Editor:
To all the people who know Al Johnson (owner of Econo Wash), on his behalf, I would like to thank you for your patronage of his business.
He recently suffered a stroke on his right side and it does not look as though he will open back up any time soon.
I do have one complaint about our police department. Mr. Johnson’s sister-in-law called from Texas and asked if they could go check on him. Apparently, before they went out, a customer and Mr. Johnson’s renter next door contacted the paramedics when they found him lying on the floor of his business.
My complaint to the police is that after the sister-in-law had called once, no one bothered to call her back. She waited five hours then called back and was told the Fire Department handled it and was given their number then basically hung up on without a “Oh, I am sorry we did not get back with you,” or a “We should have contacted you and we are sorry that the dispatcher was in the wrong for making you wait and worry.”
But that is our Police Department. Too busy for some dumb reason or the other. Excuse after excuse. I sure am glad I did not vote for the police levy.
Again, on behalf of Mr. Al Johnson I would like to thank all his customers over the years. I know he would want to do this. He is and will always (even in the condition he is in ) remain a very good friend and someone I learned quite a bit of history about how this town is run.
It appears to me that the police feel they are too busy to return calls to a worried family, yet they have time to respond to “Ask the Cop.” I think a personal apology needs to be made to Mr. Johnson’s family members who had to wait for hours, then had to make the call back to them. It is the least they can do. When I need the police help, I will be the first to call the sheriff’s or the wonderful Fire Department, who know how to employ better people.
Kim Lawrence
Sweet Home