Oddities News Archive - November 26, 2004

There are more Christmas trees than people in Colebrook, N.H. There are 500,000 trees alone at Weir Tree Farms, a family-owned farm considered to be the town's largest - that's 200 times more trees than Colebrook's population of 2,500.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Santa Claus can build toys, shimmy down a chimney and harness flying reindeer. But one thing he can't do any more is skydive near Disneyland.

LAFAYETTE, La. - The busiest shopping day of the year turned out to be a sticky affair.

WHEELING, W.Va. - A minor league hockey player sitting in the stands of the WesBanco Arena has been suspended for dropping his pants at fans in the crowd. The ECHL on Thursday suspended and fined a Reading Royals player Dan Sullivan for "making multiple obscene gestures" during the Nov.

MONTE SERENO, Calif. - For six years, Alan and Bonnie Aerts transformed their Silicon Valley home into a Christmas wonderland, complete with surfing Santa, jumbo candy canes and a carol-singing chorus of mannequins. Visitors loved it.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri-Columbia's $75 million basketball venue was formally renamed Mizzou Arena on Friday, just days after the Wal-Mart heiress for whom it originally was named was accused of cheating her way through another college.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - On Friday, Missouri's oldest full-time state employee will celebrate her 90th birthday. Virginia Arn figures she has 10 years to go before it's time to retire. "This job has been heaven," Arn said. "I love the people. I have a lot of fun with them.