cannabisnews.com: Vocals Plan Fete Despite Starks Ordinance 





Vocals Plan Fete Despite Starks Ordinance 
Posted by FoM on July 18, 2001 at 11:54:32 PT
By Alan Crowell, Staff Writer 
Source: Press Herald
 It's full steam ahead for the Freedom Festival this weekend and damn the threat of lawsuits, says Maine Vocals founder Donald Christen. A weekend-long festival centered on the use and legalization of marijuana is on for Friday, Saturday and Sunday despite the lack of a permit required under Starks' new mass-gathering ordinance. Christen's refusal to get the permit sets the stage for a legal showdown that could end a decade-long tradition of the cannabis-oriented festivals in Starks. 
"We are going forward whether they want us or not," said Christen. "The Archie Bunker-bigoted attitude is showing real hard." Christen said the ordinance amounts to a blatant attempt by the town to stop his festivals. It does not apply to the vocals in any case, he said, because his group is grandfathered as an existing entity. The Vocals hold a series of festivals in Starks over the summer. Christen said the festivals are a means of educating, networking and raising money for efforts to legalize marijuana. He said the Vocals have never run out of water and have more parking available this year than ever before. "They do not have the right to legislate us out of town by making new laws," he said. Christen said he doesn't know how many people will attend the weekend event. Organizers had expected up to 3,000 people but said the publicity caused by the ordinance controversy could push that number higher or lower. The mass-gathering ordinance comes into effect with gatherings of more than 750 people. Starks town officials say the ordinance is designed to improve health and safety issues at any gathering and is not targeted at the Vocals. The influx of thousands of festival-goers to the tiny town of 600 souls essentially collapses their town's infrastructure for a weekend, they said. Starks Selectman Cathy Cole said the new ordinance boils down to common-sense requirements for sanitation, drinking water and security. One year, the selectman made her garden hose available to festival-goers after she saw them drinking from a local brook. "She had kids begging for water," said Cole. Other years residents have watched as people camped out or urinated in their yards. Parking is always an issue, because haphazardly parked vehicles can block emergency vehicles, said Cole. "We do have many elderly people, and that is a concern for them," she said. Starks officials have asked for help from state and county police as well as Kennebec and Somerset County District Attorney David Crook. Police have said they will enforce state and federal laws but cannot weigh in on the ordinance. Ron Moody, Somerset County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy, said his department will focus on safety during patrols at Freedom Festival this weekend. Crook has said he would try to help Starks, although it is not clear how. Cole also said she was not sure what response her town would take to a violation of its new ordinance. "We will be talking to our attorney. We really don't know at this point," she said. Source: Portland Press Herald (ME) Author: Alan Crowell, Staff Writer Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2001Copyright: 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. Contact: letters pressherald.com Website: http://www.portland.com/ Related Articles & Web Site:Maine Vocalshttp://www.mainevocals.org/Pownal: State Not Helping Stop Festhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10072.shtmlPownal Board Says No To Marijuana Concertshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9912.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by lookinside on July 18, 2001 at 16:50:34 PT:
what happened to yankee ingenuity and enterprise?
if i was a resident of starks, i'd be buying large papercups and selling ice water for $1.00 a pop...i'd have 10portapotties in the driveway with $2.00 meters on them...howabout a big barbeque and $3.00 burgers?ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES!!!when the wheels come up lemons, make lemonade!
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