Riders have a choice

FLORENCE -- It helps to have friends in high places.

Gov. Bob Riley said a friend of his who rides in the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride every year visited him about the controversy this week.

Riley told the friend to see Public Safety Director Mike Coopage.

That visit is being credited with changing the mind of the Alabama Highway Patrol.

On Tuesday, the patrol had said all motorcyclists would be funneled into McFarland Park before being allowed to continue on to Waterloo.

Now, motorcyclists will be able decide on their own when reaching McFarland whether they want to stop there or continue to Waterloo.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Ronnie Willis said he would escort the ride from McFarland Park to Waterloo.

Willis said he wouldn't have been able to do so if all the riders were made to go into McFarland first.

"There was a lot of complaints from the riders that they were going to boycott it and go the other way," Willis said.

Willis said troopers also would help with the escort to Waterloo.

Trooper Denise Collins, of the Quad-Cities post, however, said troopers would not be involved in the escort to Waterloo.

The sheriff credits Riley's involvement with making the change.

So, too, does Bill Cason, the ride's cofounder and board member.

"I understand that some people called the governor's office again, and want to be sure that Waterloo gets a share of the money," Cason said.

"And so we had a good safe plan with the highway patrol. Now politics has got involved in it."

The Trail of Tears board members are divided, and each faction has sent letters to the state on official letterhead stating the ride will end at different locations.

Attorneys have been hired by both factions and are expected to fight it out after Saturday's ride about who holds power over the event.

There's even controversy about whether decisions by the board stand since it was expanded to nine from seven members.

Collins said that the reason for the state's decision was because of the Trail of Tears board.

"The (Trail) committee made the decision. They still hold to the fact that the ride ends at McFarland Park," Collins said.

Cason said that is false, that the board never changed its mind and that Gov. Riley got involved.

Cason said getting all the riders into McFarland Park was never about keeping them from going to Waterloo.

"We just wanted our ride off the highway," Cason said. "We've got people trying to sabotage the ride. I don't understand why you would sabotage a ride that gives kids scholarships to go to college."

Jerry Davis, a board member on the opposing side of Cason, said the ride was never designed to raise money for scholarships.

"The ride was designed to go down the Drane/Hood route from Chattanooga to Waterloo," Davis said. "It was designed to honor the trip of our first American settlers and the trip they had to endure. They didn't stop at McFarland. They went to Waterloo because they were forced to at gunpoint."

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

Montgomery Bureau Chief Dana Beyerle contributed to this article.