Sainted & Tainted: Jessica runs home to get her tools and, voila, the rear tire spins!

May 26, 2023

I’m on my scooter in line to pick up a prescription at a Walgreen’s drive-up window. I put on the parking brake to keep from rolling back. Then, when it’s my turn, I can’t release the parking brake!

The rear wheel is immobilized, and I can’t push the scooter aside.

I call AAA for a tow and tell folks coming for prescriptions they need to use the other line, scooter is immovable. One woman, Jessica, asks, what’s wrong with it? I tell her and she says, well the cable needs to be released from the caliper and the rear wheel should free up. She’s eying the brake mechanism while waiting in line for her prescription and figures out what needs to be done but we’ve got no tools.

I’ll run home and get mine, she said. Wait right here, she said.

Jessica returns, removes the emergency brake assembly, and voila! The rear tire is spinning again!

Thank you Jessica. There really are angels in our midst, and Jessica is definitely among them.

Michael Green, Maplewood

Sainted to the wonderful volunteers at St. Anthony Park Home.

The volunteers include musicians, help with bingo, reading and playing games with residents. The music is great with singers, guitar, horns, accordion players and more.

Recently a 15-person band volunteered.

The music is enjoyed and appreciated by both residents and staff.

The home has four pianos and only three floors. The pianos are played often by talented people. My husband really enjoys the music and bingo.

Betty Gruber, St. Paul

A huge we Sainting to Linn Ahrendt for nearly 30 years of service operating St. Rose of Lima school’s pre-, after-school and summer power play programs.

For nearly 30 years Linn’s jeeps have seemingly been a year-round dawn-to-evening fixture in the parking lot. She’s mentored and helped form a generation of Roseville’s kids by ensuring homework gets done, coaching sports, and directing children’s choirs. Linn is moving on from that and will be greatly missed.

Thanks, Linn. You’re an inspiration.

Sue Finnegan, Roseville

Tainted: myself, for forgetting to pick my phone back up after I had set it on a pile of clothes at the Maplewood Costco. I had been holding up various garments to eyeball for size. My phone had a credit card holder attached to the back and two credit cards in the holder. I proceeded to continue my Fourth of July holiday shopping for the cabin, placing many refrigerated items in the cart. I was almost to the checkout when I realized — no phone, no way to pay. Went back to clothing section — phone nowhere to be found. Not enough printable words to describe the feeling.

Sainted: the Costco “clothes-folder” ladies who helped me search — especially one whose name I did not catch. But ESPECIALLY sainted was the person who saw my phone and turned it in to management immediately. I really hope you see this, and know that you saved the day for many people besides myself that day, including little grandchildren whose long-anticipated visit to the cabin would have been significantly delayed.

May God bless you, a thousand times over.

Tina Appleby, Roseville

A huge sainting goes out to the Woodbury EMTs and the staff at Stonecrest Assisted Living who responded when my dear 96-year-old mom fell and hit her head.

We are grateful for the professionalism, kindness, and compassion she received from everyone who responded. Thankfully there were no broken bones or any serious complications related to her fall, only some very colorful bruises.

With sincere gratitude,

Cindy Klatt, Shafer, and the family of Joan Hohman

Sainted to the two women who saw me on 90+ degree days while I was walking up the Marie Avenue hill.

One stopped to offer me a ride, and the next day one offered me a cold bottle of water.

They were both so kind and generous It is good to know that people still think about other people who may need help in the heat.

Tom Haas, St. Paul

Kudos to the Minnesota Supreme Court on the silver anniversary of its adoption of the right of privacy for all Minnesota residents.

It was 25 years ago this week, July 30, 1998, to be precise, that the Court, in a ruling written by Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, joined nearly the rest of the country (except North Dakota and Wyoming) in recognizing the fundamental right of personal privacy.

Her eloquent ruling, many years after courts in this state had repeatedly rejected the claim, occurred in a case entitled Lake v. Walmart Stores. In it, she extolled privacy as “an integral part of our humanity … guarded and preserved.”

While the right of privacy in this state has ebbed and flowed since the Lake decision, the case is a landmark in Minnesota law and was recognized in one publication as one of the Top Ten rulings of the past millenium. Its forceful and well-reasoned opinion is worth recalling and reviewing on the silver anniversary of this important principle.

Marshall H. Tanick, Minneapolis

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