New Queen Bee Casts Her Spell With ‘Staphylococci’

Stephanie Petit, 13, of Bethel Park, Pa., was letter-perfect. She spelled “staphylococci,” a type of bacteria, to win the 60th annual National Spelling Bee in Washington. The eighth-grader defeated Rachel E. Nussbaum, 14, of Ithaca, N.Y., who was stumped on “dyscalculia,” starting to spell it “d-i.” A straight-A student who enjoys tennis and plays violin and piano, Stephanie said she studied spelling every day, including six hours each Saturday and Sunday. “This is it. I’m done with spelling,” she said, cradling her gold trophy cup in her arms. The spelling bee, sponsored by Scripps Howard newspapers, included youngsters from 47 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

--A potential mayoral candidate in Salem, Mass., could be associated with spells of a different kind. Laurie Cabot, 54, the official witch of Salem, took out nomination papers saying her candidacy is a celebration of the American Constitution. It’s also an effort to counteract anti-witchcraft sentiment that became an issue in the mayoral race when an apparently orchestrated campaign of anonymous calls to the Salem Evening News inquired about a “warlock” on the City Council. The calls referred to Councilor Robert Gauthier, whose wife was dying of cancer and became close to Cabot during her last two years. The calls ceased once they became public. Whether she ends up with her name on the ballot or not, the important thing, Cabot said, is to make a statement that anyone, regardless of religion, can become involved in politics. “It’s just the fact that I can go to the City Hall and take out papers. . . . It’s just a tribute to the country,” she said. Cabot was designated Salem’s official witch by state proclamation.

--A lot of weekend sailors may be out of their depth with this type of vessel. But for someone with the money and a sense of adventure, there’s a submarine for sale. The unidentified seller said in an ad in the Sunday New York Times that the de-armed sub was fully equipped and operational, can carry up to 70 passengers and crew and has a cruising range of 9,000 miles. It is “safe, reliable and excellent for either surface or underwater passage,” the ad said. No asking price was mentioned. “It’s not a hoax,” said newspaper spokeswoman Nancy Nielsen. “I haven’t seen the sub with my own eyes but it went through all of our checks.” She said she could not divulge the identity of the advertiser. “It’s not us,” said Navy Lt. Comdr. Bob Pritchard. He said when the Navy decommissions subs, they often sell them for scrap or donate them to communities. U.S. Atty. Rudolph W. Giuliani said there is nothing illegal about selling a submarine.