MARILYN HAGERTY: Just call us ‘Nice Town’ here by the Red

• Marilyn Hagerty

Marilyn Hagerty

Talk about it

How loud should you beep when you want the driver ahead of you to get moving? How long should you lean on the horn when someone cuts in front of you on South Washington? How angry should you get when you see another driver dawdling along talking on a cell phone?

The answer is: I don’t know. I can tell you for sure I never have seen such courtesy as was displayed in a city brief in the Herald the other day. It read: “Driver who beeped at me for going out of turn at 4-way stop, 13th and Belmont, 6 p.m. Thurs. 20th. I was wrong. You were right. Sorry.”

Such courtesy is rare. It begets more courtesy. And there is an occasional random act of kindness that renews faith in our fellows. One happened recently when I drove up to the window at Starbuck’s on South Washington. The attendant told me the person in the car ahead had paid for my latte.

“Kind of a pay it forward,” she said.

I was stunned with a gift from a total stranger. I didn’t shell out for the next person in line, but I did do some thinking about acts of kindness. And I guess I should be passing something along somewhere to someone in return.

Meanwhile, the weekend in Grand Forks arrives with opportunities to scare yourself silly. One of the best places will be the grounds of the Myra Museum on Belmont Road. Tonight and Saturday, there will be Legends of Terror between 8 p.m. and midnight. On Sunday, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., there will be a not-so-scary Halloween tour for children and families. They call it the Half Pint Haunt. There is a charge of $10 for Legends of Terror and $3 a person or $10 for a family on Sunday.

Another scary place is the Haunted Lab sponsored by the UND Forensic Science Club on the fourth floor of O’Kelly Hall tonight and Monday. The Haunted Lab tonight will be as scary as anyone can handle. On Monday, it will feature games and prizes for children.

Alexis Sherman, president of the Forensic Science Club, says the nominal fees charged will be used to help with travel costs to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in February.

Hockey at home

With the weekend at hand, Sioux fans are invited to gather for lunch at the Alerus. . . There they get an earful of information from Sioux coaches and guests. . . The Sioux football team is on the way to Greeley, Colo., for a game Saturday afternoon with the Northern Colorado Bears. . . Hockey Sioux are in Grand Forks hosting St. Cloud Friday and Saturday evening. . . “Bell, Book and Candle” continues this weekend at Fire Hall Theatre downtown. . .This is the end of the first quarter for middle and senior high schools in Grand Forks. . . There’s a Halloween dance tonight for Central High students. . . Teen author Michelle Bredesen will visit the city library Saturday afternoon. . . There’s a Step/Walk for Diabetes Saturday at the Alerus. . . “South Pacific” is coming to the Fritz Tuesday. . .

Ask Marilyn

Q. What’s up with the breakfast for hunters out by Lawton, N.D.?

A. Gayle Holth at the Farmers Union station there says there will be breakfast this Saturday. But, she says with deer hunting it will be better on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. Dr. Larry Legacie and pastor Don Reynolds head up the cooking crew, constantly tossing out jokes with breakfast. Lawton is about 20 miles north of Lakota on Highway 1.

Wilbur and Jackie

Cheerful people of the week: Wilbur Stolt, Jackie Walsh.

Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or at (701) 772-1055.

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