Pubdate: Thu, 10 May 2001
Source: Nelson Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 Nelson Daily News
Contact:  http://www.nelsondailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/288
Page: 3
Author: Bob Hall

POLITICAL MESSAGE BURNED INTO NELSON HILLSIDES, SAYS POLICE

Both the Nelson City Police and leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party are 
frowning on an overzealous supporter who used a corrosive material to burn 
local hillsides in support of the party.

Just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, police say they received a call about a man 
using lye to burn the words "Vote Marijuana" into the hillside at 
Cottonwood Falls park.  When police located the 57-year-old Taghum resident 
they found he had also used the same chemical to burn a similarly large 
message on the hillside beside Highway 3A just near the overpass.

"Everybody has a right to come in and try and gain support for their party, 
but you are not going to see that type of damage or disrespect for 
environment handed out by the Liberal Party, the NDP or the Green Party," 
says NCP Sgt. Henry Paivarinta.

Lye is a highly concentrated aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or 
sodium hydroxide.  The man used it to burn the grass, leaving just brown 
dirt in the shape of letters supporting his party.

Though B.C. Marijuana Party leader Brian Taylor and his CannaBus were in 
the Nelson area Wednesday, the Grand Forks resident says the stunt had no 
official endorsement from the party.

"That's terrible...that's exactly the last thing we want happening out 
there at this point," Taylor told the Daily News.  "We appreciate people's 
support, but that's a form of violence to me and we don't support that at 
all.  No defacing anything, especially in an area where environmental 
sensitivity is so high.  If they want to get the word out, bring out your 
friends to vote, don't deface property or the environment."

Police did not detain the man responsible, but charges may be forthcoming. 
Paivarinta says he will contact the Ministry of Highways to assess the 
situation to see if the chemical could cause any slope instability or 
environmental damage.  If the ministry sees fit, criminal charges of 
mischief could be considered.

Even though police and marijuana activists don't see eye-to-eye, Paivarinta 
says in this case the party name has nothing to do with the investigation.

"It doesn't matter who would have put that into the bank, as far as the 
police go we are obliged to investigate," he says.  "But, this is something 
that I wouldn't expect from the other parties."

Paivarinta and Taylor do agree on one thing, the man who decided to express 
his support in a grandiose way probably didn't do his party of choice any 
favours.

"The whole point of campaigning is to get support for your cause and I 
can't think of a better way for people to be turned off by your party," 
says Paivarinta.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens