Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
Requirements issued by county law enforcement may threaten a Memorial Day hemp festival.
Sheriff Clay Parker said Wednesday that the proposed three-day World Hemp Expo Extravaganja 2010 would require a level of security comparable to annual events such as the Tehama District Fair or Red Bluff Round-Up Rodeo, but would need to be carried out 24 hours a day to handle overnight campers.
We just got this application, what, a day or two ago?, Parker said. They want everything to be ready by the end of the month, and I don't even know if we even have enough time for that.
Parker would have to call in law enforcement from neighboring agencies and charge event organizer Donna Will for the overtime, he said.
Exact figures on the police presence or cost could be available later in the week, Parker said.
Will has previously said she anticipates around 1,800 people per day to attend the event.
I would hate for them to turn a fun festival into a peaceful protest, Will said Wednesday.
Will, a medical marijuana patient and advocate, said she has been pitching the World Hemp Expo Extravaganja 2010 since March.
Without access to the Tehama County Fairground, where most major county events are held, Will ran into an ordinance dating back to 1970, which county officials would later deem potentially unconstitutional for its approach to rock festivals.
The county refused to consider Will's permit before rewriting Advertisementthe county code, which it did, passing
the change as an urgency ordinance. Will has since turned in her application to Planning Director George Robson, who is asking for key department heads, including Parker, to weigh in on the issue.
Pieces of the application have been in the hands of the Planning Department for weeks, but the full version, including indemnity waivers for the county, was not turned into the department until this week, which was when Robson started circulating it for comment.
The application itself will not be made public until it is deemed complete, which will only be determined after it has been examined by other county departments, Planner II Robert Halpin said. Will said she has taken numerous measures to prepare for traffic, including enough paving to accommodate some 1,000 cars and shuttles to camping spots.
Alissa Eastman, Will's secretary, said 50-plus security guards would be checking visitors for medical marijuana recommendations, handing them green wristbands and having them sign a waiver before entering the event.
Visitors would be checked for weapons and may be barred from bringing in marijuana without a Prop. 215 recommendation. Several no-smoking areas will be designated, Eastman said.
Eastman said keeping people from sneaking in trace amounts of marijuana without recommendations could be impossible, a situation she compared to a concert.
Parker, however, said any amount of private security would be inadequate.
All they are there for, is basically to tell people not to do things, Parker said.
When actual crimes are committed, they're going to be calling us. So why should the county be on the hook when they call us?
As of Wednesday, a group of volunteers was still scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Sunday at 22116 Riverside Ave. More information is available gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: redbluffdailynews.com
Author: GEOFF JOHNSON
Copyright: 2010 Red Bluff Daily News
Contact: Contact Us - Red Bluff Daily News Online
Website: Memorial Day Hemp festival application under review - Red Bluff Daily News Online
• Thanks to Irish for submitting this article
Sheriff Clay Parker said Wednesday that the proposed three-day World Hemp Expo Extravaganja 2010 would require a level of security comparable to annual events such as the Tehama District Fair or Red Bluff Round-Up Rodeo, but would need to be carried out 24 hours a day to handle overnight campers.
We just got this application, what, a day or two ago?, Parker said. They want everything to be ready by the end of the month, and I don't even know if we even have enough time for that.
Parker would have to call in law enforcement from neighboring agencies and charge event organizer Donna Will for the overtime, he said.
Exact figures on the police presence or cost could be available later in the week, Parker said.
Will has previously said she anticipates around 1,800 people per day to attend the event.
I would hate for them to turn a fun festival into a peaceful protest, Will said Wednesday.
Will, a medical marijuana patient and advocate, said she has been pitching the World Hemp Expo Extravaganja 2010 since March.
Without access to the Tehama County Fairground, where most major county events are held, Will ran into an ordinance dating back to 1970, which county officials would later deem potentially unconstitutional for its approach to rock festivals.
The county refused to consider Will's permit before rewriting Advertisementthe county code, which it did, passing
the change as an urgency ordinance. Will has since turned in her application to Planning Director George Robson, who is asking for key department heads, including Parker, to weigh in on the issue.
Pieces of the application have been in the hands of the Planning Department for weeks, but the full version, including indemnity waivers for the county, was not turned into the department until this week, which was when Robson started circulating it for comment.
The application itself will not be made public until it is deemed complete, which will only be determined after it has been examined by other county departments, Planner II Robert Halpin said. Will said she has taken numerous measures to prepare for traffic, including enough paving to accommodate some 1,000 cars and shuttles to camping spots.
Alissa Eastman, Will's secretary, said 50-plus security guards would be checking visitors for medical marijuana recommendations, handing them green wristbands and having them sign a waiver before entering the event.
Visitors would be checked for weapons and may be barred from bringing in marijuana without a Prop. 215 recommendation. Several no-smoking areas will be designated, Eastman said.
Eastman said keeping people from sneaking in trace amounts of marijuana without recommendations could be impossible, a situation she compared to a concert.
Parker, however, said any amount of private security would be inadequate.
All they are there for, is basically to tell people not to do things, Parker said.
When actual crimes are committed, they're going to be calling us. So why should the county be on the hook when they call us?
As of Wednesday, a group of volunteers was still scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. Sunday at 22116 Riverside Ave. More information is available gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: redbluffdailynews.com
Author: GEOFF JOHNSON
Copyright: 2010 Red Bluff Daily News
Contact: Contact Us - Red Bluff Daily News Online
Website: Memorial Day Hemp festival application under review - Red Bluff Daily News Online
• Thanks to Irish for submitting this article
