Grayslake police chief stands by motorcycle show cancellation
Grayslake Police Chief Larry Herzog says he has no qualms about the village's controversial decision to halt a motorcycle show scheduled for Sunday at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Herzog spoke for the first time today about the village's process to cancel a permit for the Ironhorse Roundup Bike Show, which was expected to attract up to 40,000 visitors. The police department has received mostly critical e-mail and telephone messages since the event was scrubbed late Friday afternoon.
Austin's Saloon & Eatery in Libertyville sponsored the event, which would have included music, food, a motorcycle blessing and other activities. Austin's owner Mark Khayat estimated the cancellation cost his business more than $100,000.
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"We're just barely getting into it today," said Khayat, still stunned and disappointed by the decision that came to him without explanation from Grayslake officials.
Information received by Grayslake authorities from the Illinois State Police's Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center led to the cancellation. Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said word was members of a motorcycle club identified as an international criminal organization planned to be at the show.
Herzog said Grayslake was told about the motorcycle club Friday afternoon. He said an agreement to cancel the fairgrounds' permit for the Ironhorse Roundup was reached in about two hours.
"The decision was easy," Herzog said. "The discussion among Grayslake officials was very difficult concerning the expected aftermath of our decision."
Residential neighborhoods are near the fairgrounds site, west of routes 120 and 45. While declining to get into specifics, Herzog said there were more factors involved more than worry about the fairgrounds and the immediate area.
"Everyone assumes that what could have happened would have been contained to the fairgrounds," Herzog said. "I can't guarantee that."
Read more in Tuesday's Daily Herald.
bull; Daily Herald staff writer Russell Lissau contributed to this report.