We will talk later this week.

The headline reads “400 Plants, $40K Cash And More.” It doesn’t say anything about guilt or even charges.

The only address mentioned in the story is the one from which the cannabis and money were confiscated. Anyone wanting the address of the other legal 215 grow can get it from the City’s Building department, as there is code enforcement correspondence. I could have published that it, but why?

We withheld a public detail in our news story out of discretion for the resident. The other side of that, though, is that the rest of Arcata deserves to know what’s going on in the community, what the police are spending their time on, and at least generally where, hence the block is named.

By the way, both of these residences were virtually encircled by police vehicles parked there for hours on a sunny day, with officers traipsing in and out as neighbors stood around gawking (and taking their own pictures).

Regarding paranoia. Maybe these people need some fresh air. Here we have just the latest of many instances of the police actually being in the house, hovering over the grow – and walking away.

From my conversations with Arcata Fire and the Building dept., those people would rather prevent problems than have to deal with the aftermath. They know how to, and do inspect grows and sign off on them.

Mark, even legal growers have to acknowledge that they are part of a larger community. Paranoia is a lame excuse for maintaining a grow so sloppy the neighbors are alarmed and calling cops. We’ve all seen tidy little grows, even ones implemented with a certain degree of flair. What’s the excuse for a slob grow, anyway?

Should a 215 grower have a fire, they’ll expect Arcata firefighters to come and put themselves at risk to put it out and save them and their property. The City and Fire Dept. are perfectly within their rights to expect safety compliance to avert situations that could expose neighbors and emergency personnel to danger.

If people were not afraid of the repressions they would all get their gardens done professionally.

No one that is not breaking the law should have to face a police raid, nor have their address published in the paper.

1. How were they implied to be criminals?

2. The 215 garden was legitimate, and installed in such as way as to put that home and potentially the neighbors at risk.

Those people should be thankful that this hazard was identified and corrected. What they should have done was call in Arcata Fire and/or the Building Official for sign-off when they installed the thing. Then they could have averted concerning the neighbors and bringing cops to their door.

just as a side point. Robert never substantiated his claim about “demonizing homeless people.” He cited some random opinion pieces that don’t support his premise.

SUNNY BRAE – On Wednesday, Nov. 10, officers from the Arcata Police Department’s Special Services Unit served two search warrants in the Sunny Brae neighborhood of Arcata. Both search warrants were served on single family residences where illegal marijuana cultivation operations were suspected to be taking place.”

“The second search warrant, served at a residence in the 1500 block of Lena Ave, uncovered another marijuana growing operation. This growing operation was found to be in compliance with current proposition 215 guidelines, however, numerous building code violations were discovered requiring the disconnection of electrical service.”

Now, I do understand that this is a press release from APD, but as a newspaper, i would think that the real story here would be the HARASSMENT of the legitimate patients whose lives were turned upside down. YOU did not demonize them, but you let a press release into the paper that implied in the headline that they were in fact criminals. They were/are not.

I am convinced that you are NOT an evil fuckhead, just the editor of a local paper that has a POLARIZED community. You can’t make everyone happy all the time. To me, if people are not pissed of at the editor, the paper is not doing its job.

Keep up the good work.

Robert,
You are a good guy, very smart, and well spoken. Please take it down a notch or two, people do not understand the law, nor can they seem to look it up. The police are not lawyers, they only know the law as it was explained to them. Most of the time their grasp of the law is only cursory, that is why we have courts.

I maintain that the Eye has a distinct history of demonizing the homeless: “Kevin Hoover, has popularized the term ‘plazoid’ to describe those homeless people who congregate at the city’s central square (“the Plaza”), on city streets, and in other city parks.” (Wikipedia, The Arcata Eye); “However, I’m objecting to much of the language in your editorial which reinforces so many of the stereotypes of the homeless population. These seem especially insensitive and judgmental in the midst of the biggest recession since the Great Depression. It’s particularly disturbing that those who are not in a position of desperation continually feel they are entitled to cast judgment on those who are in those situations.” (Letters to the Editor, April 4, 2010); “Human Bodies Litter the Roadsides in Arcata” – September 1, 2010; “Kevin Hoover: Freedom Of Expression Includes Freedom From Harassment” March 18, 2010 (All of it.); etc. – shall I continue? Additionally, you seem to mysteriously resound all of Ms. Stillman’s public policies; perhaps, merely, coincidentally.

As to “going all Adolph”…If you can not see how Arhata has ushered in a new era of hate against the homeless, you “may” be biased or the source, thereof. FYI, I am ultra-fringe – until the People wake up to the gross frauds being perpetrated against them and start to demand constitutional government. Enjoy!

“What about loans that Alex Stillman has given the Arcata Eye when in financial ruin? ”

My business’s only financial relationship with any City Councilmembers past or present, has been as subscribers or occasional advertisers.

“The Arcata Eye has a distinct history of demonizing the homeless”

When? Which editions? Page numbers? Citations?

And Hitler? Sorry Robert. You made some sense during the campaign but going all Adolph on your fellow citizens pretty much consigns you to the ultra-fringe.