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Bind man appeals to Athens Trustees

By Dollie Gull

ATHENS — Richard Goddeau has been blind from birth and one of his greatest joys in life is to ride his ATV, (all-terrain vehicle), with the guidance of his friend and ATV buddy, Phil Dalton, who shepards him, guiding him via two-way communications they have set up in their safety helmets.

Goddeau appealed to Athens Village Trustees and Mayor Andrea Smallwood here Wednesday night, June 25, at a regular village meeting to be allowed to adhere to New York State law, which allows him to ride his off-road, four-wheeled ATV from his home to an open hay field where he is allowed to ride his ATV to his heart’s content.

“He can’t drive a car or other street vehicle,” remarked his wife, Jacqueline, following the village meeting at the Athens Community Center at which town officials said they would consult with Athens police officers over the matter.

Goddeau had told village trustees that he is allowed, under New York State law, to ride his ATV “carefully and at the edge of a road from point A to point B, as long as it isn’t more than 300-yards, nor further, to reach a point that is a bit further down the road, to a destination.”

Following the meeting, at which Mayor Smallwood said she and the trustees would obtain police opinion regarding the matter, the blind rider stated, “someone must have complained.

“It is probably about someone who is breaking the state rules,” he speculated, wondering why anyone would complain of his short use of Maple Street in to reach the only destination where he can ride his ATV within a “reasonable” distance from his home.

He informed village officials that, in order to transport the ATV from his starting point at home, to the field where he rides, “putting the ATV on a trailer takes up to an hour to load up the trailer, and then unload,” making these actions undesirable.

He will trailer his ATV and the ATV of his friend Phil Dalton, who serves as his “eyes.” Dalton - like Goddeau - is an all-terrain aficionado, and volunteers to guide Goddeau via a two-way communications set up in their respective helmets.

“I tell him to go left, go right and when he can go full out straight ahead,” stated Dalton, who also attended the town meeting.

“Richard gets so much pleasure out of riding,” said his wife afterwards as well, “that it is a shame someone has to ruin it for him.”

He has been riding off-street bikes and ATVs for many years and belongs to a national organization for handicapped off-street vehicle riders, the Highlanders’ ATV Handicapped Riders Group. The Highlanders is an off-road riders’ group which not long ago formed the handicapped group, “which allows individuals with life-threatening health problems or who, like me, are handicapped,” stated Goddeau.

Goddeau will exhibit his riding skills at a Coxsackie-Athens Police Athletics League event on July 19 at Coxsackie Village Hall, he reported.

“I’m in a Catch 22 situation,” he stated unhappily, following his statements before the mayor and trustees.

Mayor Smallwood, however, assured Goddeau that his situation would be addressed and that he would soon receive a ruling from town officials after they verify that the officers have no problems with Goddeau’s ATV being for a short time on Athens streets, as they had been informed by the ATV rider.

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