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Barber paid in hugs is kicked out of Conn. park


Associated Press – 1 hr 2 mins ago..

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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — An 82-year-old good Samaritan who has been giving free haircuts to the homeless for 25 years has been kicked out of a Hartford park by city health officials.

Anthony Cymerys (sih-MEHR'-ihs) is known as "Joe the Barber." He's been a fixture every Wednesday for years at Bushnell Park, where his friends also hand out food to the needy. The only fee he charges is a hug.

But shortly after Cymerys set up shop for his Wednesday appearance this week, he says health officials and police told him and his friends to leave because they didn't have permits.

A city health official didn't return messages Thursday. A spokeswoman for Mayor Pedro Segarra says she's looking into what happened.

Cymerys says he hopes to continue cutting hair at a local shelter.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — An 82-year-old barber who has been giving free haircuts to the homeless in exchange for hugs for 25 years was granted permission by the mayor Thursday to keep working in a city park, despite orders to leave from police and health officials.

City health officials said they ordered Cymerys out of the park Wednesday after unnamed local residents expressed concerns about the "safety and sanitation" of Cymerys' free haircuts to homeless people and his friends' food distribution. They also noted that Cymerys is not a licensed barber.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Pedro Segarra said later Thursday that he granted Cymerys a special dispensation in light of his years of charitable work. The spokeswoman, Maribel La Luz, said the city will help Cymerys obtain a state barber's license if he likes.

Cymerys, who learned how to cut hair growing up and isn't a licensed barber, said he wasn't completely surprised by officials' actions because they've asked him before to leave the park and other areas.

His friends questioned the city's actions, saying officials kicked him out of the park only a year after honoring him for his humanitarian work. "It's kind of ironic that a year ago the mayor was giving him a citation for all the good work he's been doing with the homeless there and they kick us out," said George Pfuetzner

MajGenl.Meade wrote:"Don't be absurd. 'Cymerys' are those little pills my wife refuses to have in the house"

Anthony Cymerys (sih-MEHR'-ihs)

We're Here From The Govt. And We're Here To Help You

Econoline wrote:Hm. I wonder how the authorities would have handled it if the homeless people were giving each other haircuts?

And am I reading that correctly, that in Hartford one has to have some sort of permit to"hand out food to the needy"?????