Pubdate: Fri, 19 Jan 2018
Source: Penticton Western (CN BC)
Copyright: 2018 Penticton Western
Contact:  http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310
Authors: Dustin Godfrey and Tara Bowie

OK FALLS POT SHOP VANDALIZED A WEEK AFTER OPENING

Windows were smashed Wednesday evening and spray paint called the
owner a "goof" and a "pedo"

Just a week into its opening in Okanagan Falls, a former Penticton pot
shop has been vandalized with spray paint and smashed windows.

Jukka Laurio opened up his Herbal Green Apothecary in Okanagan Falls
about a week ago, he said, with the hopes of putting to rest legal
action from the City of Penticton over the Penticton location.

Until Wednesday night, he said the community has been fairly welcoming
from the get-go.

"Apparently overnight somebody smashed the windows and spray painted
on the windows and that was pretty well it," he said. "Spray painting
'you're a goof, f* off, we don't want you here.'"

The spray paint also called him a "pedo," referring to an old criminal
conviction against Laurio, "from way back when; probably before these
people were born."

"Apparently I have people that don't like me. They don't know me, but
they don't like me," he said.

It's not the first time opening a new shop has caused some graffiti -
in fact, in January 2016, when Laurio first opened up shop in
Penticton, he was subject to a firebombing with a molotov cocktail.

"Penticton was the same thing. When I first opened up, windows were
smashed a couple times, we were firebombed," he said. "You get new
windows. You clean it up, you get new windows and carry on. Nothing
really changes. Nothing is actually accomplished by this thing other
than people get extra work and some door company gets a whole bunch of
business."

Laurio said there was an opportune moment Wednesday evening, as he had
yet to set up security cameras - something he was setting up on
Thursday - and there was a power outage in the neighbourhood, killing
the light outside.

"Once we get the security cameras up and running, there'll be less
chance of this, because we just got the lights in there, but they had
a blackout power outage last night, so it was pitch dark," he said.
"We'll get the security up like the other place; same as usual."

Laurio said the RCMP can be called and there will be some extra
patrols in the area, but with no cameras and no lights to illuminate
the vandals at the time, he's likely out of luck.
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MAP posted-by: Matt