Watercooler Stories

Paper trail leads to recovery of nuts

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A task force of officers from four jurisdictions used markings on boxes in a California warehouse to identify about $400,000 in stolen nuts.

The San Mateo Times reports two Sacramento men were charged with possession of stolen property. More charges will be added against Amrik Singh, 27, and Sukhwinder Singh Grewal, 31, says spokesman Royjindar Singh of Stanislaus County.

Growers Monday retrieved their nuts from the warehouse on Railroad Drive in North Sacramento.

The task force included officers from Merced County, Stanislaus County, San Joaquin County and Sacramento. The warehouse owner, whose name was not released, tipped off authorities.

Police say the suspects used their Indian goods company to sell pilfered nuts to small businesses in the Central Valley and Bay areas.

Scott Phippen, co-owner of Travaille and Phippen Inc., recovered 9,375 pounds of almonds, telling the paper he was "really thrilled."

The paper reports almost $2 million in almonds were stolen over the past 18 months in the Central Valley.

Bulgarian singer to change name to Madona

SOFIA, Bulgaria, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A relatively unknown Bulgarian pop singer wants to change her name to Madona, local media said Tuesday.

Lora Ivanova insists she is not trying to cash in on the fame of U.S. megastar Madonna, citing the single "n" in her version of the spelling, the Sofia News Agency reported.

A court has one month to rule on Ivanova's petition.

Two years ago, Ivanova, of the northern Bulgarian town of Ruse on the Danube River, lost a similar bid.

This time, she brought three friends to court to testify they know her only as Madona, Sofia's 24 Hours Daily said.

A state-appointed lawyer asked the court to deny Ivanova's claim because does not meet the criteria set for a name change.

Russians want crackdown on bad wine

SARATOV, Russia, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Russians pay too much for wine imported from places like Ukraine, Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said.

Gordeyev told Itar-Tass, Russia's official news agency, authorities should clamp down on companies that import "substandard wines."

During a visit to Saratov, Gordeyev said wines purchased in Ukraine are "diluted, bottled and supplied to the Russian market." The products are then sold as "expensive well-known brands."

Gordeyev says this practice closes the market to quality producers in France, Italy and Greece. Those producers, he says, can supply "top-quality, low-price wines."

The minister commented the substandard imports inhibit Russia's own industry. He pointed out restrictions on Moldovan and Georgian wines actually caused an uptrend in Russia's own production.

Gennady Onishschenko, chief of a consumer rights group, said banned Moldovan wines still find their way to the market in Russia. He blames "third countries" for the problem.

Mayor refuses statue for Norway capital

OSLO, Norway, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Oslo Mayor Per Ditlev-Simonsen says the capital of Norway will not accept a commissioned statue of King Olav for the City Hall plaza.

The mayor had invited sculptor Knut Steen, 82, to create a statue of the popular king waving to his subjects. Aftenposten reports when city officials saw the finished work, they thought the statue looked like a dictator standing on a pedestal. A jury was appointed to determine whether the statue was appropriate.

Steen was so upset he wants to bury the statue near his studio in Italy. The paper says Steen's daughter is angry and says he should be compensated.

Originally Ditlev-Simonsen offered the sculptor around 2 million kroner (more than $300,000) for the work. Asked why complaints weren't voiced to the artist earlier, the mayor says the staff didn't want to bother Steen.

Some outlying areas like Sunnmore are interested, and that town's mayor has offered to erect the sculpture in a coastal location.