Mayor: Ride still will find Waterloo

WATERLOO -- Waterloo Mayor Jerry McIntyre said that not only will the actions of the Trail of Tears board have long-range impacts on his town, but on the ride itself, if it continues.

"It will actually kill the event before it's over with if they keep doing it like it is," McIntyre predicted.

The non-profit board that governs the motorcycle ride decided this year's last official stop would be in Florence's McFarland Park.

The Florence City Council last week passed a resolution urging the Trail of Tears board to reconsider its decision. In a letter to the council delivered on the day of, but prior to the council's vote, the Trail of Tears board said there would be no reconsideration.

The ride began in 1994 to bring attention to the plight of the American Indians' trek from Chattanooga, Tenn., to Waterloo, where they were loaded onto boats for relocation to Oklahoma reservations.

Many American Indians died during the journey, which took place under horrific conditions. In years past, the motorcycle ride recreated the route the American Indians were forced to travel.

McIntyre said his town is preparing for the event this year -- Sept. 16 -- just like previous rides.

A meeting will take place in Waterloo by the Native American Warrior Society from Gadsden during the entire weekend in Waterloo, he said.

And a River Walk dedication will take place on the day of the ride.

McIntyre said he has assurances from the Alabama Highway Patrol and the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office that they will help Waterloo again this year with the event.

"The lead riders are going somewhere else," McIntyre said. "The ones that have come to Waterloo traditionally will still come to Waterloo. The new ones will probably go wherever they say the ride will end."

McIntyre said the ride is a big boost to the town's lone family-owned general store and single restaurant.

Revenue from vendor fees generated at the event only keeps the fields mowed, providing a free concert for the riders and paying for trash bins, he said.

After all expenses are paid, the town usually has about $2,0000 left over, McIntyre said.

The Trail of Tears board announced that there were numerous issues that could not be resolved with the town.

Of those that have been mentioned are safety and the sale of unofficial merchandise.

"The city council told me to get with Perry White and to send us what they wanted in writing and meet with the town council," McIntyre said.

The mayor said the board would not put down in writing what they wanted. One board member did say the sale of T-shirts was an issue.

The Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association uses proceeds from the sale of official T-shirts bearing their logo to fund the event and its scholarship fund for American Indians.

McIntyre said the issue of pirated T-shirts or copyright infringement is bogus.

"Essentially, they wanted us to ban all T-shirt sales. It's nothing to do with copyright. No vendor down here copies their logo," McIntyre said.

Besides, McIntyre said, if official T-shirts were copied, the association could sue those vendors. And Waterloo would be powerless to stop them.

"The excuse not to come to Waterloo is just an excuse to go somewhere else," McIntyre said.

Todd Twilley can be reached at 740-5728 or todd.twilley@timesdaily.com.