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Passer-by spots marijuana plants growing in Millville's downtown flower baskets
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MILLVILLE - What appeared to be marijuana plants were found Tuesday growing out of one of the many city-owned hanging flower baskets in the city's Glasstown Arts District.
The two plants, their leafy stalks sticking out above a patch of small pink flowers and black-and-white checkered flags, were spotted first by a passer-by.
The basket that held the plants was, fittingly, located on High Street.
No one else seemed to notice until the police arrived Tuesday afternoon and removed the plants.
According to onlookers at the scene, at least three uniformed officers propped up a ladder next to the lamp post and retrieved the basket early in the afternoon. The two plants were plucked from the bucket and taken to the police station, but not before a few photographs were snapped.
While police Capt. Tom Romanishin declined comment, saying the report had not reached him yet, the plants are easily identified by photos taken at the scene. The seasonal baskets, hanging from every lamp post on the street, look similar, aside from different colors of flowers. This particular one, located in front of a downtown eatery, was the only one featuring what appeared to be marijuana.
Just a few doors down in the Tri-County Independent Living Center, Mary Thomas and Pam Elliott joked about the discovery. Thomas showed off some pictures of the growth, taken with her cell phone, and had her theories about how the plants may have gotten there.
She said a police officer on the scene said marijuana seeds may have been thrown out of an apartment window above the street.
The flowers are maintained by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. Officials with the department could not be reached for comment.
Elliott wondered aloud how long the plants had been growing and why no one spotted them until Tuesday.
"I love flowers, right," she said. "We watch the guys every day, faithfully come out and water and fertilize every basket. That fertilizer is so good."
E-mail Edward Van Embden:
Posted in CUMBERLAND | TOP THREE on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 10:00 am Updated: 10:42 am.
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