Am I the only old geezer in town that has this problem? The local chain drugstore I am forced to patronize by my insurance company, seems to short me quite often in the pill count. You think the clerk at the counter tells me they are short?
No way, Bubba! In fact, they staple that bag up tight so you don't get to count the pills until you get home. Company policy, you know. Still they won't charge you for the short shrift, do they?
Wrong again, darlin'! They charge the full price for half rations. Complaints about this common practice are answered by an innocent reply: "But we note the shortage in the paper with your medication." Sure enough, there's a little scrawl "short 10" on one of the mass of papers in the sealed-up bag.
All the old geezer has to do is drive back to the store, find a parking spot, stand in line for another hour and get the rest of the pills he's paid for. Have a nice day, Bubba.
Sam McGee
Key West
I just wanted to drop you a note of appreciation for Key West The Newspaper's article on the matter of the AIDS Help caseworker whose employment was terminated in connection with misappropriated food vouchers intended for clients of our organization (AIDS Help Worker Allegedly Traded Food Vouchers For Crack, KWTN, Feb. 25).
You took care to get the facts, and this made for an accurate, straightforward report.
Richard Hart
Executive Director
AIDS Help, Inc.
I and many other Key West police officers have children in Key West High School and other area schools. We are just as concerned as any parents about the safety of all children in our schools. After over 30 years as a police officer, I have seen cases that I will never forget in which children have been victims of heinous and disgusting crimes.
We, like all parents, think about our children constantly because we love them and always want them to be safe and secure. We share families' anxieties about Mayor Weekley's son's alleged threat to "shoot up" Key West High School.
Patrol Division Capt. Bill Fortune and our criminal investigators thoroughly checked out Dakin Weekley's alleged threat. On Fortune's request, the State Attorney's Office researched Florida statutes and confirmed our officers' judgment that police had no grounds on which to arrest Weekley.
The facts are that Mr. Weekley's son, who is 21 years of age and an adult, had no intent or means to carry out the threat. We could take no action against Dakin Weekley. That does not mean we have dismissed the real possibility that children can be threatened by such incidents. After looking into this incident, however, we felt that the Mayor's son posed no threat to our schools.
Monroe County School Board authorities subsequently concurred it was a careless threat made without serious thought.
Giving a person a ride home in a police car is routine and is done for a number of very good reasons: to remove the individual from the scene so others can feel more comfortable; to advise a family member or parent of the reason why he, in this case, was handcuffed and the reason for the escort home. Handcuffing a person at the scene is also a routine precaution taken for officer safety.
We took Dakin Weekley's statement very seriously. Our school resource officer at the high school has stepped up his vigilance and we have increased patrols in the areas around the school. Our duty is to protect, and we will always do so by all legal means.
Inspector R.A. Christensen
Key West Police Dept.