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Store Is 'Cheers' Of Pharmacies, Reader Says

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By STEVE OTTO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 2, 2008

My favorite letter this week comes from Valerie Sumner Morales. The letter was not about her dad, but I want to mention her father, the late Col. Robert Sumner, on the heels of Memorial Day. A lot of you might remember him as an instructor at the University of Tampa.

But you might not know that in World War II he was a member of an elite group known as the Alamo Scouts. It was the Scouts who led the incredible rescue effort that resulted in freeing more than 120 survivors of the infamous Bataan Death March.

Her letter is about another loss to Tampa, the passing of Ken Wurster.

"Hi Steve. Don't know if you have ever walked into Westshore Pharmacy, a wonderful old-timey pharmacy in Sunset Park. Well, the owner and commander in chief pharmacist Ken Wurster died this past week after a battle with stomach cancer. His place is kind of like 'CHEERS' where they know everyone's name. Walt the mailman comes in and eats all the leftovers in the staff lounge. They have kind of a mini post office and longtime compounding pharmacy.

"Ken was one of a kind ... a rabid Gator fan and a puppy-loving guy who always had a minute to chat. I have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. And can walk to the pharmacy. It's the kind of place where you have an account and the kids can go in and get a Coke or a pencil for school. Some of my first outings walking the kids in their strollers would be up to the store to see Ken or Joy (the manager).

"My girls grew up there. My youngest started telling Ken she was going to work there. And on her 13th birthday he gave her a certificate for a job when she was 14. Lizzy had given Ken a picture of them when they were together when she was seven or eight. He had it framed and sitting on his messy desk. Everyone who has ever been to the pharmacy feels at home and are devastated by the loss. Ken's daughter Amanda, a pharmacist, is going to take over the job.

"I remember every year at Christmas my dad (Col. Sumner) would go in with his famous 'magic cow' (very strong brandy Alexander on ice), give Ken a shot and they would laugh. I thought of that Sunday night ... that right now they are in heaven maybe drinking a 'magic cow.'"

After receiving Sumner Morales' letter, I spoke with Amanda Wurster, who said that she became a pharmacist because her dad was her hero and she had always wanted to work in the store with him.

The Grateful Seabee

Joseph Hamel of Zephyrhills read the column on the reunion of the 475th Fighter Group and their exploits in the South Pacific.

"Hey! You really got my attention as I was an eyewitness to their exploits. We (members of the 105th Seabees) were working the airstrip during this time. The Japanese air force was really harassing us night and day. It didn't take long for the P-38s to remedy that situation. If you see them again tell them I am forever grateful."

A Talented Grandmother

"Dear Steve, I am a 94-year-old grandmother and I just received the attached letter. What do you think? Mary Jerome, Zephyrhills"

The attached letter was from National American Miss.

"Dear Mary. You have been referred to me as a possible candidate who may enjoy modeling, acting, or learning stage techniques that will help empower and enable you to accomplish your future goals. This is your invitation to an Open Call for the Miss Florida State Pageant. The official preliminary to the national pageant held each year in California at Hollywood and Disneyland."

I put a call in to Jerome, who said, through her grandson, that she probably wouldn't be entering the competition this year. I asked her grandson what her talent might be and he said, "Well, she will talk your ear off."

Sounds Good, Tastes Good

Finally, there were two items on the blog worth following up on. One was the Scratch My Back benefit that Scott "Pinetop" Peterson puts on every year for the Humane Society at Skipper's Smokehouse. He does it as a reminder to people not to leave animals in cars. He has raised almost $100,000 through the years.

Also this week, Kim Bailey of Bailey's restaurant in Hyde Park made the championship chili three nights in a row from the Steve Otto Chili Contest. He is donating the proceeds to the Pediatric Cancer Center, the charity of the Krewe of Zingaro, who made this year's winning chili.

Keyword: Otto Graphs, to read and comment on Steve Otto's blog.

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