enforcement officials will be contacted to request and assist in your removal,'' the letter read.

Some had thought that Gerry couldn't ask police to move Storm and the others until he signed a complaint. But Sullivan District Attorney Stephen Lungen - who was consulted several times Thursday - said because the land is unfenced and there are no signs posted, the owner has to personally tell people to get off.

The letter DiTullo delivered Thursday served that purpose.

For the time being however, both sides hope to avoid any confrontation until the meeting at Granite Associates headquarters takes place today. Storm said she hopes to persuade Gerry to let people camp on the site in August. Last night a friend dropped by with a fresh load of firewood, coffee and doughnuts.

''Alan Gerry's invested a $1 million,'' Eggink said. ''We've invested our lives.'' A meeting between Gerry and State Police was scheduled for Thursday, but DiTullo said it had been indefinitely postponed ''because of the present circumstances.''

He said Granite was keeping in touch with authorities in the meantime.

''We could have come back and had arrests made, but we don't want to do that,'' DiTullo said. ''We're real serious about respecting the spirit of Woodstock.''

Some marvelled Thursday at the sight of DiTullo crossing the Woodstock field.

''Hey Abigail,'' someone asked. ''Have you ever seen anyone on this field wearing a suit?''
''Yeah,'' she laughed. ''Bankers.''