OFF THE WIRE
It's not easy finding information about Pagan's Motorcycle Club.
I suspect that's the way members like it. After all, sometimes a little mystery can enhance your reputation. (Hey, it worked for Fonzie on the TV show "Happy Days.")
The club doesn't have an official website or a media relations representative.
Do a Google search for "Pagan's Motorcycle Club," and you'll find a lot of crime-related links. You'll learn its rival is none other than Hells Angels.
So based on first impressions via the Internet, you wouldn't exactly want them as your neighbor.
Then again, fairfaxunderground.com describes them in a rather generic way: "The Pagan's Motorcycle Club, also called simply The Pagans, is a motorcycle enthusiast and social club currently headquartered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania."
Social club, eh? The residents of Whispering Palms — a 55-plus community — on U.S. 1 south of Sebastian would probably say the Pagans are a bit too social.
The Pagans are renting a house on property adjacent to Whispering Palms. Club members have been gathering there mainly on the weekends. If you're anywhere in the vicinity, you can't miss the sound of the motorcycles coming and going.
"Some of them don't leave until midnight or 2 o'clock in the morning, which is very disruptive to the community," said Barbara Cournoyer, property manager of Whispering Palms. "It seems like the weekends is when they have their gatherings. They're quiet during the week — maybe one or two bikes per night — but there are quite a few on weekends."
Outside the house at 10425 U.S. 1 is a "For Sale" sign. The phone number on the sign is for the office of Henry Fischer & Sons.
Cournoyer says she has talked with Eric Fischer about Whispering Palms' new neighbors. She hopes the Pagans won't be there long-term.
"My concern is that he would sell the property to them," Cournoyer said.
Eric Fischer was not available for comment.
Attempts to talk with members of the Pagans were unsuccessful. I made multiple trips to the house, but no one was there.
This past weekend Cournoyer reported all was quiet.
She said the presence of the Pagans has the potential to cost Whispering Palms some business, if they haven't already. She said someone who stayed for a week around Labor Day vowed not to return if the motorcycle club is still there.
She's particularly concerned about the affect on business during "the season." Word-of-mouth advertising works both ways, you know.
Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said the Pagan's Motorcycle Club is on the radar of local, state and federal agencies. Over Labor Day weekend, Cournoyer said two Sheriff's Office vehicles were sitting in the parking lot of a nearby business (Bridgestone Tire), and deputies were monitoring the activities at the house.
The local Pagans used to be based in southern Brevard County, Loar said. Thus far, members of the group haven't caused any trouble in Indian River County.
"We haven't had any complaints from that area, and we haven't had any arrests," Loar said.
Another motorcycle club, the Outlaws, recently left Indian River County. (Where did they go? "South!" Loar said, without giving a specific location.)
Loar said the Outlaws operated out of a more secluded place in the county than the high-traffic location of the Pagans.
The sheriff says Pagans have "the perception of a big, bad motorcycle gxxg ... but, generally speaking, they're very calm."
In trying to gather information about the local Pagans, I called several people who know about the club. However, no one wanted to be quoted — because they didn't want to get on the "wrong side" of the Pagans.
One man said residents of Whispering Palms need not fear for their safety.
The Pagans "won't give you trouble, other than noise," he said. "If you don't bother them, they won't bother you."
Still, you can't blame the property manager at Whispering Palms for being concerned about how the Pagans might affect business during the season.
"I'm sure a lot of them are very nice guys, but it's when you read about the Pagans on the Internet, you have to wonder why they are here," Barbara Cournoyer said. "It's just the name (the Pagans) — it's like Hells Angels."
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/sep/12/russ-lemmon-pagans-motorcycle-club-draws-by-a-on/
