Doreen Carson: Motorcycle Week was sweet while it lasted

To The Daily Sun,

One thing that has given me hope, and perhaps a false sense of security, is the data that shows New Hampshire, Belknap County and Laconia doing well in horrible COVID-19 times.

After months of voluntarily isolating, talking to family, attending meetings, and enjoying church services via Zoom, I finally feel OK venturing out locally for outdoor dining, an unplanned trip to a store, and even a haircut. All things it is impossible to do virtually. July life in the Lakes Region was “sweet” albeit modified.

It was affirming for me to read recent letters from Shannon Gagnon of Rochester and Saundra Lewis of Alton Bay, sharing valid concerns about why Bike Week should be postponed for this year. It is not just about Laconia. It is about the far reach of even scaled-back rides into the mountains and around the lakes. It’s about the safety of NH citizens who are trying really, really hard to keep our COVID statistics low.

I know I chose to live in an area strongly influenced by tourism, and that Bike Week and all it entails is a great boost to our economy. I’m one of the first out watching the riders pass on Route 106, and wandering Weirs admiring the chrome. But not this year! Despite the fact that June events were postponed to August, nothing much about the virus or its transmission has changed. According to those in the know, the best preventative measures are distance, clean hands, and facial masks. The riders find great freedom in not wearing helmets. Who will be there to enforce mask wearing?!

I do know that some businesses will not be able to survive the economic impacts of this pandemic and that’s why I do my damndest to support them now. I also know that people are dying alone because they cannot have contact with family, kids are at home doing school, life-saving professionals like doctors, child welfare workers and mental health providers are working with clients virtually.

Bike Week is an annual time for friends to connect in groups, and for strangers with a shared interest to become a new family. Let’s do it the safest way possible. Perhaps this is just not the year for this event.

When small business, Walmart, Market Basket, and even the local Harley-Davidson dealership have changed safety practices, perhaps it is your responsibility now. Yes, a certain number of riders will still head to our area for new adventures, or old time sake, but YOU don’t need to encourage it.

Doreen Carson

Laconia