DRUG ARRESTS PENDING

No further arrests have been made in the Nelson City Police's
investigation into the city's alleged drug trade.

Sgt. Steve Bank, who is leading the investigation, declined to give a
timeline for further arrests.

On July 19, Bank said that about a dozen arrests were imminent and he
hoped the investigation to be wrapped up within a month.

"I've been on holidays so nothing has happened," said Bank on
Thursday.

"I'm [now] preparing all my files and forwarding them to the federal
prosecutor and waiting for arrest warrants."

Meanwhile, Hole Smoke Culture Shop co-owner Paul DeFelice who has been
charged with possession of a substance on July 15.

He was also charged June 2 with two counts of trafficking in a
controlled substance and, is still banned from the store.

DeFelice was arrested just outside the store on the evening of July 15
shortly before police conducted a search of the Holy Smoke Culture
Shop the same day and arrested co-owner Paul DeFelice.

"My orders to stay away from the store still haven't been buried which
has bothered me," said DeFelice, who will appear in court October 3.

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have signed it [the order]. I would have
rather stayed in jail and gotten in front of a judge sooner if I had
realized it would be this long."

Bank said that a federal crown prosecutor was also away on
holidays.

However, that would not have had an impact on the investigation or the
people arrested.

"One of the prosecutors was away but that doesn't mean that the other
prosecutor can't deal with it so that's not an issue," he said.

Holy Smoke plans to hold a community rally starting at Cottonwood
Falls at 4pm Saturday and winding its way down Baker Street before
ending at Lakeside Park.

"We want to make people aware that the current government is not
carrying forward with decriminalization or anything like it. They
canned the decrim[inalization] bill and they're going to double
penalties," said DeFelice when asked what the purpose of the rally
is.

Holy Smoke said it intends the rally to be peaceful. In holding the
rally, they also hope police use their discretion on drugs and go
after the perpetrators of violent crime.

"If there's a victim impact statement in our case, who would fill it
out?" he said.

DeFelice added that they do not intend for the rally to turn into a
smoke-in because they want it to make it safe for as many people as
possible so the police.

"I think public smoking just scares people away so we're asking people
to police themselves so the police don't have to do it for us and show
some restraint."

Holy Smoke co-owner Alan Middlemiss said that they have not informed
the City of Nelson about their intent to have the rally.

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness after than to ask for permission
before," said Middlemiss.