The pastor at Anchorage First Free Methodist Church was mystified. Why was the activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals chastising him? No animals are harmed in the church's holiday nativity display. In fact, animals aren't used at all.
People, however, do dress the parts — Mary, Joseph, the wise men, etc. The volunteers stand shivering at a manger on the church lawn in a silent tribute to Christmas.
The Rev. Jason Armstrong was confused by an e-mail this week from PETA, which admonished him for subjecting animals "to cruel treatment and danger," by forcing them into roles in the church's annual manger scene.
"We've never had live animals, so I just figured this was some spam thing," Armstrong said. "It's rough enough on us people standing out there in the cold. So we're definitely not using animals."
Jackie Vergerio, PETA's captive animals in entertainment specialist, said her organization tracks churches nationwide that use real animals in "living nativity scenes."
Seems the confusion started with the church's choice of phrase. PETA flagged Free Methodist's display as a "living nativity," and indeed, that's how the church describes it on its Web site.
To PETA, that means animals.
"Those animals are subject to all sorts of terrible fates in some cases," Vergerio said. "Animals have been stolen and slaughtered, they've been raped, they've escaped from the nativity scenes and have been struck by cars and killed. Just really unfathomable things have happened to them."
In the letter to Armstrong, Vergerio shared some sad fates of previous nativity animals — like Brighty the donkey, snatched from a nativity scene in Virginia and beaten by three young men. Ernie the camel fled a creche in Maryland but was struck and killed by a car. Two sheep and a donkey had to be euthanized after a dog mauling at a manger scene in Virginia.
Free Methodist's display is peaceful, Armstrong said. The congregation erects the stable. Members spread straw and don costumes. Some even dress as manger animals.
"We have some puppet camel things we put out," Armstrong said. "We have a cow hood thing that a person will wear that actually just looks spooky."
The volunteers stand beneath a brightly lit electric star as Christmas music fills the frosty air. They don't even speak.
"No one's come by protesting or thrown bloodstained fur at us or anything," Armstrong said. "We even use a plastic baby".
20061126
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20061122
Backyard toilet fence upsets neighbors
Some people use scarecrows to chase away birds, or garlic to block vampires. Rick Froebe uses toilets to repel golfers. Froebe has erected a backyard "fence" made of seven old toilets, a few used bathtubs and some broken-down water heaters, all designed to prevent golfers from the adjacent Lakeview Golf & Country Club from approaching his yard.
While critics say Froebe is acting out in a dispute with the golf course and other neighbors, the plumber insists his fence is not meant to be offensive.
"It's plumber art," Froebe, 52, said.
Besides, he added, "It's not like this is Pebble Beach. This is Lakeview."
On Monday, three scarecrow-like dummies sat on toilets and looked on as golfers finished their putts on the 354-yard, par-4 first hole. The old commodes, bathtubs and water heaters first appeared on Halloween.
Froebe, co-owner of Coulee Dam/Ephrata Plumbing, used to belong to the golf club, but resigned in May in a dispute with other members.
He said the golfers near his property make his four dogs start barking, which has prompted upset neighbors to call the Grant County sheriff's office. Froebe has lived in the house for 15 years.
Gerald Coulter, representing the country club's nine-member board of directors, called the situation "completely ridiculous."
"I've had several people call that were upset with (the 'fence'). It's an eyesore," Coulter said. "I'm surprised the health department hasn't been out there because of the used toilets and water tanks. It's not a sanitary condition."
Meanwhile, the sheriff's office has warned Froebe three times that his dogs are a nuisance, said Larry Ledeboer, the sheriff's animal control officer.
"The sheriff's office doesn't write a lot of barking infractions," Ledeboer said. "We give warnings and try to work with people."
To date, Froebe has received three barking infractions. A first-offense barking infraction is $47 per dog, Ledeboer said. The second offense is $95. A third offense is $190.
Froebe said he recently bought special dog collars that discourage barking.
He insists the "fence" is not a sign of animosity toward his neighbors.
"If they would've come to me first that would have been one thing," Froebe said. "But they went directly to the sheriff".
While critics say Froebe is acting out in a dispute with the golf course and other neighbors, the plumber insists his fence is not meant to be offensive.
"It's plumber art," Froebe, 52, said.
Besides, he added, "It's not like this is Pebble Beach. This is Lakeview."
On Monday, three scarecrow-like dummies sat on toilets and looked on as golfers finished their putts on the 354-yard, par-4 first hole. The old commodes, bathtubs and water heaters first appeared on Halloween.
Froebe, co-owner of Coulee Dam/Ephrata Plumbing, used to belong to the golf club, but resigned in May in a dispute with other members.
He said the golfers near his property make his four dogs start barking, which has prompted upset neighbors to call the Grant County sheriff's office. Froebe has lived in the house for 15 years.
Gerald Coulter, representing the country club's nine-member board of directors, called the situation "completely ridiculous."
"I've had several people call that were upset with (the 'fence'). It's an eyesore," Coulter said. "I'm surprised the health department hasn't been out there because of the used toilets and water tanks. It's not a sanitary condition."
Meanwhile, the sheriff's office has warned Froebe three times that his dogs are a nuisance, said Larry Ledeboer, the sheriff's animal control officer.
"The sheriff's office doesn't write a lot of barking infractions," Ledeboer said. "We give warnings and try to work with people."
To date, Froebe has received three barking infractions. A first-offense barking infraction is $47 per dog, Ledeboer said. The second offense is $95. A third offense is $190.
Froebe said he recently bought special dog collars that discourage barking.
He insists the "fence" is not a sign of animosity toward his neighbors.
"If they would've come to me first that would have been one thing," Froebe said. "But they went directly to the sheriff".
20061113
Woman is surrogate mom to baby gorillas
Barb Jones spends her days crawling through piles of straw with a 15-pound baby gorilla on her back, sometimes climbing up on platforms inside the cage. It's all part of being a surrogate mother to baby gorillas, but that doesn't mean it's easy work for the 68-year-old Jones, who's been doing it for 26 years.
"Now, I need a little help scaling the ropes", she said. "But I can't not do what they are going to do."
Jones, a primate nursery keeper at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, works to break the cycle of primates born in captivity who never learn how to care for their offspring.
She teaches the young gorillas how to be babies while adult gorillas watch and learn their own roles. The hope is that the babies will grow up to be better caregivers that can look after their own young.
Jones' most recent project was Umande, who came to Columbus from a Colorado Springs zoo where his mother rejected him. Other females at the zoo didn't want him either. Last week, 40-year-old Lulu took over his care after weeks of Jones and other workers tending to him.
Umande was clearly at home with his human mother, even falling asleep in her lap.
"He's like a little heating blanket," Jones said.
Jones, whose experience is in teaching, started her work at the zoo as a volunteer. In her many years of experience, she's never been injured, she said. She's also picked up a few tricks, such as coughing when the babies misbehave, because that's what adult gorillas do.
She points out that she doesn't do everything a gorilla mother would, such as using its teeth to trim the baby's fingernails and toenails.
"We use clippers," she said.
The world's first gorilla born in captivity was Colo, born at the Columbus Zoo in 1956. Back then, baby gorillas were snatched away from their mothers and reared in nurseries. Zookeepers thought they were protecting the babies from adult gorillas.
But zookeepers later learned that gorillas need to learn from one another, said Beth Armstrong, an anthropologist and former gorilla keeper at the Columbus Zoo.
Keepers imitating primate behavior at the zoo has helped decrease the time it takes for an infant gorilla to become part of a pack. The bond between Umande and Lulu took only a matter of weeks.
"Now, I need a little help scaling the ropes", she said. "But I can't not do what they are going to do."
Jones, a primate nursery keeper at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, works to break the cycle of primates born in captivity who never learn how to care for their offspring.
She teaches the young gorillas how to be babies while adult gorillas watch and learn their own roles. The hope is that the babies will grow up to be better caregivers that can look after their own young.
Jones' most recent project was Umande, who came to Columbus from a Colorado Springs zoo where his mother rejected him. Other females at the zoo didn't want him either. Last week, 40-year-old Lulu took over his care after weeks of Jones and other workers tending to him.
Umande was clearly at home with his human mother, even falling asleep in her lap.
"He's like a little heating blanket," Jones said.
Jones, whose experience is in teaching, started her work at the zoo as a volunteer. In her many years of experience, she's never been injured, she said. She's also picked up a few tricks, such as coughing when the babies misbehave, because that's what adult gorillas do.
She points out that she doesn't do everything a gorilla mother would, such as using its teeth to trim the baby's fingernails and toenails.
"We use clippers," she said.
The world's first gorilla born in captivity was Colo, born at the Columbus Zoo in 1956. Back then, baby gorillas were snatched away from their mothers and reared in nurseries. Zookeepers thought they were protecting the babies from adult gorillas.
But zookeepers later learned that gorillas need to learn from one another, said Beth Armstrong, an anthropologist and former gorilla keeper at the Columbus Zoo.
Keepers imitating primate behavior at the zoo has helped decrease the time it takes for an infant gorilla to become part of a pack. The bond between Umande and Lulu took only a matter of weeks.
20061108
Tree climber rescues cat after five days
For five days and four nights, Whiskers the cat was stranded 40 feet up in a tree surrounded by jagged rocks and overlooking a steep embankment. Pamela and Kenneth Fisher in Martinsburg first tried using food to lure Whiskers down late last week, but without success. Then firefighters tried to reach the cat with a ladder, but couldn't. They tried using water to coax the cat down, but that just sent Whiskers higher.
Frustrated and concerned by the panicked feline's desperate cries, Pamela Fisher called the local humane society, animal control officers and several veterinarians' offices, but nobody was either willing or able to help.
Then along came Jim Cosner, a 41-year-old Hedgesville man and a third-generation tree climber.
With a rope, harness and spiked boots, Cosner was up and down the tree with the cat in hand in less than five minutes Monday night.
"The cat was really calm," Cosner said Tuesday. "It was ready to come down, I think."
Cosner, whose grandfather was a timber cutter and his father a tree climber, is an employee of Guardian Fiberglass who works part time trimming trees. Rescuing stranded cats is just something he does on occasion.
Pamela Fisher said Whiskers spent much of Monday night and Tuesday catching up on eating and sleeping, but appeared no worse for the wear.
"He's an angel," Pamela Fisher said of Cosner. "A very big angel".
Frustrated and concerned by the panicked feline's desperate cries, Pamela Fisher called the local humane society, animal control officers and several veterinarians' offices, but nobody was either willing or able to help.
Then along came Jim Cosner, a 41-year-old Hedgesville man and a third-generation tree climber.
With a rope, harness and spiked boots, Cosner was up and down the tree with the cat in hand in less than five minutes Monday night.
"The cat was really calm," Cosner said Tuesday. "It was ready to come down, I think."
Cosner, whose grandfather was a timber cutter and his father a tree climber, is an employee of Guardian Fiberglass who works part time trimming trees. Rescuing stranded cats is just something he does on occasion.
Pamela Fisher said Whiskers spent much of Monday night and Tuesday catching up on eating and sleeping, but appeared no worse for the wear.
"He's an angel," Pamela Fisher said of Cosner. "A very big angel".
20061106
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