02/05/2005: 
Asshat of the Week
Let No Good Deed Go Unpunished
from CNN
Two teenage girls who surprised their neighbors with homemade cookies late one night were ordered to pay nearly $900 in medical bills for a woman who says she was so startled that she had to go to the hospital.
Taylor Ostergaard, 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti, 18, baked the chocolate chip and sugar cookies one night last July.
They made packages with a half-dozen cookies each and added large red or pink construction-paper hearts that carried the message, "Have a great night."
The notes were signed with their first initials: "Love, The T and L Club."
Wanita Renea Young, 49, said she was at her rural home south of Durango around 10:30 p.m. when she said saw "shadowy figures" outside the house banging repeatedly on her door.
Frightened, 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 teenagers' families offered to pay Young's medical bills, but she declined and sued, saying their apologies were not sincere and were not offered in person.
"The victory wasn't sweet," Young said. "I'm not gloating about it. I just hope the girls learned a lesson."
Yes Ms. Young, I am sure they learned a valuable lesson. They will have learned to be cynical and bitter well beyond their years. Ms. Young, for encouraging kindness and redefining the word "neighborly", you are our Asshat of the Week.
2 Annotations Submitted
Monday the 7th of February, Nelson Munz noted:
Two teenage girls who got in trouble for surprising their neighbors with homemade cookies will not have to pay nearly $1,000 in medical bills for a woman who says she was so startled that she had to go to the hospital.
Radio station KOA-AM of Denver raised more than $1,900 from listeners Friday to pay the girls' $930.78 fine. The rest of the money will go to a charity dedicated to victims of the Columbine High School massacre.
Meanwhile, Richard Ostergaard, father of Taylor, got a restraining order against Young's husband, Herb, in county court, claiming he continues to make harassing telephone calls to the Ostergaard residence.
Wanita Young said, "This has turned into quite a fiasco. It's something that never should have happened and it's just devastating. My phone hasn't stopped ringing. My life has been threatened and I'll probably have to move out of town."
HA, HA!
Monday the 7th of February, santo26 noted:
this woman was a shoe- in for asshat of the week.
love the new layout, BTW. isn't it exciting that the athenaeum lived long enough to get a redesign?
