Chimpanzee goes ape, prompts standoff with
police
STAMFORD, Conn. ““ Travis, a 170-pound chimpanzee, can do
lots of things humans can: He waters flowers, enjoys a glass of
wine, brushes his teeth, and watches TV.
But one thing Travis apparently has not mastered is sensing the
best time for play.
He bolted from a sport utility vehicle driven by his owners
Sunday night, commandeered an intersection in the heart of this
busy Fairfield County city, and held police at bay for a few
hours.
Despite the efforts of officers, arriving in a dozen cruisers,
the chimp continued playing in the middle of the street, rolling on
his back and occasionally charging officers.
“˜”˜He just wanted to play, but it wasn’t the
time or place,” Sandy Herold, who owns Travis with her
husband, Jerry, said Monday.
The chimp, when not closing doors on squad cars to prevent being
trapped inside, made occasional runs toward the crowd on all
fours.
“˜”˜He’s very strong,” Sgt. Richard
Phelan said.
Officers finally got the chimp into his owners’ car. They
pressed their hands against the doors of the SUV to hold the him
inside.
Travis, who is 9 years old, was sleeping it off Monday.
“˜”˜He got up and had breakfast and went back to bed.
He’s tired,” Sandy Herold said.
Principal gives ode to frog after kids bankroll PTA fund
raiser
PORTLAND, Ore. ““ Ridgewood Elementary School Principal
Arlene Hirsch may not turn her frog into a prince, but kissing it
will make her popular among her pupil public.
The head of the Oregon City school will kiss a frog during a
special assembly.
Hirsch promised the amphibian smooch if the kids raised $20,000
through the school’s annual gift wrap sale.
They did more than hold up their end of the deal. The youngsters
brought in more than $28,000 for the PTA.
Hirsch will make good on her pledge a week from Friday, kissing
the frog on Halloween.
High profile, mob-run strip club becomes housing
complex
ATLANTA ““ Looking for a condo with a checkered past? Try
the Gold Club, a strip club frequented by athletes, performers and
other high rollers before it was shut down after its owner was
busted for racketeering.
A group of developers signed a contract for the famous former
adult nightclub and plans to turn it into condominiums.
Developer Kim King intends to put several condos and on-street
retail shops on the lot in Atlanta’s trendy Buckhead
entertainment and residential district.
Federal authorities closed the club in 2001 after its former
owner, Steve Kaplan, pleaded guilty to racketeering. Prosecutors
claimed that Kaplan prostituted dancers to star athletes, cheated
customers and funneled profits to the Gambino crime family.
The federal government seized the property as part of the
case’s settlement.
Ideas for the locale had included another strip club, a park and
a police precinct.
“˜”˜We had preferred a park and made efforts in that
direction,” said Sam Massell, a former Atlanta mayor
and Buckhead booster. “˜”˜As long as they manage traffic
and don’t disrupt the neighborhood, it’s a healthy
improvement for that area.”
An Augusta family and the U.S. government each have a 50-percent
interest in the 1.5-acre tract. Both parties agreed in July to put
the property on the market.
Reports from Daily Bruin wire services.