Sainted & Tainted: After a hundred years, we cant park on our St. Paul lot. Or in front of our house. – TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press

Tainted

I would like to taint the City of St. Paul.

Some background: Around 100 years ago my family bought the whole side of a city block in a tax foreclosure sale, five lots. The plan was to give one lot to each of the sons and daughters.

One son was killed in WWII, the others moved out of town. So there are two houses on the remaining four lots, they have always stayed in the family. We are campers so we have had our camping trailers stored in the back corner of one of the lots since the 1960s. We have always tried to keep up with the changes to zoning regulations to keep it back there. We even paid the city for a driveway cutout when curbs were added to our street. Weve always kept our extra cars up there with just enough driveway to satisfy zoning laws. These are not nuisance cars. They are well maintained and constantly used.

We try to be good neighbors in our neighborhood. The city sends us a letter that they changed the rules once again and we are no longer allowed to park on our own property without significant changes. Admittedly, we havent looked into what those changes are yet, we will wait until next spring.

So, fine, we will park on the street in front of our own house.

Then, not even a week later, the are signs put up that say no parking during school hours, which I get because it is always a mess out there. We have occasionally not been able to use our driveway as people just park wherever when they get their kids. Weve had to strategically park our cars when we knew we were going to take the camper out. So we cant park in our yard, and now we cant park in front of our house.

This just seems like over-meddling to me. Let us use our own stuff. Stop trying to be our nanny.

Craig Lloyd, St. Paul

On Friday the 19th my husband and I went to the Wal-Mart in Oak Park Heights. After filling our cart we went to pay. As I took out my credit card a pretty young woman told me to put it away. She then proceeded to pay our bill.

I was taken aback so I didnt think to get her name but my husband asked if he could hug her, and proceeded to do so.

She should be sainted.

All she asked us to do was pay it forward

Carol and Russ Nygren, Stillwater

Sainted to the couple who bought our dinner and drinks on Nov. 23 while we were celebrating Moms birthday at Mancinis.

How kind and thoughtful. We will definitely pay it forward.

Mike Galdonik, St. Paul

A belated thank you and sainted to the historic unbeaten North St Paul 1970-71 football team that celebrated its 50th anniversary at our history museum back in October and thanks, too, for the $250 donation from the Class of 1971 to our museum. Twas so good to see the core players of that outstanding team and also for the entire Tom Carlson family to show up with the old coach for this event. That was special. Thanks also to Ron Adams (linebacker and National Honor Society) and Pat Behm Chase (contact person and trophy/photo finder) who helped round up these old fellas.

Also, a very belated thanks to the 1961 baseballL Polars who won the State Championship as seniors after winning the consolation trophy as juniors and they gave us a fine program back in September. Thanks also to North Hi A.D. Jed Helwig and his very able assistant Ty Moore for digging up those old trophies and more thanks to our own Kevin Jents (1958) and Clyde Doepner (1962) who helped stitch the program together. Finally, we also found Don Arlich, our stalwart pitcher and great all-around athlete who finished his career as a math teacher (yes, Miss Joyce would be so proud) at our old rival school St Paul Park. And thanks for the autographed baseball that also was special.

Bruce Fisher, North St. Paul

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Sainted & Tainted: After a hundred years, we cant park on our St. Paul lot. Or in front of our house. - TwinCities.com-Pioneer Press