Laconia Bike Week vendor Nathalie Morin drains the rain collected on her tent during a wet and slow day along The Weirs Monday. (Citizen Photo/Daryl Carlson)

Smooth start: No complaints, except about the weather

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Despite a soggy start, Bike Week 2003 is drawing a lot of visitors but not creating any major headaches for their departments, area law enforcement officials said on Monday.

In fact, added Belknap County Sheriff Dan Collis, the only "four-letter word" he and his officers have heard since Bike Week officially began on Saturday is "rain."

The rain that Collis was referring to "washed out" events on Saturday and also kept down the number of daytrippers from around New England, said Charlie St. Clair, who is executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Week Association.

Both men, along with representatives of the Laconia Police and Fire departments, made their comments during the first of this week’s daily press conferences sponsored by Rally and Race.

But wrapped around Saturday’s poor weather, St. Clair continued, were a glorious and "very busy" Friday and "perfect" Sunday that each brought in large numbers of visitors.

He said vendors and local innkeepers were reporting that the first weekend of Bike Week — traditionally, the rally really kicks up its heel on the final weekend — was a busy one and becoming a "good starting point" for the rally, which this year celebrates its 80th running.

Attendance estimates may be available later this week, St. Clair added.

Laconia Police Lt. Mike Moyer, who had been on duty Saturday along Lakeside Avenue, agreed that, regardless of the weather, there were "a lot of people" out and about.

Coming into The Weirs, traffic was backed up as far south as Christmas Island, said Moyer, with Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson interjecting that the backups were even greater on Sunday.

Although there were many people in the city over the weekend, they were mostly very well-behaved, Moyer said. "Arrests were relatively low," he said, and the LPD had only "minor issues to deal with."

Moyer did stress, however, that the department has a "zero tolerance on people drinking in public."

That act violates a city ordinance and is punishable by a $100 fine, said Moyer. Anyone caught breaking the ordinance should expect a citation because there will be "no warnings," he said.

Also, Laconia police and the other law enforcement agencies it is working with during Bike Week will be enforcing state laws against possession of alcohol in motor vehicles and/or while operating a vehicle.

To inform Bike Week visitors about the city and state’s alcohol and motor vehicle laws, the LPD and other public safety agencies this year have prepared a free pamphlet, copies of which are available at Rally and Race Headquarters at the Weirs Beach Lobster Pound and elsewhere around Laconia, said Moyer.

The pamphlet, which also provides a list of emergency telephone numbers, says laws relative to the "operation of vehicles, alcohol consumption and personal conduct," will be "stringently enforced."

But so far, so good, said Collis.