9 arrested at 'Extravaganja'
by Kay J. Moran

April 27, 1998 - Daily Hampshire Gazette

Amherst, MA -- The message on Saturday was: You can rally on the Town Common in favor of marijuana, but you can't bring it with you.

Police arrested nine people among an estimated 1,500 attending the seventh annual "Extravaganja" and charged them with possession of a class D substance, marijuana.

The Cannabis Reform Coalition's event featured several bands and speakers urging legalization of the drug. Posters proclaimed the injustice of long prison sentences for violators of drug laws. Vendors at several booths sold T-shirts, other clothing and jewelry celebrating marijuana.

Many people were smoking, and the prevalent odor was not tobacco.

The Amherst Police Department's mounted patrol was there at the beginning, while six officers wearing jeans rather than uniforms remained on the common watching the crowd all afternoon, periodically making arrests. No arrests were made at last year's rally.

"Last year we observed a lot of teen-agers and a lot of abuse," Police Chief Donald Maia said Monday. "This year we warned organizers in advance, and we just acted appropriately."

"They have a right to assemble," Maia added, "but they don't have a right to break the law."

"Town officials really blindsided us with this one," Terry Franklin, press spokesman for the Cannabis Reform Coalition, said Monday. He acknowledged that police Capt. Charles Scherpa had telephoned him Friday afternoon to warn officers would arrest anyone seen smoking marijuana and to ask that participants be told that.

"We made several announcements from the stage" about the threat of arrests, Franklin said. "But this is Massachusetts. It's the Boston Tea Party mentality. ... Anybody engaged in the struggle for justice has to expect a few arrests once in a while."

Most of those who attended were college age or older, but there were also several small children in the crowd and many who appeared to be in their early teens. At 12:18 p.m. the first person was arrested for possession of marijuana - a 15-year-old girl from Haydenville, police said. She is not being named because she is a juvenile.

The others arrested during the afternoon were John E. Lewandowski, 20, of Holyoke; Ryan K. Bussinger, 21, of West Springfield; Stephen B. Colby, 23, of Hanson; Brian Millinger, 22, and Matthew B. Belitz, 23, both University of Massachusetts students from Kendall Park, N.J.; Jeremy M. Texeira, 18, of Cromwell, Conn.; Brian P. LaPointe, 19, of Enfield, Conn.; and Ruben Baker DeKater, 18, of Bolton.

"Although we were angered by the arrests, we want to commend the Amherst police for being professional in the course of the arrests," Franklin said.

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