Mr. Crosier was calm and collected
To the Editor:
On Monday night, the Berne Town Board held a public hearing on its proposed local law, Regulating Use of Limited Use Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles on Town Highways. The meeting was held at the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school auditorium. And for good reason. The parking lots were packed.
Upon entering the building, I was unsure as to what the make-up of the crowd would be — ATV enthusiasts advocating for this farce of a law or opponents there to have their say against such an inane measure.
It wasn’t long before I had my answer. Speaker after speaker stood at the microphone and shredded the proposed law. By the end of the night, it was torn apart in every conceivable manner: legally, logically, ethically, and morally.
A public hearing is held to allow citizens to make comments on legislation that will affect them and the place where they live. It is a moment where elected officials are to listen to the people and weigh their concerns.
Having served on the Town of Berne Planning Board in a previous administration, I have sat through these types of hearings. But never have I witnessed or even could have imagined what went down Monday night.
The first speaker to approach the microphone was Berne’s previous supervisor, Kevin Crosier. Just before he started to speak, a picture of what appeared to be a small farm-type limited-use vehicle photographed from the rear was projected onto a screen for the crowd to see.
As Mr. Crosier began speaking, current Town Supervisor Dennis Palow interrupted and declared that the vehicle in the picture was Mr. Crosier’s, ostensibly on a county or state road.
The two exchanged words and, within seconds, Albany County Sheriff’s deputies descended upon Mr. Crosier and escorted him from the auditorium amidst booing, yelling, and whistles of protest from the crowd. And unlike the Times Union reported the next day, Mr. Crosier did not yell at Mr. Palow. He was calm and collected, and even offered his wrists to the deputies as if expecting to be handcuffed.
In the end, Mr. Crosier was not permitted to address the town board for his allotted three minutes. His opinions were not allowed into the record. His First Amendment rights, violated.
The rest of the evening went without incident if one doesn’t include the fervent and at times animated reactions of the majority of the attendees who opposed the proposed law. After the last speaker had their say, Supervisor Palow stood up and addressed the crowd. He said that the law was still being hashed out and that there were indeed changes that needed to be made.
We should be on guard. For if these ATV zealots have their way, neighboring towns may someday all be connected with Berne in a broad, sweeping, county-wide, ATV wonderland where intersecting trails would be accessed via the very roads we drive on every day.
So be on notice Altamont, New Scotland, Rensselaerville, Knox and Westerlo. You may be next.
Katherine Hill Brown
Berne