Alan Gerry, a wealthy businessman from Liberty, New York,
announced at a press conference April 23rd, 1997, that he is now "the owner"
of the historic Woodstock site in Bethel, New York. Mr. Gerry is also the
owner of Granite Associates and the former owner of C.V.I. (Cablevision
Industries) which was sold to Time Warner in 1994. In other words, he is
a very wealthy influential man. However, our position is that if Mr. Gerry
has "bought" the historic site for one million dollars, (we say if because
there is no evidence of that purchase filed at the Sullivan County clerk's
office) he is now a CO-OWNER with the Woodstock Nation, a massive class
of people who have freely used the Woodstock Festival site for more than
30 years.
This past August six people were falsely arrested for
trespassing at the Woodstock site while exercising their "rites".
This way to the transcript of the Woodstock trespass trial.
More Old News: Article About Gerry in Times Herald Record.
See a panoramic view of the historic Woodstock
Site 1996.
Written by Abigail Storm
A recent petition, placed at local stores by the *Bethel First
committee requesting signatures of support from Bethel residents for "Welcome
to Bethel" signs, received landslide support.
The uniqueness of the signs, and the reason the Bethel First committee
needed support from Bethel residents, is that the signs will also state
that Bethel is the home of the historic 1969 Woodstock Festival. (Now that
is a Bethel First!)
In order to get the vote in Bethel town residents were given a period
of time to cast their votes for or against the signs and, today, in a landmark
vote of 293 in favor and 14 against, the people took back their town, their
heritage, and, what many believe to be, the goose that lays the golden
egg: Bethel's rightful claim to being the birthplace of the historic 1969
Woodstock Festival, conceived in Woodstock and born in Bethel.
People from all over the world, have believed for the past 27 years,
that the historic Festival happened in Woodstock, NY, 60 miles northeast
of Bethel. That's because it has been, since 1969 Bethel town policy to
discourage people from claiming, on any level, that "it" ever happened
in their town. As a result, many who went to the Woodstock Festival in
'69 could not find its location even if they had a general idea where it
was because there were no signs marking the way to it.
Meanwhile, over in Woodstock, NY, tourism was thriving while Bethel's
was dying.
But now, thanks to the efforts of Bethel First, and all its volunteers,
Bethel can now publicly acknowledge that on August 15-17, 1969, it gave
birth to a nation, a people who established a symbol of freedom, a landmark
to peace worldwide.
To further amaze the doubters and prophets of the impending economic
doom of Sullivan County, the Bethel town board decided to back the plan
for the new signs, by offering the committee $200 towards the cost of the
signs. Also, volunteers put together a thousand packets of sunflower seeds,
which are being sold in different locations in the Bethel area for one
dollar to help offset the cost of the signs and we hear they are goin'
like hotcakes. The plan of the Bethel First committee is for at least 2
signs to be placed on 17B at the west and east entrances to the town. Good
goin' Bethel.
* Bethel First is operating under the program, Sullivan First, initiated by new County Manager Jonathon Drapkin, as part of a program to clean up Sullivan County and improve opportunities for economic growth in Sullivan County.
Painting above is David Crosby and Graham Nash by Jewel
Eggink
Back
to Information Station
