Odds and Ends – Friday October 26, 2018 – November 1, 2018

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(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Inflatable sea monster takes
over a rusting warehouse

Philadelphia (AP) – A giant sea monster has taken over a building at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, but only temporarily. The inflatable sculpture titled “Sea Monsters HERE” is at a rusting warehouse called Building 611. It features huge purple tentacles bursting out of windows and reaching from the rooftop. The 40-foot-long creations sway in the breeze, creating the sense of a huge living creature. It was created by U.K.-based artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas. They were invited to install the work as part of a collaborative project between Group X, a collection of local artists and organizers, and the Navy Yard. It’s on view until Nov. 16. Once the nation’s first shipyard, the Navy Yard is now a waterfront business campus home to 165 companies.

Proposal on Colorado peak leads to
couple’s altitude issues

Boulder, Colo. (AP) – A Texas man found a scenic location in the Colorado Mountains to propose to his girlfriend, but the couple ran into trouble on the way down. The Boulder County sheriff’s office says 27-year-old Joshua Mason of Denton, Texas, took 28-year-old Katie Davis on a hike Saturday to Jasper Peak at an elevation of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). They got lost as darkness fell. The couple were showing signs of altitude sickness and dehydration when a hiker found them. He led them to his camp and gave them food, water and a place to warm up. Another camper called for help. Rescuers reached the camp early Sunday and walked the couple to their car. They didn’t require medical treatment. Sgt. Clay Leak says deputies learned the engagement was still on.

Sexual history survey sent to
fifth-graders draws complaints

Windsor, Vt. (AP) – A survey that asked fifth-grade students in Vermont about their sexual history, preference and gender identity has drawn complaints from parents. The survey sent to Windsor Elementary School students was conducted by WISE, a nonprofit domestic violence prevention and advocacy group, WPTZ-TV reported. A notice was sent to parents allowing them to opt their children out of the survey, but parent Vanessa Beach said she never received it. While she doesn’t oppose topics on gender identity and sexuality being discussed, Beach said she feels the survey questions were inappropriate for her daughter’s age group. “My daughter is 10. So are all the other kids who took this,” Beach said. “A sexual partner at 10 years old would be called sexual abuse.” A WISE representative said the survey questions were created with University of New Hampshire researchers with whom the group is sharing the collected data. Beach said she told the school and WISE about her concerns. School administrators and WISE officials said they are working to address parents’ complaints. Students are told that they are not required to take the test and can choose not to, a WISE official said. Beach said she appreciates other work WISE does to raise awareness about domestic violence.

Walk on the wild side:
Dutch jogger runs into lion cub

The Hague, Netherlands (AP) – A jogger’s run through the Dutch countryside turned into a walk on the wild side when he discovered a lion cub in a field. Police say the young cub was found Sunday in a cage dumped in a field near Tienhoven between the central cities of Utrecht and Hilversum. Police have taken to Twitter to appeal for help in tracing the animal’s owner, while the young cub, a male believed to be about five months old, is being cared for by a foundation that looks after big cats. The foundation said on its Facebook page that the cub “is very tired from the hectic events” and is in quarantine. It adds that the cub is drinking water and already feeling at ease in its new surroundings.