Dear Editor,

I’d like to send a shout-out to Officer Charles Andersen of the Conewango Police Department for providing shelter to myself, my sisters and mom, and two other people on Sunday, June 14, during the tornado warnings.

My family was on our way home when we got the tornado warning and “take cover” alerts while passing through Starbrick. At the same time, the tornado siren sounded at the Starbrick VFD.

We decided we better take cover at the VFD rather than attempt to drive down Route 62 to Tidioute since there were also tornado warnings there.

We tried knocking on the VFD door, but unfortunately, they were already out on a medical call. Officer Andersen saw us and came outside to see if we needed shelter. He invited us in and was very kind and accommodating.

Even though his shift was technically over and I’m sure his family wanted him home, he stayed with us until the alerts were cleared and he was sure it was safe for us to travel home.

We want him to know how much we appreciate his efforts in providing a safe shelter, keeping us informed of the ongoing weather updates, and staying with us well past his “quitting time” to make sure we were safe. Thank you, Officer Andersen!

Monica Morgan,

Tidioute