It is a wide driveway, almost 30 feet, and John Kalla makes one last pass with his snowblower along the outside edge to make sure all the pavement is clear of the recent 6 inches of snowfall last Friday.
The driveway is on the southeast side of St. Joseph, but it’s not John’s driveway. It belongs to his cross-street neighbors John and Julie Taufen. It is his third driveway of the day, yet he still takes care to attend to details as if it were his own. As he does with his own side of the street, Kalla always widens the street in front of Taufen’s house. This time he cuts 2 feet into the snow bank that was piled up by the city plow, and always clears a large area around the fire hydrant on the corner.
John does not labor alone. He has the company of Shirley, his wife, who makes sure the sidewalks and steps are clear and serves as manager and spokesperson of the operation.
For the Kallas, both 82, the word spry seems an inadequate description. Robust is more accurate. After more than an hour outside on an unseasonably cold night, John appears tired but happy. Shirley seems as though she has enough energy to clear three more driveways.
John, a carpenter with Local 930 in St. Cloud, and Shirley, a nurse from the Buffalo Hospital, both retired in 1992.
Shirley says that helping others keeps them young. “We have the time. We might as well be doing something active and helpful,” Shirley said.
Besides the Taufens, the Kallas will sometimes help a few others down the road, including the Novaks next door.
“The Novaks are nice people. They are busy working people with two kids. They’re good kids,” Shirley said. “We enjoy it anyway, and have the time, so why not help out. They’re very appreciative; the Taufens are too.”
“They are the best neighbors you could have,” John Taufen said. “They would do anything for you. And for their age, it’s amazing. They have more energy than we do.”
Taufen used to take care of his own snow but his asthma has worsened and is aggravated by the cold. The Kallas know this and it’s one of the reasons they help out, he said.
“It will be below zero, but it won’t be unusual to see them out there at the crack of dawn until sunset,” he said.
The Kallas may be unusual in their dedication, but after any snow, you can find people helping others.
Of the several people spoken to March 8, about half said they had or would be helping a neighbor with their snow.
Cole Thomas, who also lives on the southeast side, said he recently bought a snow blower. Inspired by the generosity of his next-door neighbor, he, in turn, has begun to help his elderly neighbors.
“Everybody helps each other out,” Thomas said.
Across the street from Thomas is Jim Uphoff. He has an agreement with Trent Rothstein next door: in exchange for the use of Uphoff’s lawn mower and snowblower for his own property, Rothstein would take care of the lawn mowing and snow removal for Uphoff.
“I have to use a walker and I couldn’t do it myself,” Uphoff said. “Between Trent and Andy across the street, they get the job done. And as for neighbors, you can’t beat them.”
John Kalla clears snow from around the fire hydrant on the corner lot of his neighbor, John Taufen. The cab on his snowblower is of his own design and construction.
