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Girls Get Donations in Colo. Cookie Case
Yahoo ^ | 2/10/05 | ROBERT WELLER

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."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: cookies; nogooddeedunpunished
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To: Softballmom

I have no sympathy for the Youngs either. They are mean-spirited people.


41 posted on 02/10/2005 12:35:20 PM PST by Old Grumpy
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To: TheBigB
When in a hole.. stop digging... thank you.

I'd never make any money if I did that.

BTW, I hope my kids never have to deal with crank old schmucks like thes folks.

42 posted on 02/10/2005 12:35:21 PM PST by Fierce Allegiance (I done told you once you son of a bitc4, I'm the best there's ever been.)
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To: rhc2000

And they should drag the local TV media along for the ride, so everyone can see the girls hand over that check, and get a good look at the people who were too mean-spirited to keep such a minor incident out of the public eye. Ol' Herb seems to be unaware that any court proceeding like this is public record anyway, so it's not like no one could ever find out.


43 posted on 02/10/2005 12:35:51 PM PST by Little Pig (Is it time for "Cowboys and Muslims" yet?)
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To: jasoncann

She's only 47!!!!


44 posted on 02/10/2005 12:36:13 PM PST by dcnd9
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To: curlewbird

How about a porch light...


45 posted on 02/10/2005 12:36:32 PM PST by DB (©)
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To: Probus

I don't think the woman is impaired. Probably the type who buys a neck brace to show up in court after a wreck, when she seemed fine at the monster truck and tractor pull the day before. Something for nothing, you know the type. She probably went to the hospital with the idea of suing in mind.


46 posted on 02/10/2005 12:36:36 PM PST by teenyelliott (Soilent green is made of liberals...)
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To: dcnd9

Dog years...


47 posted on 02/10/2005 12:36:39 PM PST by rhc2000
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To: BigBobber
Why do they need a lawyer?

Perhaps to guard their stoop. (At $300/hour.)

48 posted on 02/10/2005 12:36:47 PM PST by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: ZGuy

"My home isn't a home any more," Young said. "We are all on pins and needles."


Kind of like the night the girls showed up with their cookies? Boo hoooooooooo.


49 posted on 02/10/2005 12:37:14 PM PST by taxesareforever
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To: ZGuy
"It's horrible, nobody has heard our side,"

*sniff* *sniff* I really feel bad for you. Perhaps I should send over some cookies to assuage your pain...

50 posted on 02/10/2005 12:39:11 PM PST by dfwright (Optimist: Glass Half full - Pessimist: Glass Half Empty - Engineer: Glass too large.)
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To: BigBobber
Why do they need a lawyer?

"My home isn't a home any more," Young said. "We are all on pins and needles."

Obviously for the follow-up suit for mental anguish caused by all the attention.

51 posted on 02/10/2005 12:42:53 PM PST by dfwright (Optimist: Glass Half full - Pessimist: Glass Half Empty - Engineer: Glass too large.)
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To: ZGuy; Pikamax
But they could have prevented it from happening if they had just shut their mouths when they came out of (small claims) court.

Uh, Herb, YOU could have prevented it from happening if YOU had just accepted the girls' generous offer to pay your messed up wife's medical bills, and NOT TAKEN THEM TO COURT!

52 posted on 02/10/2005 12:44:10 PM PST by GovernmentShrinker
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Comment #53 Removed by Moderator

To: DB
How about a porch light...

The Youngs sued in small claims court for $3,000, an amount that included the cost of installing a porch light with a motion sensor. They only got the out of pocket medical expenses not covered by insurance, which the family had already offered to pay, and which the family reiterated to the judge at the small claims hearing.

My guess is that had they fought it, the woman would have won nothing at all. The judge did as both parties wanted him to do, which is pretty durn rare these days.

And again, it bears repeating; when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. (Unless that's your job, you've checked to insure that there are no high pressure lines at the site, and you've a proper permit to do so...)
54 posted on 02/10/2005 12:44:41 PM PST by kingu (Which would you bet on? Iraq and Afghanistan? Or Haiti and Kosovo?)
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To: BigBobber

Methinks they've after even more money for the extreme "pain and suffering" they're experiencing because the girls talked to the press. I would caution these kids to be very, very careful of what they say because the Youngs are out for blood and all it takes is one (more) judge to agree with them.


55 posted on 02/10/2005 12:44:58 PM PST by ironmaidenPR2717 (Four out of three people have trouble with fractions.)
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To: ZGuy

Geez,
What an Azz!


56 posted on 02/10/2005 12:45:14 PM PST by najida (I actually repaired my Skil saw last night without breaking a nail.)
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To: All

I know these girls didn't go out seeking the newspaper or the news media. They came to the girls and the girls spoke.
this guy and his wife need to get a life.
I'm for the girls all the way!
Where do I give?


57 posted on 02/10/2005 12:46:36 PM PST by Romad Wife (Romads, put it on target!! Support your favorite TACP!)
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To: ironmaidenPR2717
[...] all it takes is one (more) judge to agree with them

The judge ruled as the plaintiffs and defendants wanted; the families of the two girls wanted to pay the out of pocket expenses for going to the hospital, which was what the judgment was for.
58 posted on 02/10/2005 12:47:11 PM PST by kingu (Which would you bet on? Iraq and Afghanistan? Or Haiti and Kosovo?)
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To: dfwright

This happened to me somewhat at work years ago. I had a couple of boxes of Girl Scout cookies and wanted to stop eating them. So I divided them up and sent batches via interoffice envelopes to a number of people in the office. One woman proceeded to go into a melodrama about thinking that someone was trying to poison her.


59 posted on 02/10/2005 12:48:16 PM PST by Williams
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To: BushisTheMan

Teenage girls knocking on your door scare you?


60 posted on 02/10/2005 12:48:54 PM PST by Eaker ("It is in our interest to punish the 1st insult; an insult unpunished is the parent of many others")
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