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Woman amazed by bottle's 300-mile journey

CLAYMONT, Del., Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The woman who released a message in a bottle from the New Jersey coast as part of a contest 24 years ago has come forward to claim her prize.

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Heidi Mozza, 30, of Claymont, Del., dropped the green soda bottle into the Atlantic Ocean in summer 1985 as part of a "Message in a Bottle Contest" in Ocean City, N.J., and the bottle was discovered recently in Duck, N.C., the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.

Ocean City spokesman Mark Soifer said officials sought the owner of the bottle by sending social networking Web site messages to several people with Mozza's maiden name, Heidi Werstler.

"I just can't believe it finally surfaced after 24 years. Also, I just can't believe the plastic lasted that long," Mozza said.

The people who found the bottle followed the instructions inside and contacted the Soifer's office. The spokesman said the city considers Mozza to be the winner, despite the fact that the contest officially ended in August 1985.

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Soifer said the city will honor the original prize of the contest, a stay in one of the city's motels.

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$5,000 worth of bras stolen from mall shop

OMAHA, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Police in Nebraska said more than 100 bras, collectively worth more than $5,000, were stolen from a Victoria's Secret store.

Omaha police said employees reported the bras missing Friday and investigators believe two people stole the items from the store inside the Westroads Mall during business hours Wednesday, KETV, Omaha, reported Monday.

Surveillance camera footage depicts two people walking into the store empty-handed Wednesday and leaving with bags full of bras they did not pay for at the store, police said.

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Nesting owl knocked down power line

PITTSBURG, Calif., Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Authorities in California said residents of a neighborhood were advised to stay indoors due to a power line downed by a nesting owl.

Contra Costa Fire District officials said the power line was downed at about 2:30 a.m. when a nesting owl apparently brought a piece of metal into contact with the line, the Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., reported Monday.

Authorities said the line was draped across several driveways and police went door to door asking residents to remain in their homes while crews from the fire department and power company worked to perform repairs.

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About 300 customers lost power as a result of the downed line. No injuries were reported.

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Bar starts 'Major League Dreidel'

NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A New York bar owner says the upcoming Major League Dreidel event is for Jewish and gentile spinners of the Hanukkah tops alike.

Eric Harris Pavony, owner of The Knitting Factory bar, said Major League Dreidel will kick off Dec. 12, the second night of Hanukkah, with the world's first competition for "professional" dreidel spinners, the New York Post reported Monday.

Pavony said the event will follow different rules than the traditional Hanukkah game: Instead of judging points by the letters that land on top when the dreidel falls, competitors will try to keep their dreidels spinning for the longest times.

"MLD validates the dreidel as a bona-fide sport -- and its elite are recognized and respected like professional athletes," Pavony said. "However, they are paid in chocolate money."

The bar owner said the competition is open to people of all faiths.

"Some of the best spinners are non-Jews," Pavony said. "Also, part of being a great spinner is having a great spinner name like Dr. Dreidel, Spinderella or The Gentile Giant."

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