Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jul 2011
Source: Chaffee County Times, The (CO)
Copyright: 2011 The Chaffee County Times
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/GrbstQO9
Website: http://www.chaffeecountytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5181
Author: Elizabeth Miller, News Reporter/Staff Writer

CLERK: PETITION HAS INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF VALID

The petition to prohibit the operation of medical marijuana centers in
Buena Vista was returned with an insufficient number of valid signatures.

Town clerk Mary Jo Bennetts, with the aid of the town attorney,
Jefferson Parker, reviewed each of the 168 signatures based on the
state statutes for petitions. Nearly half of the signatures were
disqualified for failing to meet state rules. The petition needed 89
signatures to move on to the town board, and 87 were approved.

Some signatures were disqualified on the basis of the signers not
being residents within the town limits of Buena Vista.

Signatures were also invalidated if they appeared with an address
different from the address with voter's official registration, if the
name wasn't completed with the "Jr." or "Sr." to match voter
registration records, and for signatures that were too similar to
another signer's information.

Sections of signatures were discarded because the petition circulator
did not properly sign and date the petition with the notarization, or
the sections were separated and re-stapled, voiding that section.

Of 52 sections given to the petitioners, five were not returned at all
and 32 were returned with no signatures.

The petition was taken out Dec. 13, 2010, and petitioners Charlie
Stombaugh and Brian Dengler of the Cornerstone Church were allowed 180
days to return the sufficient number of signatures to put the petition
before the town board or a town vote. Because the 180-day deadline for
submitting signed petitions expired on June 13, Dengler and Stombaugh
cannot add signatures to those already submitted, Bennetts said.

"Right now, it's done until it starts up again," Bennetts said. "Right
now, it's dead in the water."

Calls to Cornerstone church were not returned.

"Obviously we're pleased with the results," said Daniel Hamme,
co-owner and operator of Natural Mystic Wellness Center, 204 E. Main
St, Hamme would have had the opportunity to protest the results of the
petition had it passed.

"We're going to continue providing for the patients that we're serving
and just continue to fight for their right to have safe access to
medicine," Hamme said. "It's an option that should be available for
people that have the qualifications for their licensing. The decision
should rest upon them, not necessarily a group of people who feel they
have the right to make the decision for other people's health care."

Hamme added that he and his wife and co-owner, Clarice, will continue
to work to educate people and to comply with the rules set out by the
state, county and town. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.