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| Pot Rally, City Event in Conflict |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 01, 2003 at 14:31:19 PT By Jesse Manchi Source: Parkersburg Sentinel 
Parkersburg -- Alternate arrangements were made Wednesday so a march and rally for legalizing marijuana for medicinal uses won't conflict with the family-oriented "Parkersburg Through the Looking Glass" event on Saturday. The Mountaineers for Medical Cannabis was planning a rally at Bicentennial Plaza from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the same time of the day-long downtown Through the Looking Glass promotion organized by the Parkersburg-Wood County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The bureau has been planning the event for several months, and Wednesday was the first time anyone with the agency had heard of the medical marijuana rally. ''I didn't know anything about it,'' said Steve Nicely, president of the tourist bureau. The Mountaineers group obtained a permit from the police department and paid $100 for two police officers for the march, said Carol Wimer, state director of the group, part of the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis. It was originally scheduled to start from Bicentennial Plaza, move to Juliana Street next to the Bureau of Public Debt, go to Fifth Street, to Market Street and back to the plaza. ''We don't know if there will be one or 1,000 people,'' she said. ''This is the first time this is being held in Parkersburg.'' The rally was moved to Point Park with the aid of the police department, said Mayor Jimmy Colombo, who also was unaware of the rally. Without judging the merit of the Mountaineers' cause, Colombo said it would be inappropriate for children to be near the rally. The change in venue will be advantageous for both events, Colombo said. ''I hope they (the Mountaineers) are happy,'' Colombo said. Wimer, who was unaware of the scheduling conflict until notified by the newspaper, said she was appreciative the changes were made. ''I'm glad you told me about this,'' she said. Supporters say medical marijuana is helpful in easing the side effects of vomiting and nausea from chemotherapy for cancer and can be used for other ailments and medical conditions. Other rallies are being held this weekend around the nation, Wimer said. The group doesn't endorse the legalization of marijuana other than for medical reasons, Wimer said. ''That isn't what we're fighting for,'' she said. The rally will include entertainment and speeches. Speakers will talk about the medicinal uses, she said. "Parkersburg Through the Looking Glass" is a major promotion intended to bring families to downtown Parkersburg. Planned are entertainment at Bicentennial Plaza and at Fifth and Market streets, a scavenger hunt and a dozen organizations and businesses that will be open special hours Saturday. Actors from the Actors Guild will play parts from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, written by Lewis Carroll, including Alice, the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit, at the participating organizations. ''We'll have quite a few characters in costume,'' Nicely said. ''And probably some characters not in costume.'' The tourist bureau will plan other events intended to bring people to downtown, Nicely said. Registration for the scavenger hunt starts 9 a.m. at Bicentennial Plaza and the scavenger hunt starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Participants can register anytime and take part in the hunt at their leisure as there is no time limit, Nicely said. ''There's no prize for finishing first,'' he said. Everyone completing the course will be eligible for the grand prize drawing. The prize for a child 12 and younger is $500. For an adult or couple, the prize is a $1,000 savings bond. T-shirts will be given to the first 500 children who find all the objects or information in the scavenger hunt. Entertainment will be available at Bicentennial Park from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from noon to 4 p.m. at Adams Park at Fifth and Market. Performances of Alice in Wonderland by the Missoula Children's Theatre at the Smoot Theatre will be held 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Reservations are required at 422-PLAY. Tickets are $7 adults and $5 children. A Queen of Hearts Tea Party and a garden tour will be held in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District. Development projects in Parkersburg will be on display at the municipal building in an exhibit sponsored by the Area Roundtable and the city. Admission to the downtown museums will be free. Twelve organizations are now on the participation list, Nicely said. The Schrader Youth Ballet, in its new studio at Sixth and Market streets, came on board Wednesday. Others participating are the Actors Guild, the Red Cross, Blennerhassett Museum, Public Debt, Cultural Center of Fine Arts, Julia-Ann Square Historic District, the Mid-Ohio Valley Model Railroad Club in the Noe Office building, Oil and Gas Museum, Smoot Theatre, Trans Allegheny Books and the courthouse. Source: Parkersburg Sentinel, The (WV) American Alliance for Medical Cannabis CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by FoM on May 02, 2003 at 09:41:45 PT |
| The Associated Press Friday, May 2, 2003 Parkersburg, W.Va. - City officials have decided that, while the time has come to talk of many things, legalizing marijuana for medicinal use is not a topic for kids. A rally scheduled Saturday by Mountaineers for Medical Cannabis was moved from Bicentennial Plaza to a different location after city officials discovered a family event called "Parkersburg Through the Looking Glass" planned activities there at the same time. Mayor Jimmy Colombo said the marijuana rally would be inappropriate for children. Carol Wimer, state director of Mountaineers for Medical Cannabis, said she was unaware of the family event. She said she appreciated the decision to move the rally to Point Park, a couple of streets from the plaza. The family event is sponsored by the Parkersburg-Wood County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We'll have quite a few characters in costume," said Steve Nicely, president of the bureau. "And probably some characters not in costume." Copyright: 2003 The Associated Press [ Post Comment ] |
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