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Fire Department Adopts Honor Tree

DICKSON CITY — A Lackawanna County Fire Department adopted an honor tree that made its way to Pennsylvania in an unconventional way. Dickson City Fire Dep...

DICKSON CITY -- A Lackawanna County Fire Department adopted an honor tree that made its way to Pennsylvania in an unconventional way.

Dickson City Fire Department adopted an oak tree that came from a tree just outside the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York City.

Last year, an acorn fell and hit the foot of the chaplain for the Dickson City Fire Department.

Over the past year, Chaplain Monsignor Patrick Practico has watched the acorn slowly grow into an oak tree and into it's new home at Saint Mary's Cemetery.

Monsignor Practico couldn't help share this story because he's on his way to Rome. So we'll let Dickson City Fire Chief Bill Bilinski tell the rest.

"We kind of adopted it Friday and put the 911 flag up there with the fire department grave marker," said Bilinski.

When Chief Bilinski first heard about the tree, he went into his basement looking for an American flag he could put next to it. What he found was a commemorative one he received right after the September 11th attacks.

"I couldn't believe this was down here," he added. "I was looking for an American flag and I come up with that one. This is more appropriate. I was happy to find it."

Now, Bilinski waits and watches as the oak tree continues to grow and make roots here in Northeast Pennsylvania.

"We just hope no deer eat it or anything," said Bilinski.

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