Meade County - URGENT ACTION - May 30th Deadline

[sarahlee]

What's up with Bear Butte?

For the time being, alert and active Meade County citizens have gained a grip on one development that threatens the sacred character of a traditional holy place. They gathered enough signatures to trigger a county referendum on the malt liquor license recently granted to Sturgis County Line. This proposed biker hospitality and entertainment mega-complex will include a 30,000-seat amphitheater for concerts, hospitality for thousands of bikers, and around-the-clock saloons. Out-of-state developer Jay Allen advertises an unpoliced environment, openly inviting loud, lewd and drunken behavior in noise-nuisance proximity to Bear Butte, a traditional holy place in continual use by indigenous people.

Although the county refuses to hold the referendum, citing a legal loophole, Bear Butte defenders are taking the county to court. Their excellent lawyers --Bruce Ellison, Thomas Van Norman, and James Abourezk-- are presenting an excellent case for allowing the referendum to go ahead.

MEANWHILE, Meade Co. Commissioners have given another liquor license to Gary Lippold, who is building Rock & Rally concert amphitheater, also in noise-nuisance proximity to Bear Butte. This is for a hard liquor license, which, we hear, his out-of- state financial backers are demanding (so he can compete with Jay Allen's rival concert venue?).

Bear Butte defenders, including plenty of white folks as well as indigenous, ARE NOW GATHERING SIGNATURES TO REFER THE LIPPOLD HARD LIQUOR LICENSE. Download a petition at http://www.matopaha.org You need to copy the two pages onto one sheet, back & front.

Petitioners are in serious need of help. You can help, even if you are not a Meade County resident, although only Meade County residents are eligible to sign.

If you live far from Meade County, notify any contacts you might have who do reside there. Urge them to circulate the petition and tell or email them the directions. If you live near Meade County, please go there to pick up a few signatures from residents you might encounter. You can gather from any public walkway or park.

Contact a campaign organizer if you want a special spot to cover or a partner to gather with:
Nancy Hilding 787-6466;
Marvin Kammerer 923-1535;
Nancy Kile 720-0282,
Deb Phillips 641-3004,
Rosalie Little Thunder 209-2159

If you live in Meade County, you should download the petition and get as many signatures as you can, get them notarized and turned in by the deadline, even if its just two from yourself and your spouse. Every single signature counts! A special petition drop-off party will take place Monday, May 29, 4-10 pm in Sturgis. (See below.) A notary will be present.

If you can't leave petitions with Bear Butte defenders at the Monday night party, bring them to the court- house Tuesday, where defenders will be gathering signatures all day. The county auditor will notarize your petition. Deadline for turning in petitions to the auditor at Meade Co Courthouse is 5 pm Tuesday, May 30.

For logistical problems getting petitions notarized or transported to the drop off party Monday to the court- house Tuesday, call for "celestial help" from one of the organizers listed above.

DROP-OFF PARTY is Monday 4-10 pm at a Sturgis residence, 1508 Fulton Street.
Look for the banner reading PRESERVE and PROTECT. A notary will be present to serve you.