Featuring the discovery of the DNA structure.
To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa’s Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of February 28, 2022. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone. Let's go to press.
| This week’s sponsor for the week of February 28, 2022 is Earnie’s North Pole City Electronics and Games. Earnie’s Electronics located at 742 Noel Drive has any electronic component you may need. If we don’t have it in stock, we will either make it or get it ordered for you. Stop by today for all of your electronic needs, that’s Earnie’s Electronics and games. |
| Update from Santa’s Village, the investigation continues into the issues with the tainted glue that was sent to the workshop. Investigators have reported that they have found out through witness interviews that a figure dressed in blue clothing was seen around the glue factory on the night it was believed that someone went inside the factory and tainted the glue mixture. They also remember extremely cold temperatures at the same time. These two indicators point toward no other than Jack Frost as a potential subject. Santa has been briefed on the update of the investigation and the workshop is almost caught up and on schedule. Santa has asked to be briefed daily on the investigation. |
| Edward Hinklemyer put out a memo to all members of the United Elves Association stating that his office will begin posting information from the handbook to the Office of Elf Affairs website soon with any updates that may be coming. He asked that you make sure that you follow along with the posts coming out on the TAOLF.com website in order to have up-to-date information. |
| A major change took place this past week on TAOLF.com as The Peppermint Post Newspaper, North Pole City’s long type news publication went digital. Now elves from all over the world can subscribe to the publication for FREE and receive a link in their email to the new paper as it is published. This required some major programming and configuration; however, the project is now up and running. To find out more, make sure you visit The Peppermint Post web page on TAOLF.com. |
| Clouds will start rolling in again this week as another Arctic storm begins to brew. You will see temperatures start to drop towards the end of this week as the storm is expected to hit us late Friday night. This storm is not expected to be severe, but keep your eyes to the sky just in case. |
| For this week’s elf history, I’m going to turn the program over to our new investigative reporter Becky “Marshmello” Livingstone. Becky..On February 28, 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick announced that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes. The molecular biologists were aided significantly by the work of another DNA researcher, Rosalind Franklin, although she is not included in the announcement, nor did she share the subsequent Nobel Prize award for it.Though DNA—short for deoxyribonucleic acid—was discovered in 1869, its crucial role in determining genetic inheritance wasn’t demonstrated until 1943. In the early 1950s, Watson and Crick were only two of many scientists working on figuring out the structure of DNA. California chemist Linus Pauling suggested an incorrect model at the beginning of 1953, prompting Watson and Crick to try and beat Pauling at his own game.On the morning of February 28, they determined that the structure of DNA was a double-helix polymer, or a spiral of two DNA strands, each containing a long chain of monomer nucleotides, wound around each other. According to their findings, DNA replicated itself by separating into individual strands, each of which became the template for a new double helix. In his best-selling book, The Double Helix (1968), Watson later claimed that Crick announced the discovery by walking into the nearby Eagle Pub and blurting out that “we had found the secret of life.” The truth wasn’t that far off, as Watson and Crick had solved a fundamental mystery of science–how it was possible for genetic instructions to be held inside organisms and passed from generation to generation. |
| The North Pole City Commerce Association will be organizing a Hot Cocoa Pub Crawl for St. Patrick’s Day. This will be a new event for North Pole City. “We want to continue with the commeradory we experienced during the Snowball Games this past year,” said Ben “Tinsel” Scarbough, organizer of the event for the association, “This was really the first time we experienced all of the clans just getting together and meeting new people from other families and not worrying about work. We want to encourage more of that throughout the city.” This event will be somewhat of a scavenger hunt type contest that will take you to all of the pubs throughout North Pole City. More details will be coming out soon. |
| This past week’s North Pole City Council meeting had to be postponed and the entire agenda tabled until a later date. Councilman Atticus Birkenhead could not attend the meeting since his great, great granddaughter had a new baby the same night as the scheduled meeting. The family welcomed a very healthy baby boy that they named Atticus Birkenhead, IV. There is no word as to when the meeting will be rescheduled yet; however, it should be some time in the near future. |
| The Security Division of the Department of Elfland Security is asking anyone who lives within the vicinity of any of the factories or workshops to be on the lookout for any suspicious characters that you may see sneaking around, especially at night. Security cameras have detected strange activities throughout the facilities. Security details will be patrolling the areas and keeping surveillance as well; however, if you notice anything, please contact the Office of Elf Affairs immediately. |
| Lucky the Leprechaun will be hosting his annual “Pot-Luck” dinner at the North Pole City Hotel this Thursday night for anyone wishing to come out and enjoy the festivities. If you are wishing to attend, you are to bring your favorite “Irish” related dish to the event. Please make sure that you put your name on the dish so that it will be returned to you. Beverages and dessert will be provided. Doors will open at 6p.m. and all is welcome to attend. |
| WELF-NPC Radio would like to wish a very happy 400th Birthday to Susan “SnickerDoodle” Appleton. Susan just received her new certification and will be a transport driver with Santa’s Workshop. We wish her very happy years and good luck with your new position. |
This is Walter “Mistletoe†Livingstone with the reminder: Tell the negative committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up.
Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.
