There are some crazy laws in different states about disposing of state-owned equipment/supplies. In the state-run facility where I currently work if we receive certain types of supplies and then no longer need them, we can't give them away, sell them, or donate them - they have to go to the trash dump and we can't even tell people when we are going to the dump. Three years ago I watched them empty all the unwanted supplies out of a 4 x 6 room that was 8 feet high, and had to watch them throw all this marvelous stuff in a dumpster. If we took anything out of it (other than to use for the folks on grounds) we would have been "stealing." If we gave it away it would have been "misappropriation of state materials." It was gruesome. I filled a small room with some of these supplies for folks on my caseload, but a large portion of the materials were "age-inappropriate" (I work almost exclusively with adults currently, and many of the supplies would have been perfect for a pre-school or kindergarden).
However, that's how many of us in state facilities get our supplies initially - they are rejects from other state facilities. You just have to hope you are high on the "donor list." Too bad no one votes for increased taxes so we can have decent supplies and have to live on donated ones, and too bad state bureaucracies are so dense that you have to trash unused goods. :-(
WHAT A SHOT!!! I too, haven't been ot the site for a while. Been researching the murder of my Grandfather (a polce officer in Leominster Ma) in 1920. He was murdered in his own house by my Grandmothers lover. What a Hoot!!! If anybody is from Leominster and can help me, contact me at dranruthie12@yahoo.com.
Everybody has been referring to serious stuff with you. Hope you are OK now.