Stillwater Police Officers Restore Water Service For Retired Officer

When 90 mph winds blew through Stillwater, it destroyed the Palladino’s well house, leaving them without water.

For 26 years, Guy Palladino served with the Stillwater Police Department until his retirement in 2013.

“Recently, probably over the last two years, his health started to decline, pretty rapidly over the last six to eight months,” said Chief Jeff Watts with the Stillwater Police Department.

The illness, requiring around the clock care from his wife.

“I had reached out to her, I noticed when we were over there dropping off a meal, that she had some things around the house that needed to be done, that had just kind of been getting put on the back burner,” said Watts.

“They called me and said ‘Cheryle what can we do for you? We know that you have a door that sticks in the front. We know that you have a couple of dead trees on your property,’” said Cheryl Palladino, officer Guy Palladino’s wife.

Mrs. Palladino had always declined help from the officers, until the big storm.

“When the storm hit, and it hit our well house, then I called them, and I said now I know what you can do,” said Mrs. Palladino.

Without water, the couple was blessed to have a neighbor run a water hose to their property. However, with a water meter just outside their eight-acre property the best solution was to tie into that.

With permission and assistance from the City of Stillwater, Chief Watts rallied his officers.

“I sent out an email department wide and said, hey, the Palladinos need our help, and kind of explained what was going on and the response was phenomenal,” said Watts.

Everyone from dispatchers to family members and police officers even took leave to come out in 100 degree temperatures and run over 630 feet of water line.

“Eighty percent of the officers that showed up didn’t even know this officer,” said Watts.

The officers didn’t stop at just installing the water line.

“We had a group of guys that were cutting down old trees that were dead, and cleaning up around the house and weed eating, mowing, just everybody pitched in,” said Watts.

The crew also repaired fencing, relocated the round bale feeder for the horses, all in just over four hours.  

“It really makes you feel good that policemen that didn’t know Guy, and policemen that have been his friend for a very long time were willing to do this help for us,” said Mrs. Palladino.

The officers say they actually had a good time, but more importantly it was about taking care of a fellow officer in need.