THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020243
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GATESVILLE LENGTH: 91 lines
Residents of Gates County are making a lot of noise about a local motorsport promoter's plans to hold a July 4th weekend monster truck show in this rural farming and timber community.
On Monday, a group of citizens made a last-ditch effort to have the event better regulated - if not stopped.
They asked county commissioners to create an ordinance ensuring proper protection for crowds and residents during mass gatherings.
The local law would help allay fears of potential health hazards and highway accidents during big attractions in this pastoral community, they said.
But it appears that the Sunbury motorsport show that sparked the request will go on as planned - with no new regulations on the books.
Gates County commissioners said they must first consult with their attorney, who was not present during Monday's discussion.
``Don't ask us to do the things we cannot do,'' said Commissioner Hollis Creecy.
Citizens first brought the subject before commissioners 13 weeks ago and spoke at last month's regular commissioners' meeting, said Dale Cronce, a Sunbury homemaker who has helped lead the effort for more county control over large events.
Between several hundred to a few thousand people, including many overnight campers, are expected for the World Motorsport Jamboree, which will feature monster truck competitions and motorcycle rodeos.
A North Carolina statute addresses specific standards for mass gatherings of 5,000 or more people attending an event for 24 hours or longer. The Gates County ordinance would require those standards, scaled to size, for mass gathering of 500 or more people - excluding family and class reunions.
``We're a small county. We are not set up for this. That's why we want this ordinance,'' Cronce said.
No other county in the area - and, possibly, the state - has a mass gathering ordinance like the one being suggested, said County Manager Ed McDuffie.
However, event organizers, including those in Gates County, still have to meet state health and fire codes.
About 20 people who attended Monday's meeting at the Gates County Courthouse complex expressed the same concerns they've had since the motorsport show was proposed earlier this year.
``I feel like it's gonna be a very large crowd that's going to be hard to control,'' said Sunbury resident Ronnie Powell.
``It's going to be a major obstacle course trying to get in and out of there,'' he added, referring to potential traffic problems along N.C. 32 and Savage Road.
N.C. 32 is becoming an increasingly popular detour for Outer Banks-bound tourists. Congestion is already a problem on busy weekends, Cronce said.
William Townes, the organizer and promoter of the World Motorsport Jamboree, believes many county residents have been misinformed about his event.
``People here just ain't knowledgeable to the rules and regulations,'' Townes said Monday while preparing the motorsport grounds, marked by flags along a fence and a monster truck fronting N.C. 32.
Townes said he met months ago with local and state officials, who outlined steps to ensure a safe weekend for his guests, who will begin arriving Friday afternoon.
The venue has two main entrances and numerous emergency exits. A fire truck and ambulance will remain on the scene, as will health department inspectors. Dangerous areas are being fenced off. And all sanitation and fire codes will be met, he said.
Even shallow holes in the grass have been filled to prevent people from tripping, Townes added.
Townes said he also has obtained $1 million in liability insurance after being dropped by a company that did not insure monster truck shows. That had been another concern of some residents.
Townes, who originally hailed from Virginia Beach, said he has invested $20,000 to $40,000 in the event, which he hopes will be held annually.
This is Townes's first time putting on a show himself, though he said he has helped with ``thousands'' over the years. ``I'm just looking to break even this year,'' he said.
Though he admits to facing opposition within his neighborhood, Townes also said he has a lot of supporters, including many living around him who have offered free help for the upcoming show.
He also said some complaints now arising - such as noise during a nearby church service this Sunday - could have been worked out if residents had come to him earlier.
``That's what gets me in this whole thing - not one person that's been complaining has called me to talk about it. They've all just been talking among themselves,'' he said.
Townes' opponents also claim to have a lot of people on their side.
``I believe we do represent a large majority of people,'' Powell said. ``And they feel the same way we do.'' ILLUSTRATION: Map by CNB