They need to do their job Protesters gather at Neppel Park Saturday in protest of alcohol ban

Most said they feel snubbed by county commissioners on 'last-minute law'

MOSES LAKE The sand dunes was missing its usual gathering of off-roaders who cruise the rolling hills faithfully each weekend.

Instead, Neppel Landing Park was home to these extreme-sport enthusiasts who gripped picket signs rather than steering wheels and handle bars to protest the recent law by the Grant County Commissioners banning alcohol at the dunes.

More than 100 protesters stood at the edge of Stratford Road calling out reason after reason why the ban should never have taken place, with passing motorists returning the occasional honk in support for their cause.

The county commissioners unanimously voted to ban alcohol from the Dunes last Monday after listening to reports from the Grant County Sheriff s Office and medical personnel on the high-level of alcohol related accidents that occur.

Hogwash, said those who protested Saturday.

There are thousands of people who drink responsibly and a few who don t and they are the ones who end up in the E.R. and if the cops were doing their job, there would be less, said Donavyn Nelson, a dunegoer and daughter of Rich Archer, director of the Sand Scorpions Off-Road Vehicle club.

Nelson, like others at the protest organized by the Sand Scorpions and the Big Bend Community College Young Democrats, felt the law never should have been put on the books because the law enforcement assigned to the dunes should have done a better job enforcing the laws that already exist.

Nelson said she has seen deputies watching public nudity without putting a stop to it, watching intoxicated drivers without arresting them and allowing littering at the dunes.

(Deputies) are not doing their job, said Jeff Vaness, one of the protesters.

Vaness criticism was shared by many protesters who felt that no new rules should be created if the existing ones are not being enforced. Besides the littering, many signs denounced a lack of toilets at the sand dunes as a sign of a county ignoring overdue tasks while taking on new ones.

We are more (ticked) off for spending all this money for enforcement and to make our area better and they are not doing it, Archer said, stating that there are only 20 toilets to hold 7,000 people who frequent the dunes.

Archer added the commission did not ask dunegoers about the problem and brought in a law before he and others could make their point.

Jeff Heimark, from the Young Democrats agreed, saying that he understood the potential problem alcohol might create. However, I don t think a ban would be the best solution.

Furthermore, protesters claimed that with the alcohol ban, large numbers of people would keep away from the dunes, hence signifying a great loss in tourism revenue for local businesses and the county

At the protest, a few of those favoring the ban were trying to make their voice heard, as well.

Brian Roth, a physician at Samaritan Hospital and Jeff Evans, the hospital s emergency room director, went to the protest with signs in hand, to tell passersby and motorist their side of the story.

Evans said that the word about the lewd behavior, girls gone wild, and drugs, going on at the dunes has spread to places such as Bremerton and Seattle.

As far as the county losing money by banning alcohol, Evans said that is not the whole story.

Samaritan Hospital is a county hospital, he said, and a large number of people visiting the dunes are young people without health insurance.

Hence, when one of these people has a serious accident, the county hospital has to foot the bill, he added.

The county loses far more than they generate, he concluded.

Still opinions such as Evans were clearly in the minority Saturday morning.

Archer, along with many others at the protest, felt that if the sheriff s office spent more time going after violators, the problem would decrease. He said the commissioners should pull the ban and focus on enforcing current laws and turning the sand dunes back into a family friendly environment.

They should fix the road, fix the toilets, give us better camping areas and make it more family oriented, Archer said, rather than coming up with a solution before looking at all the alternatives.