Based on his myriad of Old West adventures, it seems like the Lone Ranger can do almost anything.
But not even the legendary masked lawman can shut down a state highway for a day.
Last week, the Oxford Village Council rejected a request to ask the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to close M-24 (Washington St.) to vehicular traffic so as to accommodate the Lone Ranger Festival (formerly known as Celebrate Lone Ranger) scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1.
The proposal was to close M-24 along the downtown’s main two blocks between Stanton/Dennison and East streets, allowing only pedestrians, vendors and businesses on the road. No vote was conducted, but council made its feelings pretty clear.
‘I don’t even think it’s feasible for us to even consider shutting down M-24 for that period of time,? said Councilman Bryan Cloutier. ‘It’s not realistic to do that . . . It’s really an unreasonable request to even think that we would be shutting down M-24 for a day.?
‘I think it would be a huge, obnoxious burden on the (police) staff to close M-24 for six hours,? said Councilwoman Maureen Helmuth.
Debbie Uren, president of the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce and one of the Lone Ranger Festival’s organizers, pitched the M-24 closure request to council.
‘We’re talking one day out of 365 days,? she said.
At last year’s Lone Ranger celebration, Uren said she ‘heard from folks, with children, especially, that they don’t want to cross? M-24 to get to the various activities spanning the east and west sides of the downtown area. ‘It is a very scary situation for them,? she said.
Traditionally, during the Lone Ranger Festival, and its predecessor Celebrate Oxford, Burdick St. has been closed between Pontiac St. to the west and Mill St. to the east.
Activities and vendor booths are usually featured on both E. Burdick and W. Burdick, but pedestrians must cross M-24 to go between them.
‘We had a lot of people in town last year, but we also had a lot of people leave (right after the parade). Part of the reason for them leaving, in my estimation, is that we didn’t have it in a way that they could walk around town as comfortably and as safely as they wanted to,? Uren said. ‘And there weren’t as many things to keep them in town.?
Uren asked council to consider asking MDOT to close M-24 until 6 p.m. on the day of the festival.
‘In a perfect world, I would love to see it (closed) until 9 o’clock at night,? she noted.
Both police Oxford Police Chief Mike Neymanowski and Oxford Fire Chief Pete Scholz weren’t too keen on the idea.
‘I have my reservations about closing M-24 down to be perfectly honest with you,? Neymanowski said.
He expressed concerns about the amount of traffic congestion such a lengthy closure could create. When M-24 is closed for ‘not quite an hour? during the annual Christmas parade, Neymanowski said, ‘It gets pretty congested there after a while.?
He’s concerned closing M-24 for many hours could back traffic up all the way to Lake Orion or even the Palace of Auburn Hills.
‘That could possibly happen,? Neymanowski said.
It could also lead to drivers taking shortcuts through residential areas. ‘Everybody gets impatient,? Neymanowski said.
Scholz was primarily concerned about a large amount of detoured traffic hindering his department’s ability to get emergency vehicles where they need to go, particularly when traveling south. ‘I hate to say it, but I’m not in favor of it,? he said.
‘I don’t even want to send (the request) to MDOT,? noted Cloutier. ‘It creates far too many complications for our public safety departments, and also the people coming in and out of this town.?
Ultimately, council agreed with Councilman Tom Kennis? suggestion to have village Manager Joe Young, Neymanowski and Scholz come up with a plan for managing the flow of traffic and pedestrians during the festival.
‘I think we want to slow down traffic (and) protect the pedestrians,? he said.
The trio of officials is expected to return to council and present their plan.
‘We’re not the experts in here and it’s their lives that are on the line,? Kennis said.
Scholz noted he had no problem with closing M-24 for the Lone Ranger parade.
Village officials agreed.
Council voted 5-0 to authorize an application to MDOT requesting M-24 be closed from 10:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 1 for the parade. The road closure would extend from the Oxford Marketplace shopping center to Fire Station #1 on Church St. The parade will begin at 11 a.m.
Oxford resident Rod Charles, founder of the parade and chairman of the Lone Ranger Committee, or ‘posse? as he calls it, said this year’s theme will be ‘Brotherhood.?
The idea arose from a chat he had with former Village President Teri Stiles, who now works for Oxford Community Television.
‘We were talking about all the turmoil going on in society, so it seemed like a good theme to have for this year,? Charles said.
Uren noted this year’s Lone Ranger Festival will feature a ‘hospitality tent.?
‘The hospitality tent is just another way of saying a beer tent,? she explained. ‘It sounds much nicer.?
Plans are to close the tent at 9 p.m. so as to not take away business from local bars and restaurants. Uren noted the chamber is looking for a local nonprofit to help operate the hospitality tent and split the proceeds.
In the end, Uren said the Lone Ranger parade and festival will ‘bring many, many folks into town.?
‘We have so much to offer here,? she told council. ‘We need to get our name out into the communities that surround us . . . This is the perfect, perfect opportunity.?