August 1, 2013
Noise Free America
For immediate release
Contact:
Ted Rueter
877-664-7366
[email protected]
Chapel Hill: The Kenosha Area Convention and Visitors Bureau in Kenosha, Wisconsin has won this month’s Noisy Dozen award from Noise Free America for sponsoring the “Harbor Thunder” event on the evening of August 28, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The “Harbor Thunder” event is an irresponsible celebration of extreme noise. Kenosha is 30 miles south of Milwaukee, with a population of 100,000. Like much of Wisconsin, the area is constantly overrun with loud motorcycles, blasting away without regard to federal and state anti-noise laws.
The sponsors of Kiwanis club of western Kenosha, in partnership with the city of Kenosha and the Kenosha Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and with the guidance of Uke’s Harley-Davidson and Kenosha H.O.G.chapter #5559.”
Larry Deal, a Noise Free America member, stated that “the Kenosha ‘Harbor Thunder’ event will attract a large number of thunderous motorcycles. The loud noise is made much worse by motorcyclists who have illegally modified their exhaust systems. A 2008 survey conducted by the California Air Resources Board indicates that 85 percent of motorcycles 280 cc and higher had modified exhaust systems—which are illegal. The Kenosha noise event will produce thunderous noise emissions. No amount of ‘charity’ overcomes this lawbreaking. Excessive noise is very disruptive to communities. Excessive noise is physically dangerous.”
Ted Rueter, Noise Free America’s director (who lived in Wisconsin for 13 years), noted that “the Badger state is a refuge for motorcycle noise. In Wisconsin, loud motorcycles are everywhere, blasting away without any fear of a noise violation citation. Many policemen and elected officials ride loud motorcycles. Wisconsin considers Harley-Davidson—a symbol of noise and disorder—to be the state’s official motorcycle. Wisconsin is home to constant, thunderous, illegal noise.”
“Kenosha’s ‘Harbor Thunder’ event,” Rueter concluded, “is just another example of Wisconsin’s addiction to loud, excessive, and illegal noise.”
Noise Free America is a national non-profit organization devoted to noise reduction. Past “winners” of the Noisy Dozen award include St. Paul’s Lutheran church in Kenosha; the Wisconsin state legislature; the Milwaukee motorcycle rally; Madison, Wisconsin; and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson. No other state has won as many Noisy Dozen awards as Wisconsin.