When good deeds go punished

Jessica Hill/AP Photo

Last month I mentioned the work of Joe “The Barber” Cymerys, who sets up shop in a Connecticut park every Wednesday to give free haircuts to homeless people.

This week, however, Connecticut health officials and the cops shut him down. He didn’t have the proper permits, they said.

“Twenty-five years I’ve been giving haircuts, and no one died on me,” he said in a fit of common sense thinking.

Finally, the mayor of Hartford intervened, gave him a special permit, and said the city would help him obtain a barber’s license.

“It’s all about inspiring people to do things for the least of our brothers,” Cymerys says.

If you have the permits.

By the way, Joe also takes care of his sister, Julie, 96, and his brother, 98. He fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II.

(h/t: Mike Reszler)