City employess go above and beyond

I received a telephone call recently from a resident of Palmer advising me of an incident wherein a Palmer city employee from the Public Works Department went beyond the call of duty and beyond his job description.

Lynn Mitchell tells the story of coming upon a city vehicle along the roadside with its emergency lights flashing and discovered that city employee John Berberich was rendering aid to an injured dog and her puppy. Lynn, as well as other drivers, stopped to observe, but she recognized that he needed assistance, so she helped John gather the dogs until the Mat-Su Borough Animal Control personnel retrieved them.

She was kind enough to call me and make me aware of this incident and to reflect her praise for the compassion and caring John Berberich had for the animals.

I explained to her how fortunate the city is to have an individual like John as an employee, but that also standing next to John are his colleagues and co-workers who work hard each and every day to provide essential services to the residents of Palmer. I constantly receive phone calls of praise and appreciation for the things city employees and volunteers do that exceed normal expectations. While many do not wear the uniform, I am proud to say that all are considered heroes from where I stand.

I want to say a public thank you, John, for your service, and to all city employees who similarly perform acts of kindness, often unnoticed, for the people of Palmer. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

B.B. Allen

Palmer