Letter to the editor: Neighbors helping neighbors

Early morning on Oct. 30, we received a call from our neighbor that Casper's first snowstorm had wreaked havoc in our neighborhood.

They sent a video of our yard and street looking like the aftermath of a tornado. Our HUGE 100-year-old cottonwood had lost one of its main limbs and several other trees lost branches. What were we to do? We were out of town.

Knowing our friend and neighbor, Art Boatright, would know who to call to get us on a list to clean up broken tree limbs covering our yard, fence and street, we dialed him up. After unloading his pickup for the second time after cleaning up neighbors' debris near his home, Art drove by ours. He didn't tell us who to call. Instead, he drove a Mobile Concrete front-end loader, enlisted an employee, chainsaw and dump truck. He and his employee, Smitty, spent the next six hours cutting and loading debris, not only from our home but nearby neighbors.

Art told us that clean-up efforts accelerated when City of Casper employees and equipment working in the area joined. Together, they cleaned up our massive debris and several other nearby homes.

Something is touching about our Casper neighbors. Art Boatright and Mobile Concrete, a 50+ year business, embody that spirit. With a wink and a smile he told us in a phone call, "I had good equipment and great help with my guy Smitty. He is awesome."

So are you, Art, and Mobile Concrete!

Jim & Sally Belcher