Posted on 02/10/2005 12:09:43 PM PST by ZGuy
The cookie conflict isn't over yet. The spat between two teens from the southwestern Colorado town of Durango and one of their neighbors over a batch of cookies they baked last summer has garnered national publicity over the past week. It has led to donations for the girls.
For Herb and Wanita Young, it has all been a nightmare.
"We have got horrendous phone calls, tons of hate mail, threats to our life," said Herb Young in a telephone interview Thursday.
The saga began in July when Taylor Ostergaard, 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti decided to bake chocolate chip and sugar cookies for their neighbors. They placed them outside with large red or pink construction-paper hearts that carried the message, "Have a great night" and were signed with their first initials: "Love, The T and L Club."
Things went sour when they approached the Young home. Wanita Renea Young, 49, said she heard someone banging on the door late in the evening and saw "shadowy figures" who refused to answer when she called out to them. The teens later said they did not answer because they wanted the treats to be a surprise.
A frightened Young said she spent the night at her sister's home, then went to the hospital the next morning because she was still shaking and had an upset stomach.
The Youngs said they tried to settle the dispute, even enlisting their clergy. The teens say they offered to pay the medical bills, but Young insisted on going to small claims court where a judge awarded about $900 in medical costs.
As they story spread, Denver radio station KOA raised more than enough money to pay the court award. The girls, who did not immediately return messages, were expected to be in Denver later Thursday to accept a check from the station. They have already been invited on national television shows and a cookie company has created a "Kindness Cookie" in their honor.
Things have not gone as well for the Youngs.
"It's horrible, nobody has heard our side," said Herb Young, adding the couple has had to hire a lawyer. "I don't believe the girls meant for this to happen. But they could have prevented it from happening if they had just shut their mouths when they came out of (small claims) court. Now they are caught in something they can't control."
The parents of one of the teens asked for a restraining order against Herb Young, accusing him of making harassing phone calls. He admitted calling the Ostergaards once after hearing the teens were talking to a newspaper and at one point said "the gloves were off," which apparently was taken as a threat.
"My home isn't a home any more," Young said. "We are all on pins and needles."
Is there a way to find out if the Youngs are registered democrats?
Because they were the ones in trouble, that's why. That should have been obvious from the first phone call Ms. Young had with the parents.
It's called protection, and it's quite a bit different than going after someone, which is what Ms. Young did. Thanks to opportunistic, litigious women like her, it is simply common sense to consult a lawyer in a dispute such as this. It's a shame it has to be that way, but it's not the girls fault that it is, any more than it's a child's fault that you can't let him play out in the front yard anymore because the neighborhood isn't safe anymore.
Sorry buddy, but consulting a lawyer for defensive reasons is far more justified than going to court.
but, for the 49 yro Mrs. Young to make them pay for her stomach upset and shakiness....which for all we know could be from a drinking problem.....is ludicrous...
Mrs. Young should have gone to the girls and their parents directly and settled this as neighbors should do.....
anyway, people should just leave the Young's alone....let them sit in their own stew by themselves....
But they ended up going to court anyway, didn't they? Because their lawyer refused to let them apolize in person.
Perhaps their lawyer saw big dollar signs in his eyes?
When your talking about "their lawyer", you mean the Youngs lawyer, correct?
Might take more than one quarter.
If it is true that the girls offered to pay the medical expenses prior to the lawsuit, then I have absolutely NO sympathy for the Youngs."
They thought they would get some sympathetic, liberal judge who would make them rich.
"They thought they would get some sympathetic, liberal judge who would make them rich."
Exactly, and from I understand the Youngs wanted more than just their medical expenses. The judge gave them only what the girl's had offered to pay in the first place, AND they started this fiasco. What a couple of greedy miserable people.
What PLANET are you from!??? It was Mrs. Young who sued! How in the hell can you blame these girls, who issued a written apology and offered to pay Mrs. Young's medical bills, for bringing this to court? It is simply asinine to believe that a refusal to issue an in-person apology constitutes sufficient justification for Mrs. Young to sue. Did Mrs. Young get what she wanted? No. Does it justify a lawsuit? Not on your life. She had NO excuse for doing this. ZERO. ZILCH.
And apparently the judge agreed, because his decision, in which he refused to award punitive damages and pain and suffering damages, demonstrates that he agreed that the girls' proposed restitution was sufficient. In other words, Mrs. Young WASTED EVERYONE'S TIME---she received exactly what she would have if she had chosen not to go to court.
It is absolutely, abundantly clear from hindsight that the lawyer gave the girls stellar advice not to have them see Mrs. Young in person. He was obviously quite perceptive that she is a litigious, opportunistic scoundrel. I applaud him for his wise judgement for recognizing this woman as such. And I commend the girls---or, more likely, their parents---for making the wise decision to consult them. Clearly they foresaw this possibility too. How sad Mrs. Young had to prove them all correct.
As for you, I suspect you're projecting. Did you take some neighbor to court over some stupid disagreement that should have been settled man to man? And now you feel you have to descend to absurdity to defend Mrs. Young, because in doing so you defend your own selfish abuse of our civil court system?
For the record I do not excuse those who are now harassing and threatening the Young's. It is unacceptable behavior. Nonetheless, Mrs. Young should be ashamed of herself.
Give me a break, they were kids doing what kids do and the intent was to give them cookies. Give them cookies! Judges and liberals aside, have we come so far as to sue and win for someone knocking on our doors at night. Remorseful for what?
Nice to hear the Youngs are suffering. Some call it karma.
If Mrs. Young had accepted their original offer of a written apology and medical bills, we wouldn't be here talking about this. Too bad Mrs. Young was determined to exact a pound of flesh as well.
You must be joking. These little girls are b*tches because they baked cookies for their neighbors? It's unfortunate that the woman was upset by it, but these little girls are inspirations, not b*itches.
I've come to the conclusion that BushIsTheMan is trolling. There's no way a sensible person would be siding with Mrs. Young here. (On the original complaint, perhaps, but not on the lawsuit.)
Likely the Fed Ex driver always leaves a notice -- at my place they do.
These girls didn't answer, she saw their shadows moving about, etc.
It's not the same...and I got your point without you having to explain it. I just didn't think it was a valid argument.
No, the girls lawyer
Let me see...
Mrs. Young was at home minding her own business.
The teenage girls skipped a dance to make cookies.
Cookies were left without any clear identification as to who left them. (would ANYONE eat them?)
The teenage girls hid and didn't respond when Mrs. Young saw their shadows.
Mrs. Young called the police to report the incident.
Mrs. Young was prone to anxiety attacks and had one, going to the hospital.
Mrs. Young was out $930 because of the girls "thoughtful gesture".
Mrs. Young asked only for an oral apology and didn't get it, on advice from the girls lawyer.
Teenagers got lawyers; Youngs got lawyers.
Lawyers want to make money so they prolong and escalate the problem.
Moral of this story -- girls should have gone to the dance
I didn't call them that. I just pointed out that others on this site called Mrs. Young that name. Either both or neither are that because both parties got lawyers.
Would you eat cookies left on your doorstep by people who wouldn't identify themselves? What a waste of time/resources to do that because I'm sure 11 of 11 of the homes tossed the cookies.
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