cannabisnews.com: The Sound of Speaking Absolves Garfunkel 










  The Sound of Speaking Absolves Garfunkel 

Posted by CN Staff on May 13, 2006 at 09:01:38 PT
By Mary Fairchild, Freeman Staff 
Source: Daily Freeman  

New York -- Singer Art Garfunkel used his best-known trait - his voice - to get out of troubled waters in Ulster County.Instead of paying a $100 fine for possessing a small amount of marijuana in Woodstock in August 2005, Garfunkel was sentenced to community service: speaking to students at two local high schools about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, according to Ulster County District Attorney Donald A. Williams.
Garfunkel, who became a pop music icon in the late 1960s with partner Paul Simon, spoke to 75-100 students each at Rondout Valley and Onteora high schools in late March, Williams said."He was sincere, thoughtful and impressive," Williams said of Garfunkel's Onteora speech, which the prosecutor attended. "I sincerely believe he really connected with these students based on the questions from the kids and his honest responses."Williams said he personally chose Rondout Valley and Onteora because of the schools' diverse populations and the "real possibility of (Garfunkel) having a real impact." The teenagers who attended the talks - athletes, musicians, artists, theater students and academics, among others - were chosen by each school's administrators, Williams said."He spoke for more than an hour at Onteora, with a question-and-answer period, and then spent some time with individual students," the district attorney said.Garfunkel, 64, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation, last Aug. 28 after police in Woodstock found a marijuana cigarette in the ashtray of his 2005 Buick, authorities said at the time. The singer had been pulled over for running a stop sign at state Routes 212 and 375.It was the second time in less than two years that Garfunkel, a Manhattan resident, was busted for having pot in Ulster County. In January 2004, he was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana when police found the drug in his jacket pocket after the limo he was riding in was pulled over for speeding on state Route 28 in Hurley.Garfunkel pleaded guilty in that case and paid a $100 fine.Williams said Garfunkel's message to the Rondout Valley and Onteora students "served the community far better than (another) $100 fine would have."Williams said the students were aware the singer was making the presentations as part of a drug sentence - which was handed down last September in Woodstock Town Court - and sent him letters afterward thanking him for speaking.But there was no advance publicity of the two talks. Not even the students were told ahead of time."No one knew he was coming, including the students," Williams said. Officials at Onteora and Rondout Valley did not return phone messages from a reporter seeking comments about Garfunkel's talks.Simon and Garfunkel were immensely popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s with such hit songs as "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Mrs. Robinson" and "The Sound of Silence." Simon has had a successful solo career in the years since, while Garfunkel has enjoyed only moderate popularity on his own. The two reunited for a 1981 concert in Manhattan's Central Park that attracted 500,000 people, and they toured together in 1983 and 2003. Source: Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)Author: Mary Fairchild, Freeman Staff Published: May 13, 2006Copyright: 2006 Daily FreemanContact: letters freemanonline.comWebsite: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Art Garfunkelhttp://www.artgarfunkel.com/Simon & Garfunkelhttp://www.simonandgarfunkel.com/ Put This in Your Pipe and Smoke Ithttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18256.shtmlArt Garfunkel To Fight Marijuana Chargehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18244.shtml

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Comment #36 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 13:31:46 PT
For Those Who Might Be Interested
These are Pete Seeger's songs that just made such a successful album for Bruce Springsteen. I only listened to Jacob's Ladder but it was like have a great church experience.http://www.peteseeger.net/origina%20seeger%20sessions.htm
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 07:56:14 PT
mayan 
Glad you liked it!
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Comment #34 posted by FoM on May 15, 2006 at 07:40:35 PT
Hope
He probably felt it was the best way to avoid future problems. I always like Garfunkel ( he has beautiful, sparkling blues eyes. LOL ) I bet his talks helped the students so that is a good thing.
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Comment #33 posted by Hope on May 15, 2006 at 07:06:43 PT
comment 28
No problem with CNews. It's my computer or my internet service provider. Monday! Monday!The "puppet" comment I made earlier...By "puppet" I meant, is he standing up there saying "Cannabis is bad", because the government is making him do it? Pulling strings? Making him dance their dance? Putting words in his mouth?
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Comment #32 posted by ekim on May 15, 2006 at 06:53:29 PT
Gnarls Barkley sorry for the misspelling
Fom what was that songs name of the Beatles 
when we get older many years from now -- when iam 64seems that Paul McCartney and Art Garfunkel talk a good talk but do not walk the talk
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Comment #31 posted by mayan on May 15, 2006 at 03:10:30 PT
FoM
That's hilarious! We were talking about this some months ago. I don't know what's going on with Paul and his wife but she has tried to change the person she fell in love with. Now he's not the same person who she fell in love with!Mistake.
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Comment #30 posted by FoM on May 14, 2006 at 13:05:18 PT
Max Flowers 
This is a long strange trip. I just had a flash of the end of the movie Half Baked. When Chapelle is on the bridge with his girl friend named Mary Jane and he asks for a lttle time alone with the real Mary Jane. Mary Jane the joint says light me up take a little hit just for old times. He says no I can't I love Mary Jane and throws the joint off the bridge and as it falls Mary Jane the joint saysYOU'LL BE BACK! That will be Paul too I believe.
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Comment #29 posted by Max Flowers on May 14, 2006 at 12:54:01 PT
McCartney
From the linked article:Following the wedding, Sir Paul's public image changed dramatically. He became a father for the fourth time, dyed his hair from flecked grey to a youthful chestnut and vowed that he would never smoke marijuana again.Well, maybe now he will let his hair go more natural and start smoking again. Sounds like Paul is ready to just be himself again. FoM, is this not a trip...? Remember when we were talking (writing comments that is) about this a while back?
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Comment #28 posted by FoM on May 14, 2006 at 07:19:07 PT
Hope
Is it hard to get around CNews for you? 
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on May 14, 2006 at 07:16:10 PT
A Little Celebrity Gossip News
Sir Paul McCartney: A Man on The RunMail on SundayMay 14, 2006Sir Paul McCartney's four-year marriage to Heather Mills appears to be on the brink of collapse after the ex-Beatle returned to Britain, but not to his wife's side. A flustered spokesman for Sir Paul added to the air of crisis surrounding the couple by telling The Mail on Sunday: "I don't think they are with each other. http://tinyurl.com/lvavt
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Comment #26 posted by afterburner on May 13, 2006 at 23:57:13 PT
RE lombar Comment #4
FIVE MAN ELECTRICAL BAND » I'm A Stranger Here Lyrics
http://tinyurl.com/nngo4Well I’m a stranger here in this place called Earth
And I was sent down here to discover the worth
Of your little blue planet third from the sun
Come on and show me what you’ve doneWe got the aero plane, we got the automobile
We got sky scraper buildings made of glass and steel
We’ve got synthetic food that nearly tastes real
And a little white pill that makes you feel
Hey, A whole lot better when you get out of bed
You take one in the morning for the lovelier head
We got everything everybody needs to survive
Surely the good life has arrivedI think your atmosphere is hurting my eyes
And your concrete mountains are blacking the skies
Now I don’t say that you’ve been telling me lies
But why do I hear those children’s criesI’m a stranger here, I’m just looking aroundI see the aero planes carrying the bombs
Why, you’ve even found people to drop them on
You know you can’t keep what you take by force
But it’s only my first impression of course.Well I’m a stranger here on your planet EarthWe got the rivers and the mountains and the valleys and the trees
We got the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea
We got the – 
Oh you crazy fools don’t you know you had it made
You were living in paradise
But take it from one who knows
Who knows the gates of Heaven can close
I only pray that you take my advice
Because Paradise won’t come twice.Well I’m a stranger here in this place called Earth
And I was sent down here to discover the worth
Of your little blue planet third from the sun
I think I’ll go back home where I come from. 
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Comment #25 posted by afterburner on May 13, 2006 at 23:43:00 PT
RE Comments #6 & 13
US AZ: PUB LTE: Just Say No
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n613/a07.html
Newshawk: Kirk
Pubdate: Thu, 11 May 2006
Source: Phoenix New Times (AZ)
Copyright: 2006 New Times, Inc.
Author: Kirk MuseJUST SAY NO See no evil: What works in Montana to deter our youth from using meth should also work in Arizona. But it won't ( "Meth Madness," Sarah Fenske, April 27. It won't work in Arizona because the people warning our youth about the evils of meth are the same people who used lies and gross exaggerations about the so-called evils of marijuana. Thus they have lost their credibility. Credibility is the most important aspect of persuasion. Once it is gone, your ability to persuade is gone. The biggest danger of anti-marijuana hype is that when children and others find out that they have been lied to about marijuana, they then make the logical assumption that all information about other drugs like meth are either gross exaggerations or outright lies. This is a recipe for disaster. Kirk Muse, Mesa 
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Comment #24 posted by Hope on May 13, 2006 at 22:24:20 PT
Dang computer
is so slow...it's no fun when I do get a chance to use it.:0(
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Comment #23 posted by ekim on May 13, 2006 at 21:18:25 PT
will you still need me will you still feed me when
Art get the CD St. Elsewhere and listen to Crazy by Niles Barkley. 
If you want to be a good papa contact http://www.saferchoice.org/ and write a theme song for all of us.Garfunkel lives with wife Kim Cermak and their son, James, 12, in a three-story aerie overlooking Central Park, on Manhattan's Upper East Sidehttp://www.aarpmagazine.org/entertainment/Articles/a2003-10-14-modernart.htmlWith great pleasure the Garfunkel Family would like to announce the addition of a new baby boy, Beau Daniel, born October 5, 2005. http://www.artgarfunkel.com/Art Garfunkel Amsterdam, Holland Heineken Music Hall
 June 17 
http://www.artgarfunkel.com/dates.html Instead of $100 fine, two speeches to kids 
Pennlive.com | 13 hrs ago http://www.topix.net/who/art-garfunkel?full=f58fdb4223
Singer Art Garfunkel made up for last summer's arrest for marijuana possession in Woodstock by speaking to students at two local high schools about keeping a healthy lifestyle. Comment? WINS-AM New YorkGarfunkel Performs Community Service After Pot Bust 
WINS-AM New York | 10 hrs ago 
Singer Art Garfunkel made up for last summer's arrest for marijuana possession in Woodstock by speaking to students at two local high schools about keeping a healthy lifestyle. Comment? Garfunkel out of legal trouble... 
Capitalnews9.com | 1 hr ago 
It seems that folk singer Art Garfunkel is out of "troubled waters" regarding his marijuana arrest. Comment? Busted for pot, Art Garfunkel makes amends 
NewsTimesLive.com | 8 hrs ago 
Singer Art Garfunkel made up for last summer's arrest for marijuana possession in Woodstock by speaking to students at two local high schools about keeping a healthy lifestyle. Comment? 
http://www.saferchoice.org/
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Comment #22 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 18:19:14 PT
RevRayGreen 
Thank you. I never met anyone that has ever had a tattoo. Definitely different for me.
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Comment #21 posted by RevRayGreen on May 13, 2006 at 17:41:15 PT:
MEDI-CHRONIC TATOO
See the picture at the bottom of my site. I just got this
medi-chronic tat 2 weeks ago :)
MEDI-CHRONIC
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Comment #20 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 17:13:34 PT
RevRayGreen 
I see a link about photos.
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Comment #19 posted by global_warming on May 13, 2006 at 17:11:24 PT
Blast from the past
http://www.counterpunch.org/gardner05132006.htmlThe Marketing of "Cannabis Americana"By FRED GARDNER
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Comment #18 posted by RevRayGreen on May 13, 2006 at 17:10:15 PT:
thanks
did you see the new ink :)
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 17:05:25 PT
Mayan
Cindy Sheehan is a person who really loves our country and hates war. I wish she would be interviewed on the news channels. I'd like to hear what she has to say.
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Comment #16 posted by mayan on May 13, 2006 at 16:51:43 PT
Off Topic
Man, this woman is fired up... Oh No, Canada! by Cindy Sheehan:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051306Y.shtmlTHE WAY OUT...September 11th Advocates Statement on Hayden, others rewarded after 9/11:
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=858Publisher Sees Only One Way to Stop War on Iraq, Iran: Thru 9/11 Truth: 
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/5/prweb378225.htmUPCOMING: 9/11 Conference in Chicago:    
http://www.911citizenswatch.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=857911podcasts.com presents The Times Herald Interviews Jon Gold: 
http://www.911podcasts.com/display.php?vid=91
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 16:50:16 PT
RevRayGreen 
I really like your web site. Good job.
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Comment #14 posted by RevRayGreen on May 13, 2006 at 16:24:45 PT:
MY BAD !!!!!!!!!
this time it's right........
http://www.niceria.blogspot.com
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Comment #13 posted by RevRayGreen on May 13, 2006 at 16:18:01 PT:
METH IS DEATH POT IS NOT
www.niceria.blospot.comcheck the new ink at the bottom of my page.
I-C.C.A.N.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 16:12:37 PT
About The Speeches
I hope some of the students that heard Art Garfunkel speak about it online somewhere. That would be great. I want to know what he said and how the students received what he said.
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 15:31:07 PT
Hope
What's a puppet thing? He is a multi-millionaire and could have paid the fine. I wonder why he didn't just pay it and forget about it. Possession of a small amount in New York isn't a big deal. I think he went to the school because he felt he could help some kids with drug related issues. I am only guessing. 
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Comment #10 posted by Hope on May 13, 2006 at 14:51:59 PT
The Puppet Thing?
Is that what Garfunkel is doing? Aaarrgggh
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on May 13, 2006 at 14:47:24 PT
Garfunkel
I wish someone who heard the speeches would tell us what he said.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on May 13, 2006 at 14:46:07 PT
Mozart 
We're loving it. Somedays are so super special... and it is good to be alive. :0)
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 14:02:18 PT
John Tyler 
Which one has lead a healthy lifestyle? Gosh Art Garfunkel has been enjoying Cannabis since he was young I'm sure. Cheney was nodding in a meeting recently. Greed, anger and bad eating can do a lot of damage to a person. Being happy, open and kind can keep a person young at heart and after all isn't that what matters? 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 13:58:53 PT
lombar
That's a good letter. I always remembered what went wrong. Out of nowhere cocaine rained on our parade and we got stopped dead in our tracks. They are trying to do the same thing with the Meth issue now. Use any substance you can to get the majority of voters on your side is how they do it. Demonize Cannabis by putting it together with Meth.
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Comment #5 posted by John Tyler on May 13, 2006 at 13:17:49 PT
lifestyles
That is wild. I didn’t know Art Garfunkel was that old? He looks great. Cheney on the other hand who is close in age looks much older and has a bad heart. Does that mean that Garfunkel has a healthier lifestyle than Cheney? 
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Comment #4 posted by lombar on May 13, 2006 at 13:15:58 PT
Great Letter
PSYCHEDELIC PAST ON HOLDRe: Back to the Future, LastWord, April 6 - 12"All that 1960s stuff" was really about the peaceful psychedelic revolution in consciousness and lots of great things came out of it, such as awareness that war-mongering and materialism are destructive, wasteful and futile. Renewed reverence for life manifested in the health food and holistic medicine movements and the environmental movement was also influenced by the peaceful psychedelic revolution in consciousness. However, mainstream society failed to give credit were credit is due - to psychedelics.Basically, it was spiritual decadence that gave rise to the most significant discovery of the 20th century by a prominent Swiss scientist, Albert Hofmann, when he accidently discovered LSD while he was trying to find a cure for the migraine headache. His discovery was in sync with the sentiments of the '60s, as numerous people were desperate for an alternative to violence and materialism and opted to use LSD and marijuana to explore their conscious awareness, search for meaning and purpose in life and make the world a better place. Psychedelic churches mushroomed all over the world and efforts to obtain religious liberty ( granted to the Native American Peyote Church ) ensued.Unfortunately, the new age of enlightenment was brutally quashed by a tidal wave backlash decades long that has inflicted the misery of repression and persecution on masses of people i.e. the "war on drugs." Profits before people became the order of the day and worship at the altar of the almighty dollar bill ( now aptly called "loony" ) is the driving force behind our increasingly decadent society. However, we can't deny that we have all the tools we need to live peacefully in paradise if we'd dare to be courageous enough to venture "back to the future," a future we put on hold far too long. - Victoria BC
Mapinc 
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Comment #3 posted by billos on May 13, 2006 at 10:58:27 PT
................I'm so GLAD............
they finally caught this madman and punished him. Imagine the audacity one has to have to drive around with an exposed joint in his ashtray. I hope to hell he learned a lesson.Next time we WILL spend the money to ruin him....it's just that he has some pretty powerful people at his disposal that prevented us from doing it this time....We are watching you Paul !
                  -J.Walters
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 13, 2006 at 09:11:40 PT

Truth
I like that fact he was willing to do community service rather then pay the fine. The young people will know the difference between Art Garfunkel and Cheney. Cheney was shown on tv nodding. Which one since they are very close to the same age is healthier? The kids will know.
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Comment #1 posted by Truth on May 13, 2006 at 09:06:42 PT

maybe
maybe ol' Art should put some of his talents into changing immoral laws....
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