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Saturday, May 01, 2010

Families won restraining orders after problems with Lake St. Croix Beach neighbors

Please click onto the COMMENTS for the story.

posted by Bob at Saturday, May 01, 2010

5 Comments:

Anonymous Pioneer Press said...

Harassment, other scary behaviors by couple are alleged
By Elizabeth Mohr
emohr@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 04/30/2010 09:20:16 PM CDT


Fed up with the harassment of their children and neighbors, a group of Lake St. Croix Beach residents last week filed for restraining orders against a couple they say have been causing problems.

Among the complaints against Paul and Paula Caliguire: They followed children to and from the school bus stop, making inappropriate comments; they repeatedly walked or drove by neighbors' homes and made obscene gestures; they made racist remarks to biracial families; and they showed up at Afton-Lakeland Elementary School, where they would stare at the neighborhood children during recess and lunch.

Things came to a head last week, when the neighbors reported seeing Paul Caliguire in front of his house, allegedly beating a black baby doll that was hanging from a rope, according to a criminal complaint.

He was arrested and charged with two felony counts of harassment because of bias.

But neighbors say it was the last in a string of incidents, and they had grown weary of the menacing behavior.

"Their behavior seems to be escalating on a daily basis and I feel they are loose cannons waiting to explode," Stacy Fredericks wrote in her petition for a harassment restraining order against the couple, filed in Washington County District Court. "Please help us."

Fredericks' restraining order was granted April 23, along with three others.

As a result, the Caliguires can't stay in their home and can visit only with a police escort, neighbors reported.

"My kids are relieved. My daughter started taking the bus on Tuesday and they can walk by their (the Caliguires') house now," said Jacqueline Jurek, noting that things have been "nice" in the past week.

"When I filed that restraining order, when I walked out of the courthouse, I just said, 'Good, I did it.' ... We've had enough. The police have had enough."

A few weeks before the doll incident, neighbors reported that the Caliguires were walking slowly past their homes making offensive remarks, according to a criminal complaint. To the Frederickses, a biracial family, Paul Caliguire allegedly repeatedly said, "I hate n———." And to neighbor Joan Viertel, Paula Caliguire allegedly spewed names and made sexual hand gestures.

The Caliguires were charged with harassment/stalking and disorderly conduct in connection with those incidents.

In October, Paul Caliguire was making racist remarks to some children in the neighborhood, so Fredericks' husband asked him to stop, saying he was scaring them, Fredericks wrote in her petition.

That's when the harassing behavior escalated, the neighbors all reported.

Viertel said the Caliguires began having lunch with their daughter at Afton-Lakeland Elementary, where Viertel works in the cafeteria, and they made her so uncomfortable by staring that she requested to work behind the counter.

"They have instilled fear into my family," she wrote.

Jessica Johnson said in her petition that Paula Caliguire followed her kids, who are biracial, from the bus stop, taking photos and making racist comments.

"They are constant instigators and are always trying to start conflict throughout the neighborhood," Johnson wrote.

Each of the petitioners said they've been bringing their children to a different bus stop in an effort to avoid the Caliguires, who must now stay away from the children and their bus stop.

The Caliguires have also been ordered to stay at least 500 yards from the homes of Jurek and Fredericks.

There will be a hearing Tuesday in which the Caliguires' attorney will request a change to the restraining orders, Jurek said.

A call seeking comment from the Caliguires was not immediately returned Friday.

Elizabeth Mohr can be reached at 651-228-5162.

8:48 AM  
Blogger Bob said...

This is nothing new! This stuff goes on everyday we just don't hear it in the news.

I have black relatives who live in Zumbrota and Cottage Grove and they make similar claims about how they are treated in their neighborhoods.

With the governments efforts to de-concentrate poverty blacks are migrating to the suburbs for sec 8 grants. This is causing quite a stir in what was once predominantly white communities.

We can't forget many whites who live in the suburbs moved there to escape the inner city blacks. They carried with them the prejudice and fears that catapulted them to move to the burbs from the inner city's. Now they are facing their fears all over again.

I don't see the felonies this guy was charged with going anyplace. The charges are as malicious as the perpetrators behaviors.

The neighbors should have invited this guy over for a barbecue or other extensions of friendship before involving the police. This would of been more effective than bringing the police into the issue. NOW, this guy's hatred is escalating and he may do things that are hard to prove. The problem is still there.

In my opinion the police involvement may have made the issue more volatile.
Fear drives people and Big Brother seems to be the answer for everything now a days.

My relatives in Zumbrota.
Some of the cops there are just as racist as some of the citizens. I dealt with the issues my relatives were having with their neighbors and police, they don't have a problem anymore. They get a long with their once wanna be racist neighbors now.

Constructive communication without police intervention is the answer to these kinds of issues. Everyone walks away with a positive conclusion.

9:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another problem whipped up by big government so the people have an issue for them to fix.

9:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul and Paula Caliguire
(651) 436-2487

Let them know what you think of their behavior!

10:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I work with this woman.

And tbh I am very not surprised.

She uses her married name here.

3:34 PM  

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