Backyard Heroes

To the Editor:

Heroes are not only in New York at this time, but also in our own hometown.

On Thursday, September 13th, two brave men came to the rescue of a local feline. This beloved cat had been missing for five days before it was discovered several stories high in a neighbor’s towering tree.  When the owners dialed the local fire department for help, they were uncompassionately denied.  With the cat’s life on the line, they called the next best thing, Newtown Tree Services.

Within minutes, Chris Frankenhoff and Jack McGrath, licensed arborists, arrived on the scene.  The two men worked together fearlessly, literally swinging from tree to tree displaying skills that few possess, in chase of the frightened and now quite scrawny feline.  After an hour of exhausting work, the cat was gracefully captured and safely returned to its owner.

What makes these men truly noteworthy, other than their amazing deed, is that they would not accept a fee for the risk that they took.  Their payment was merely the appreciative smile of the pet’s owner.  There are good people everywhere, even in our own backyards. 

Kialynn Bird

59 Osborne Hill Road, Sandy Hook September 19, 2001