Storm cleanup aid appreciated

Many kudos to the volunteers from Linn Area Partners Active in Disaster.

My wife and I are older Linn County residents and had extensive tree damage from the recent high winds.

We couldn't handle the cleanup ourselves. A call to United Way resulted in our being contacted by a representative of LAP-AID. Within an hour of his assessing our needs, a crew of four men arrived and went to work.

One volunteer ran a chain saw with expertise while the others lugged damaged limbs to the curb for pickup by the county.

One tree had to be taken down completely while a second had to be cut out of snags with nearby trees.

We thought a third tree needed work, but the volunteers convinced us to it would heal itself - the tree was saved.

All this work was finished in about an hour of hard work and good humor. The service was at no charge, but a contribution was definitely deserved.

Many thanks to the volunteers who helped us and to all who volunteer their time for the benefit of others.

We all live in a great country, state, county and city.

Jack O'Brien

Cedar Rapids