oddly enough

oddly enough

Teacher’s prom role: Sewing-kit ace who fixes fashions

BAYPORT, N.Y.

Math teacher Carol Pitkewicz sees a common thread running through prom fashion over her decades at a Long Island high school. And she has that thread in her purse.

For years, the soon-to-retire Pitkewicz has brought a travel-size sewing kit to the Bayport-Blue Point High School prom to fix any, well, wardrobe malfunctions.

“Sometimes the dresses are very fitted, and the ladies are dancing and having a good time, and all of a sudden, a button will pop,” Pitkewicz, 62, told Newsday.

Sometimes, it’s more than a button: Pitkewicz recalls a student’s dress seam splitting, end to end, about a decade ago.

The student slipped the dress off in a restroom stall, and Pitkewicz sewed it back together with her tiny kit.

“She went back out there. It didn’t come apart for the rest of the night,”she said.

Oregon town takes unusual approach to sea-lion problem

BELLINGHAM, Wash.

An Oregon community is bringing in some unusual help to try to fix its sea-lion problem. It’s hoping a fake killer whale from Bellingham, Wash., will do the trick.

KING-TV reports that Terry Buzzard of Island Mariner Cruises has used the life-size mock orca to promote his business during parades and events. He heard about Astoria’s sea-lion problems and offered to help.

Hundreds of sea lions have taken over the docks in Astoria, preventing boat owners from using their slips.

Buzzard says he doesn’t know if the fake orca will scare away the sea lions. The Port of Astoria has tried using electrified mats, but those aren’t working. They’ve also considered fences.

At worst, Buzzard says the fake orca will be an amusing distraction for the humans.

A head scratcher: 9 brains found next to train tracks

GOUVERNEUR, N.Y.

Nine brains were found along a street in a northern New York village, but authorities say there’s nothing to fear.

The brains are believed to have been part of a collection for educational or research purposes. No criminal activity is suspected. Residents discovered the brains on a street near railroad tracks in Governeur and notified police Wednesday.

A local veterinarian determined one of the brains had been professionally removed and preserved in formaldehyde. The organs are believed to be from either dogs or sheep.

Mishaps with preserved brains are not uncommon.

Last year the University of Texas in Austin said dozens of human brains stored in jars of formaldehyde and reported missing were actually destroyed in 2002. Those brains had been donated for teaching and research.

Associated Press