LOCAL WOMAN HOPES TO CHANGE 4/20 INTO HEALTH DAY NEXT YEAR

Arcata city staff asked people to stay away from Redwood Park on
Tuesday in anticipation of the unofficial marijuana holiday, but one
resident is planning to make next year different.

Mariellen Jurkovich submitted a plan to the city last month to turn
the pot holiday, which often leaves the park damaged and trashed,
into a health and wellness event. As director of the Humboldt
Wellness Center and the Humboldt Patient Resource Center dispensary,
she sees the large gathering of people as an opportunity to host
something more productive.

"We know it's going to be there, so let's embrace it in a positive
way," Jurkovich said.

Her proposal was turned down by the city this year -- she said staff
told her they did not have enough time to work on the plan, which
she submitted March 8. City staff suggested that if she wants to
start such an event, she would have to start planning with the
city six to nine months beforehand.

Jurkovich said she plans to do just that. Having a sanctioned event
would cover some of the city's concerns, such as a lack of insurance
and responsibility for damages and injuries that happen at Redwood
Park. She also planned on having students from Humboldt State
University survey the attendees to determine who comes to the event
every year, how many end up in the park, and the concerns of the
neighbors before and after.

Taking ownership of the day would be a positive move for the city's image.

"I don't want to be known as Pot City," she said. "I would rather
be known for a whole list of things that we offer."

What she sees in the event is an extension of what the Humboldt
Wellness Center offers -- free classes in yoga and other exercises,
and speakers on health topics such as nutrition and vaporizers. She
emphasized that smokers should embrace their health in more ways
than just taking the drug.

Jurkovich said that she has seen the positive and negative aspects
of medical marijuana with her work in the dispensary, so she
understands some of the city's concerns.

There are also concerns with drinking in the park, but that should
not prevent the city from approving an event. Buses and other
transportation could be provided if the event is allowed next year,
and Jurkovich said she thinks the people who drink and people who
smoke in Redwood Park on April 20 are not the same.

"They're two different highs," Jurkovich said.

In preparation for the event this year, the city closed vehicle
access to the park Tuesday. Shade-giving trees were also trimmed in
the park and their branches left on footpaths to make the park less
user-friendly.

Mayor Alex Stillman said she had not heard of Jurkovich's proposal,
but that March was rather late to start organizing with the city
about an event. Due to liability issues, the event cannot be
city-sanctioned, "but if someone wanted to organize it and deal with
all the insurance, they can," Stillman said.

She was not sure if the city would approve the proposed event next
year, saying she has not seen what Jurkovich submitted. However,
anyone who holds an event at the park would be responsible for
cleaning up the trash left behind and repairing any damage caused,
Stillman said. Those two factors cost the city a significant amount
of money every year.

"It's another expense we have to add on," she said, adding it is
difficult during tight budget years such as this.

It might be difficult to serve alcohol at an event in Redwood Park,
because neighbors have complained about other events that did in the
past, Stillman said. There is also the problem of controlling
entrance to charge admission to such an event in the open area of the park.

"There's things that have to be worked out," she said.

Whether Jurkovich's plan would help mitigate some of the city's
concerns is impossible to tell at this point, but the center
director is welcome to submit her ideas to the city, Stillman said.

"Maybe that would be something that could solve that -- I have no
idea," she said.