Xpress, the Coolest Section of the St. Petersburg Times, is the home for features, news and views of interest to young readers. Most of the work in Xpress, which appears on Mondays in Floridian, is produced by the Times' X-Team. The team of journalists ages 9-17 from around the Tampa Bay area is selected every year at the end of the school year to serve during the following school term. The current team of 12 was chosen out of 150 applicants. Watch for X-Team application forms in Xpress during the month of May.
Read the reviews by Xpress Film Critic Billy Norris
X-files
Dumbo is already taken
By Compiled from staff and wire reports
Published December 12, 2005
TAMPA - Today is the final day to cast your vote to name the baby African elephant born at Lowry Park Zoo on Oct. 12. The choices include Jabali JAH-bah-lee, which means strong as a rock; Jasiri (JAH-see-ree), fearless; Kidogo (Key-doh-go), something small; Mojo (Mo-ja), one or first; or Tamani (Tah-mah-nee), hope. To vote on the name for this baby, log on to www.lowryparkzoo.com and click on Name the Baby Elephant Contest. At 2 months old, the baby weighs more than 240 pounds. The petite elephant enjoys sleeping, eating, digging in the dirt, playing in the hay that mom Ellie eats and meeting new people. According to Geoffrey Pettigrew, an elephant caretaker at the zoo, the calf is inquisitive, alert, bright and loves to learn how to do new things. Elephants are much like humans because the baby will grow up to be a mischievous toddler, an independent teenager and eventually will move on away from his mom. Here are some other cool facts about African elephants:
- Babies gain 1 pound each day.
- They can grow to weigh 10,000 pounds.
- They will have six sets of teeth in a lifetime.
- Male elephants will fight with each other.
- Any diseases a human gets an elephant can get as well.
XPRESS QUOTE
"I've had great coaches, parents, teachers and teammates. But more than anything (my success comes from) a lot of hard work."
- Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING, in this month's Sports Illustrated for Kids
ROAD TRIP!
Check out X-Team member Lyndsey McKenna's wild ride to get her learner's driving permit in her blog, Road Trip. Read it and respond at www.sptimes.com/blogs/roadtrip
HEADING OFF TO COLLEGE
Follow Xpress film critic Billy Norris as he searches for the perfect school in the blog College Bound, at www.sptimes.com/blogs/college
- Casey Siena, 10, who is in fifth grade at Longleaf Elementary School in New Port Richey, contributed to this report.
