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Creedence saves day for day care crew

Sometimes, life’s unexpected emergencies bring out the best in people. That was the case for Little Lambs Childcare Director Caitlin Wagner.

She had just picked up nine children from two local elementary schools and was headed to town when a tire blew on her van.

“It was this big pop,” she said. “The kids all jumped.”

Thinking fast, she decided to pull into Creedence Energy Services, where some parents of children in her care worked.

“I didn’t want nine day care kids on the side of the road,” she said.

Wagner called for another Little Lambs van to pick up the kids and texted Taheni Jbir, one of the parents who works at Creedence.

“Taheni was outside within 30 seconds with snacks and water for the kids,” Wagner said. “It was really hot that day.”

Jbir suggested the safety and shade of Creedence’s muster point for the kids, including her son, Amir, to wait.

“I looked for our mechanics, but none were around,” Jbir said. She did find drivers Mike Bogensberger and J.J. Linquist.

The two didn’t know each other, because their paths don’t cross at work, but Bogensberger recalled Linquist stepping forward quickly.

“It was good to work alongside him to help someone,” said Bogensberger. “It highlights that’s the kind of people I want to work with.”

He also enjoyed the kids’ fascination with the mangled tire and enthusiasm for the unexpected adventure. Less than 30 minutes later, the van was back on the road.

“I feel like it says good things about our community that people will just drop everything and help,” Wagner said.

Jbir has also experienced the kindness of having a stranger change a tire.

“You might never meet them again, but you appreciate them,” she said. “That’s the kind of people we have in this little town.”

 

*Pictured: Creedence Energy Services employee Taheni Jbir, far left, waits with Little Lambs Childcare Inc. children Schafer, Amir, Asher, Greyson, Kingston, Arty, Teddy and Kasen.

 

Story printed in the July North Dakota Living Magazine. You can view the online edition here: https://cloud.3dissue.com/186261/186734/221810/JULY2024NDLMWEC/index.ht…