July 4th and the 2008 rally

Hi there everyone. Sorry it took so long to write an update. I got caught up from a couple of killer weeks and then was floored when my mother in law had a major stroke. She seemed perfectly healthy the day before then boom. She's getting better every day but still can not talk or eat. All prayers are appreciated.
So how was the fourth of July weekend and the rally? Absolutely fantastic! My crew agrees that all in all it was the best rally we have ever had. We have made more money in the past but it has never gone as smoothly. The people that came to Johnny's were wonderful. Law enforcement was even great. They came through often to check ID's but were always pleasant and stopped to visit with people and make them feel comfortable. I had a real nice visit with DOJ the Friday night of the rally and they agreed with us. They felt that people were really nice and enjoyable. I was surprised when they said that they liked it better when the motorcycles were on San Benito Street. It surprised me because I know the intensity level is much lower without the bikes right out front. I know that most, if not all businesses on San Benito like the new setup much better. People forget that there was no room to walk and not only was it claustrophobic but dangerous before. I am really praying for motorcycle parking only on East Street. A few blocks of nothing but motorcycles will make everyone happy. I believe that our rally will just get better and better. And how about the date change that so many folks were worried about? I found that more locals were upset about the rally not being on the fourth of July weekend than visitors. People spend the fourth with their families doing fireworks and having BBQ's. I saw just as many people as I always do during a rally and they were all having a great time. I got the extra bonus of having all of my Boozefighters on the fourth of July weekend. They got to park right in front of the bar and they didn't have to wait in line to get in which made them happy. They had a wonderful tribute to Gil Armas one of the first Boozefighters that passed away recently. My patio was so full of Boozefighters that I couldn't even get to it. I had to watch the tribute from the ally. Gil came to Johnny's for most of the rallies since the 1996 pre-rally. He will be sorely missed. To sum it all up we had two great weekends at Johnny's. I thought Seth Dalton from Horsepower Promotions and the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce did a great job. They could not have done it without all of the wonderful volunteers and I want to give a shout out to all of them. As with anything there is always room for improvement. Every year I learn something new to do to make things better. Feel free to email me or Seth and the chamber with your thoughts and ideas. Just keep things on a positive note please. Upbeat suggestions are much better received than complaints and criticisms. Later, Cat