She Doesn’t Want to Be a Cutup

--A 15-year-old vegetarian is ready to make a federal case out of a biology class assignment to dissect a frog. Jenifer Graham of Victorville, Calif., has the backing of the Humane Society of the United States in her battle with school officials, who say she must either cut up a frog or leave class. Graham and her lawyers have failed to persuade the Victor Valley High School principal to let her learn frog anatomy from a model or computer program instead of the real thing. They are scheduled to take their case to the school board later this month, and failing that, they are prepared to file a federal lawsuit, said O.J. (Joe) Ramsey, the Sacramento attorney representing Graham free of charge. Graham said she objects to the raising of captive animals either for food or for research that involves unnecessary killing or maiming. Ramsey maintains that the First Amendment protects Graham’s moral beliefs in the same way it safeguards freedom of religion.

--It wasn’t exactly beach-going weather. In fact, it was a breezy 32-degree overcast day. But that didn’t stop the Anchorage Ski Club from conducting its annual spring beach party on Alaska’s Arctic Valley slopes, complete with a tanning contest, an Easter egg hunt in the snow, kite flying, Hawaiian leis, a barbecue and a bikini race down the slopes. But it took more than a party atmosphere to get five women and 12 men to peel off their ski clothes. It was the chance for a real party on a real beach--free tickets to Hawaii for the fastest scantily clad man and woman skier. “If anyone was going to go down in a bikini, the prize had to be big,” explained Laurie Hite, one of the organizers. The rules stated that participants had to wear only bathing suits. No long johns, leotards or anything else was permitted under the suit, and no tank tops were allowed over the suits.

--It’s a sure bet that at least 46 entrants in another Alaskan contest will be left out in the cold. In a competition to guess when the ice will break up on the Tanana River at Nenana in the center of the state, 46 chose non-existent April 31. In fact, two bettors bought two tickets, selecting different times on that date, bringing to 48 the number of tickets purchased with an April 31 guess. “We have guesses for April 31 every year,” said Nenana Ice Classic manager Bob Coghill, “but we seem to have quite a few more tickets for April 31 this year.” Steve Stanchina of Fairbanks is among those who thought April was a day longer than it actually is. “I was looking at a calendar printed here in town, and it had April 31 on it. Something told me not to pick that date, but I forgot and did it anyhow,” he said. The game will pay out $155,000 to the winner. Now the ice on the Tanana is 42 inches thick, Coghill said.