MARIJUANA CHARGE AGAINST FORMER COUNSELOR DROPPED

A marijuana-possession charge against a former Bloomingdale Public
Schools counselor has been dropped.

Greg Francisco, 49, of Paw Paw, said he almost wishes the case had
gone to trial "because I wanted to make a splash."

"I don't think Van Buren County wanted the publicity," said
Francisco, who is active in the National Organization for the Reform
of Marijuana Laws and in Educators for Sensible Drug Policies and
writes and speaks about reforming drug laws.

Francisco was charged after a stem and material that tested positive
as marijuana were found when his truck was searched May 5 in a school
parking lot. The misdemeanor marijuana charge was dismissed Dec. 1.

The charge was dropped after Francisco fulfilled obligations required
of him under a delayed sentencing statute, said Cory Johnson, an
assistant Van Buren County prosecutor.

Francisco resigned from his job and now owns and runs a wool mill,
processing wool and selling related materials such as roving and yarn.

"I miss the kid contact," Francisco said. But, he admitted, "I'm not
a good fit with public education.

"They told me at the beginning of the year I needed to stop the
political stuff or I wouldn't be there at the end of the year, and
they were right," he said.

"To be honest, I'm not really mad at Bloomingdale," said Francisco,
who worked for four years at Bloomingdale's Pullman Elementary School
before moving to Bloomingdale Junior High School in his final year
with the district. "When I took the job, I knew there was going to be
friction."