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True Stella Awards #59: 16 March 2005 www.StellaAwards.com
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THE LONG, SAD TALE OF A GIFT PLATE OF COOKIES
by Randy Cassingham
Out of school for the summer last year, Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey
Jo Zellitti, 17 and 18 at the time, were looking for a project. One
evening they decided to make some home-baked cookies to bring cheer to
their neighbors. They had to skip a dance to do it, but Taylor asked her
father for permission for the cookie project. He gave his permission with
two conditions: the chores had to be done, and he had to get some of the
cookies!
By the time the cookies were all made the sun was just dipping below
the horizon, so Taylor and Lindsey rushed out to deliver them, only
stopping at the houses of their Durango, Colo., neighbors where lights
were on inside.
Part of the idea was to do anonymous good deeds, so they put a message
on each plate. Written on a big red heart, it read: "Have a great night.
Love, The T and L Club."
One of the nine neighbors they delivered to was the Young's. Wanita
"Renea" Young, 49, was home, and a light was on in her kitchen. The teens
put a plate of cookies on her porch, knocked at the door, and scampered
off -- they were doing anonymous good deeds, after all, so it wouldn't
work if they were seen!
Renea says she was startled to hear someone at the door at night and
called out, "Who's there?" Of course, the two gals were already gone.
With no reply forthcoming, Renea says she was so terrified that she
called 911. The sheriff responded and found no signs of trouble, no
vandalism, no trespass -- just a plate of cookies. The next day she was
still suffering from such severe anxiety she thought she was having a
heart attack. She checked into the emergency room, but she was not having
any heart problems.
When Taylor and Lindsey found out a neighbor had been frightened by
their good deed, they were horrified. Quite understandably, they chose
not to go knocking at Renea's door, so each sent her a letter of apology.
Taylor's said in part she "didn't realize this would cause trouble for
you. ... I just wanted you to know that someone cared about you and your
family."
The Ostergaard and Zellitti families offered to pay Renea's medical
bills -- about $900 worth -- if she would sign a release saying she
wouldn't sue. An over-reaction? Not in this day in age. Renea refused to
sign the release. She said that she was not satisfied with the written
apologies, in large part because they weren't delivered in person, so she
filed suit in La Plata County Small Claims Court. The suit demanded
$3,000 to cover her medical expenses, a motion-sensor light for her
porch, lost wages, and punitive damages.
Taylor and Lindsey quickly learned an important life lesson: good
deeds often don't go unpunished.
The teens brought letters from other neighbors saying they liked the
cookies, they found the gift a lovely surprise -- and noted that they
weren't terrified by the girls' gift. Taylor's parents also wrote to the
court. "We feel that knocking on a door and leaving cookies is a gesture
of kindness," they said, "and would not create an anxiety attack in the
general public."
Judge Doug Walker heard the case. Since the families had offered to
pay Renea's medical bills, he awarded her the $900, but no more -- no
motion-sensor light, no punitive damages, no lost wages, no pain and
suffering.
Taylor "cried and cried" when she and Lindsey lost in court, her
mother Jill says. "She felt she was being punished for doing something
nice." The teens declined to make a statement to reporters.
But Renea was happy to talk. Despite her victory in court, she was far
from conciliatory. She said the girls showed "very poor judgment" and
shouldn't have been "running around" at night since "something bad could
have happened to them." (You mean, some evil Cookie Monster could sue
them or something?) As for her lawsuit, she said she hopes "the girls
learned a lesson." She also appeared on CNN, claiming the girls pounded
on the door so hard they damaged it.
But even with final judgment of the local court, the story was far
from over. The story came out in the state's largest newspaper, and
people from all over Colorado were outraged that someone would be so mean
as to sue two teens trying to do something nice for their neighbors. They
had even apologized, in writing, and offered to pay her medical bills!
Scores of people offered to donate to a fund to pay the legal judgment;
several offered to pay it all. The girls said if they ended up with more
money than the court awarded, they'd donate it to the "Never Forgotten"
scholarship fund for students from Columbine High, the Denver-area school
that was the scene of the 1999 mass-murder shooting spree by two
students. If donors preferred, they'd use the money for their own college
educations. So much money rolled in they added other charities, including
two children's hospitals.
But that's not the end either. Within days the story spread throughout
the country. Taylor and Lindsey were invited to appear on various TV
shows, from "Good Morning America" to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".
They turned down most of the requests. "We were afraid Mr. Leno might
make jokes at our neighbor's expense," said Lindsey's mother, Martha. But
they did appear on GMA since they "thought it might be their one shot to
tell the country they're still not afraid to do good deeds." She stressed
the two families were not upset with the Youngs or the judge.
Taylor's mother agreed with the low public profile. "The girls don't
need to go on these shows to defend themselves," Jill Ostergaard says.
"Their best defense is the way they live their lives every day."
Sadly, Richard Ostergaard felt it necessary to go back to court the
day after the judgment: he got a restraining order against Renea's
husband, Herb Young. Herb, he said, was making harassing phone calls to
them. Herb says his phone has been ringing a lot too, and that he and his
wife have been getting insults and threats from "crackpots". They claim
they have been told they "are what's wrong with society" and that they
"should be found dead in a ditch."
"I don't believe the girls meant for this to happen," Herb says. "But
they could have prevented it from happening if they had just shut their
mouths when they came out of court." Yet remember, the girls refused to
make any statement to reporters after they lost their case, and only
relented and appeared on some talk shows after Renea started talking to
the media. The initial newspaper report was built from court records --
and Renea's statements to the press. Yet they complained "their side" was
ignored in the press.
"All this over cookies," Renea says, completely missing the point. She
says she's "devastated" by the reaction to her suit, and is so stressed
she can't return to her part-time job at Wal-Mart.
Let's hope she doesn't sue over her continuing stress. A check of
court records by the Denver Post found that the cookie case wasn't the
first time the Youngs had been in court. They had sued, or been sued, at
least nine times, with at least two of the cases involving restraining
orders, the Post says. They were sued by a bank, a creditor, a
construction company, an employee, and more -- and most of the time they
lost.
"Our home is like a funeral parlor," Renea comlpains. "They've robbed
us of our laughter. My spirit, my soul, is damaged." She says she and
Herb may have to move out of town.
But hey: she won.
SOURCES:
1) "Cookie Klatch Lands Girls in Court", Denver Post, 4 February 2005
2) "Outraged Readers Say Cookie Ruling Was Half-Baked", Denver Post, 6
February 2005
3) "Dad of Teen in Cookie Suit Gets Order Against Neighbor", Denver Post,
7 February 2005
4) "Everyone Chipping in to Help Cookie Duo", Denver Post, 9 February
2005
5) "Cookie Plaintiffs Lament Bitter Aftertaste, Want to Tell 'Their
Side'", Denver Post, 11 February 2005
6) "Couple Take Lumps since Cookie Suit", Denver Post, 17 February 2005
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True Stella Awards #59: 16 March 2005 www.StellaAwards.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE LONG, SAD TALE OF A GIFT PLATE OF COOKIES
by Randy Cassingham
Out of school for the summer last year, Taylor Ostergaard and Lindsey
Jo Zellitti, 17 and 18 at the time, were looking for a project. One
evening they decided to make some home-baked cookies to bring cheer to
their neighbors. They had to skip a dance to do it, but Taylor asked her
father for permission for the cookie project. He gave his permission with
two conditions: the chores had to be done, and he had to get some of the
cookies!
By the time the cookies were all made the sun was just dipping below
the horizon, so Taylor and Lindsey rushed out to deliver them, only
stopping at the houses of their Durango, Colo., neighbors where lights
were on inside.
Part of the idea was to do anonymous good deeds, so they put a message
on each plate. Written on a big red heart, it read: "Have a great night.
Love, The T and L Club."
One of the nine neighbors they delivered to was the Young's. Wanita
"Renea" Young, 49, was home, and a light was on in her kitchen. The teens
put a plate of cookies on her porch, knocked at the door, and scampered
off -- they were doing anonymous good deeds, after all, so it wouldn't
work if they were seen!
Renea says she was startled to hear someone at the door at night and
called out, "Who's there?" Of course, the two gals were already gone.
With no reply forthcoming, Renea says she was so terrified that she
called 911. The sheriff responded and found no signs of trouble, no
vandalism, no trespass -- just a plate of cookies. The next day she was
still suffering from such severe anxiety she thought she was having a
heart attack. She checked into the emergency room, but she was not having
any heart problems.
When Taylor and Lindsey found out a neighbor had been frightened by
their good deed, they were horrified. Quite understandably, they chose
not to go knocking at Renea's door, so each sent her a letter of apology.
Taylor's said in part she "didn't realize this would cause trouble for
you. ... I just wanted you to know that someone cared about you and your
family."
The Ostergaard and Zellitti families offered to pay Renea's medical
bills -- about $900 worth -- if she would sign a release saying she
wouldn't sue. An over-reaction? Not in this day in age. Renea refused to
sign the release. She said that she was not satisfied with the written
apologies, in large part because they weren't delivered in person, so she
filed suit in La Plata County Small Claims Court. The suit demanded
$3,000 to cover her medical expenses, a motion-sensor light for her
porch, lost wages, and punitive damages.
Taylor and Lindsey quickly learned an important life lesson: good
deeds often don't go unpunished.
The teens brought letters from other neighbors saying they liked the
cookies, they found the gift a lovely surprise -- and noted that they
weren't terrified by the girls' gift. Taylor's parents also wrote to the
court. "We feel that knocking on a door and leaving cookies is a gesture
of kindness," they said, "and would not create an anxiety attack in the
general public."
Judge Doug Walker heard the case. Since the families had offered to
pay Renea's medical bills, he awarded her the $900, but no more -- no
motion-sensor light, no punitive damages, no lost wages, no pain and
suffering.
Taylor "cried and cried" when she and Lindsey lost in court, her
mother Jill says. "She felt she was being punished for doing something
nice." The teens declined to make a statement to reporters.
But Renea was happy to talk. Despite her victory in court, she was far
from conciliatory. She said the girls showed "very poor judgment" and
shouldn't have been "running around" at night since "something bad could
have happened to them." (You mean, some evil Cookie Monster could sue
them or something?) As for her lawsuit, she said she hopes "the girls
learned a lesson." She also appeared on CNN, claiming the girls pounded
on the door so hard they damaged it.
But even with final judgment of the local court, the story was far
from over. The story came out in the state's largest newspaper, and
people from all over Colorado were outraged that someone would be so mean
as to sue two teens trying to do something nice for their neighbors. They
had even apologized, in writing, and offered to pay her medical bills!
Scores of people offered to donate to a fund to pay the legal judgment;
several offered to pay it all. The girls said if they ended up with more
money than the court awarded, they'd donate it to the "Never Forgotten"
scholarship fund for students from Columbine High, the Denver-area school
that was the scene of the 1999 mass-murder shooting spree by two
students. If donors preferred, they'd use the money for their own college
educations. So much money rolled in they added other charities, including
two children's hospitals.
But that's not the end either. Within days the story spread throughout
the country. Taylor and Lindsey were invited to appear on various TV
shows, from "Good Morning America" to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".
They turned down most of the requests. "We were afraid Mr. Leno might
make jokes at our neighbor's expense," said Lindsey's mother, Martha. But
they did appear on GMA since they "thought it might be their one shot to
tell the country they're still not afraid to do good deeds." She stressed
the two families were not upset with the Youngs or the judge.
Taylor's mother agreed with the low public profile. "The girls don't
need to go on these shows to defend themselves," Jill Ostergaard says.
"Their best defense is the way they live their lives every day."
Sadly, Richard Ostergaard felt it necessary to go back to court the
day after the judgment: he got a restraining order against Renea's
husband, Herb Young. Herb, he said, was making harassing phone calls to
them. Herb says his phone has been ringing a lot too, and that he and his
wife have been getting insults and threats from "crackpots". They claim
they have been told they "are what's wrong with society" and that they
"should be found dead in a ditch."
"I don't believe the girls meant for this to happen," Herb says. "But
they could have prevented it from happening if they had just shut their
mouths when they came out of court." Yet remember, the girls refused to
make any statement to reporters after they lost their case, and only
relented and appeared on some talk shows after Renea started talking to
the media. The initial newspaper report was built from court records --
and Renea's statements to the press. Yet they complained "their side" was
ignored in the press.
"All this over cookies," Renea says, completely missing the point. She
says she's "devastated" by the reaction to her suit, and is so stressed
she can't return to her part-time job at Wal-Mart.
Let's hope she doesn't sue over her continuing stress. A check of
court records by the Denver Post found that the cookie case wasn't the
first time the Youngs had been in court. They had sued, or been sued, at
least nine times, with at least two of the cases involving restraining
orders, the Post says. They were sued by a bank, a creditor, a
construction company, an employee, and more -- and most of the time they
lost.
"Our home is like a funeral parlor," Renea comlpains. "They've robbed
us of our laughter. My spirit, my soul, is damaged." She says she and
Herb may have to move out of town.
But hey: she won.
SOURCES:
1) "Cookie Klatch Lands Girls in Court", Denver Post, 4 February 2005
2) "Outraged Readers Say Cookie Ruling Was Half-Baked", Denver Post, 6
February 2005
3) "Dad of Teen in Cookie Suit Gets Order Against Neighbor", Denver Post,
7 February 2005
4) "Everyone Chipping in to Help Cookie Duo", Denver Post, 9 February
2005
5) "Cookie Plaintiffs Lament Bitter Aftertaste, Want to Tell 'Their
Side'", Denver Post, 11 February 2005
6) "Couple Take Lumps since Cookie Suit", Denver Post, 17 February 2005
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