Dear Editor,

This may or may not apply to you, as the closest Walgreen’s store is in Dripping Springs. Having said that, I will never patronize Walgreen’s again! A Benton Harbor, Michigan, Walgreen’s pharmacist Jeremy Hoven was fired after defending himself with his own gun against two armed robbers. One of the robbers jumped the counter at the pharmacy and pulled the trigger three times. Thank God the robber’s weapon misfired. Hoven then called 911 with one hand while shooting his gun with the other. The robbers then turned tail and ran.

Walgreen’s says that their employees say they are given instructions on what to do in this situation. Should this person have been your father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister, don’t you think they should be able to defend themselves? What do they want, to have the employees not defend themselves? Mr. Hoven was held up in 2007 at the same location. All Walgreen’s had in their store were cameras to record any event and nothing to protect their employees. Should Walgreen’s not want their employees to defend themselves, maybe they should protect their employees with a bulletproof shield so the employees do not have to worry about protecting themselves.

No business or police department can fully guarantee that an individual will not be attacked in this day and age. With that said, to tell the same individual not to protect themselves is ludicrous. Finally, to punish (terminate the employee) the person is adding insult to injury. It is not as if this individual was a vigilante looking to hunt perceived “Bad Guys.” All he did was something that was his God-given (and constitutional) right.

For what it is worth,

R J de Leon

Blanco, TX

Dear Editor,

On Monday, September 5, 2011, I received a call from Blanco county resident and friend, Al Niece. He had volunteered one of the water trucks he builds to go to the Bastrop State Park to aid in the firefight. The governor's office called and arranged our escort into the area. Our main assignment was to spray down the historic cabins, barracks, and the beautiful refractory building. Al's trucks are designed and used primarily in the construction industry, but Al knows of their value in fire fighting.

With 6 adjustable nozzles, it can spray in numerous configurations and up to 100 feet wide. This truck has a 2200 gallon capacity. He also has a 4000 gallon model; a construction company who is his customer brought one.

It became apparent after taking 15 minutes to fill the tank from a fire hose that a faster solution was needed. Al called his shop in Del Valle and had them deliver a 12,000-gallon water tower, which filled the truck in just 4 minutes!

Most, if not all, the firefighters in the park are regular state park employees who are trained for a situation just like this. We met Texas Parks & Wildlife people from all over Texas. They were extremely coordinated, very courteous and looked out for our well being at all times. At one point, we were being escorted to spray the 1930s era cabins in smoke so thick you couldn't see the road, which had fire on both sides of the truck. They knew by Monday that all of the park would burn, but saving the historic buildings was a must. As it was our first experience in something this catastrophic, we were amazed how TP&W was in control. We appreciated Carter Smith taking the time to introduce himself and thank us. Al is to be commended on his generosity of time and equipment. Another reason Blanco County is special.

I heard on the news that all historic buildings were saved.

Please go by your local fire department and make a donation today. It was an eye-opening experience to see what firefighters and support staff do without thinking twice. Thank all of you for what you do!

Sincerely,

Marshall Everett

Blanco County