The Town of Franklin was supposed to look forward to the Smoky Mountain Rumble in August. The motorcycle rally was supposed to be an incredible draw for tourists. On the flip-side, the aldermen disagree with rally promoters on when enough is enough. Promoters want to shut down Main Street for four days. They also want the center of festivities to be in front of a funeral home. Town leaders would prefer a modicum of taste and restraint.
Alderman Bob Scott anticipated the difficulties, and tried to encourage concerned parties to address the issues ahead of time, but nobody listened. It is typical of an adage invented by former Asheville City Council Candidate Ryan Croft: It does no good to be ahead of one’s time, because nobody else understands enough to care. One must be on time. In the meantime, the aldermen postponed a vote to grant the promoters time to come with a more digestible chunk.
