Archive for September, 2012

Yucklet Hinds, Gregory Lynch, Marlon Aponte and Justin Derek Sandy, all of New York City were arrested on 9/26/2012 and charged with credit card fraud.  Three of the group entered Stop and Shop in Winchester and attempted to purchase gift cards using counterfeit credit cards.  An alert store manager notified Winchester Police who were able to stop the suspects vehicle a short time later.

(top) Hinds, Lynch (bottom) Aponte, Sandy

The Winchester Police Department is urging voters to Vote NO on Question 3 this November.

For more information, visit http://mavotenoonquestion3.com/

The Commonwealth will be voting on Question 3 in November. If passed, Question 3 would set up an extensive system of marijuana storefronts in our state, allow people to grow marijuana in their homes and apartments, and provide a defense to those carrying hundreds of joints under the guise of medicine.

It is anticipated that the details and loopholes in the proposed law would lead to widespread marijuana abuse, particularly among youth in the Commonwealth. It is for this reason, a diverse range of state representives, ranging from Dorchester Democrat Martin Walsh to Sandwich Republican Randy Hunt, have joined a broad and growing coalition of people and organizations to oppose Question 3.  Specifically, the law would:

Set up 35 marijuana retail stores throughout Massachusetts
This number could increase in future years. These stores would be owned and operated by anyone 21 years old or older and would sell
marijuana ice cream, candy, cookies, joints, and other items. There is no requirement in the law to have a physician or licensed pharmacist on site.
Allow people to grow marijuana in their home Your neighbor could grow marijuana plants in their backyard, on their veranda, in their window flower boxes.Your children’s friends could have marijuana growing in their home study, bathroom or garage. Allow people to carry up to a 60-day (2 month) supply of marijuana on their person

A daily dose is undefined in the law. If a daily dose is two joints (most likely it will be more like three to five joints, or 3 marijuana infused brownies), this means a person could have as many as 120 joints (or brownies) on their person or transport this amount of marijuana in their vehicle. Large amounts of marijuana could be issued, possessed and protected under the guise of “medicine.” Allow virtually anyone to obtain marijuana. The proposed legislation lists a few specific conditions for which marijuana can be obtained, but then opens it up to “other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician.” This is the loophole that is promoting widespread pot use in other states that have passed this type of law – the chronically ill are not the people using existing state programs. In fact, in these programs, less than 5% of people list cancer, HIV/AIDS, or glaucoma as reasons for obtaining marijuana. Studies show the average medical marijuana user is a 32-year old white male with a history of drug and alcohol abuse and no history of life-threatening illness.

Due to an large number of bicycle thefts around Winchester center and the train stations, the Winchester Police Department took a proactive approach to the problem.  Over the course of  three days, a bicycle owned by the department was placed in several locations in and around the center for a couple of hours a day.  The bicycle was monitored by police during that time.  On the third day after only 45 minutes, the bicycle was stolen by Anthony Papasodero of Hull with the assistance of Adam Smilgis of Winchester.  Papasodero was arrested immediately and Smigilis, who dropped Papasodero off at the bike, was arrested later on an unrelated warrant and also charged with the larceny.  Though two were charged in this incident, most bicycle thefts go unsolved.  The Winchester Police Department reminds residents to lock their bicycles.

Anthony Papasodero / Adam Smilgis