Saco farm owner no longer will be host to rally after drug-related death

SACO – For 14 years, Rick Grant has allowed motorcyclists to hold an annual three-day rally on his farm. But Grant said he won’t host the Behind the Barn festival anymore.

A 36-year-old Biddeford man who attended the rally last weekend died after a drug overdose.

James Jackson died Wednesday night at Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford. He and four other men were hospitalized after overdosing on a combination of alcohol and Klonopin, a prescription tranquilizer.

Police are looking for the person who distributed the drugs. They have not identified the other four men who took the drugs, all of whom were treated and released from local hospitals.

Grant, however, said his mind is made up and he will not host the rally anymore.

“Over the years we’ve been able to have fun and raise money for a lot of charities and civic organizations,” Grant said. “But that doesn’t outweigh the death that’s happened on my farm. I’ve thought about it every minute since it’s happened. I have to ride by that spot every day.”

In past years, the biggest problems reported at the rally were complaints of noise and disorderly conduct.

Saco officials plan to meet with the event’s organizers to determine what went wrong this year. Councilors want assurances or an improved safety plan brought to them if the group decides to hold the event at another location next year.

Police Sgt. Bradley Paul said his department received about a dozen calls related to this year’s festival, the highest number in several years. City officials said the event has typically been well-run and Behind the Barn organizers have worked well with the city.