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August 18, 2002 Woodstock's legend rocks on By Steve Israel Times Herald-Record sisrael@th-record.com Bethel – Before dawn in Connecticut yesterday, Mike DeFelice threw a change of clothes in his '92 Buick Regal. He grabbed a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice. Then he drove on out to Yasgur's Farm. In Cleveland, J.J. Haaz packed his 10-string guitar in his Ford van. He made a quick stop at the Woodstock Museum at Vassmer's General Store in Kauneonga Lake. Then he headed to the Bethel bar that still has a Woodstock '96 Information Center sign out front – Hector's. Up in Toronto, Brad Littleproud loaded his '97 Plymouth Voyager with fishing tackle and camping gear. After a night at the Woodstock on the Lake campground, he stopped by the site of the 1969 festival that drew a crowd of 450,000 to the sleepy Sullivan County farming town of Bethel, population 2,100. Thirty-three years after Jimi Hendrix squeezed the last twisted notes out of "The Star Spangled Banner," the lure of Woodstock rings as loud as that guitar. That's why a few thousand folks made the pilgrimage here for the 33rd anniversary of the world's most famous rock concert. Never mind that camping isn't allowed on the original site now owned by a millionaire who's turning part of it into a performing arts center. Or that Bethel has a permanent injunction against the bashes on the field of the farmer who owned that site, Max Yasgur. These pilgrims – and partiers – don't care that the ultimate symbol of peace and love was actually hatched as a money-making scheme by four businessmen. The legend – and the chance to party – draws them to Bethel. "It was a better time," says DeFelice, holding that six-pack outside the Woodstock Emporium, which quadruples its business on these Woodstock weekends. Says DeFelice: "No AIDS. No Columbine. No terrorists." By the time these folks got to Woodstock 2002, the mood was more mellow yellow than purple haze. By far the largest gathering was at Yasgur's Farm, where at least 2,000 folks camped in the dry fields and lush forest. By yesterday afternoon, the two biggest happenings there represented the yin and yang of Woodstock. An Elmira woman, Elizabeth Jezorski, went into labor on Friday night and later gave birth to a baby, Logan, at Catskill Regional Medical Center. The same night a man overdosed – and lived. But most of the crowd that ranged from fuzzy-faced teen-agers to gray-haired hippies paid their $20 – to cover expenses like garbage removal and port-o-john rentals – set up their tents and wandered through a field dotted with flags ranging from the stars and stripes to the peace sign. Vendors sold tie-dyed T-shirts for $5 and burgers for $2.75. There was no stage, so they strummed guitars and listened to Richie Havens sing "Freedom" through speakers – although a few folks said they were going to plug into generators and rock last night. And while some grumbled about the $20 admission to celebrate the anniversary of a free concert, the only real complaint came from the farmer who lives next door. Harold Russell knows that taxpayers foot the bill for the police who may direct traffic or patrol the property, especially when the crowd – and noise – swells at night. He wonders why, if there's an injunction against these bashes, Yasgur Farm owners Roy Howard and Jeryl Abramson can still throw them. But late yesterday afternoon, most folks on the field felt like Chris Hall of the Bronx, who lounged near his '73 orange VW bus decorated with a dancing bear and a peace sign. "It's like a typical camp out," he said. And today, after the 33rd anniversary of Woodstock is history, most of these folks will head home to their real jobs in the real world. Tomorrow, Mike DeFelice will wake before dawn to drive a mail truck in Connecticut. Brad Littleproud will return to his pregnant wife and his job as a behavioral consultant in Toronto. Chris Hall will go back to work as a database administrator in New York City. And come next August, they'll all head back to Bethel to get back to the garden. 40 Mulberry Street * PO Box 2046 * Middletown, NY 10940 Telephone 845-341-1100 or 800-295-2181 outside the Middletown, N.Y., area. For optimal viewing experience, click here. Copyright Orange County Publications. All rights reserved.
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