SKOWHEGAN – Aside from one man being ejected from the beer tent, the third annual Bike Night was “overall, a success,” according to police.

“An ounce of prevention goes a long ways,” Skowhegan Deputy Chief Rick Bonneau said Sunday.

Six Skowhegan police officers manned the municipal parking lot Saturday night, where people enjoyed three live bands, food, motorcycle contests and the company of many motorcycle enthusiasts. Two of the officers went undercover to search for alcohol violations.

“We obviously had to be prepared for the worst, and even though we were prepared for the worst, we didn’t have to encounter the worst. It was very well organized and flowed very seamlessly,” Bonneau said.

Two infractions occurred during the seven-hour event, but only one happened on the event’s premises. In that case, Bonneau removed a man from the beer tent for his drunken, disorderly behavior, he said.

In the other case, juveniles assaulted another juvenile behind Cumberland Farms.

Bonneau said he heard of no violations at the parking lot outside Charrier’s Restaurant, where Christina Hughes, owner of Skowvegas Tattoos, organized additional bands, food, vendors, stunt bikes and contests.

“It was a fantastic night for all of Skowhegan. It was just great. The weather was perfect. The bands were good; there were a ton of people everywhere, at our event and around town, too,” said Cory King, director of the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce, which organized Bike Night.

With the 90-mile group bike ride and festivities at night, more than 1,000 people participated, King said.

He won’t know until Tuesday how much money was raised, but about 60 percent will benefit the restoration of the iconic Skowhegan Indian. Thirty percent will go toward a youth scholarship fund, and 10 percent will go to the Chamber’s general fund.

No one complained to Bonneau about the motorcycle noise. “I’ve heard nothing about that at all. It’s just something that goes with the territory,” he said.

In addition to Bike Night’s group ride, there were about 100 riders in a Children’s Miracle Network motorcycle charity ride Saturday morning that left from Wal-Mart.

The chamber paid for four of the police officers. A grant paid for the undercover officers.

 

Copy the Story Link