ROSE (roz) n. One of the most beautiful of all flowers, a symbol of fragrance and loveliness. Often given as a sign of appreciation.

RASPBERRY (raz'ber'e) n. A sharp, scornful comment, criticism or rebuke; a derisive, splatting noise, often called the Bronx cheer.

We hereby deliver:

• ROSES to the Oregon State University engineering students on the OSU Beaver Racing Team. The "Mini Baja" offroad vehicle that the 30 students designed and built won first place overall in the Society of Automotive Engineers Mini Baja West competition in Portland last month - out of

84 entries from 22 countries.

The team again raced to the front at another SAE event in Elkhorn, Wis., to place first out of 141 international entries.

These undergraduate engineers used a stock 10-horsepower engine and their own creativity and know-how to propel them - and OSU's reputation - to the front of the pack.

Now perhaps they could get to work on that solar-powered vehicle we're all waiting for …

• RASPBERRIES to the high cost of acrimony, specifically as it relates to the leadership of the Lebanon School District.

A failed attempt to recall three of the school board members fell short this week, but it was another indication of the continuing bad feelings over the leadership at the district, the high school and the board.

The ongoing dispute just cost the district the second half of a $950,000 grant from the Oregon Small Schools Initiative, which originated from a private foundation from Bill and Melinda Gates and the Meyer Memorial Trust.

Citing "fragmented leadership," the OSSI has withheld the remaining $400,000, no doubt deciding not to throw good money after bad.

There is too much history behind all of the conflicts to recount, but the grant withdrawal should serve as a wakeup call that all of this squabbling is undermining efforts to prepare Lebanon for its impending explosive growth.

There's too much at stake. The district and various warring factions need to put this battle on pause and refocus efforts anew. If they can't settle differences, they should shelve them and move ahead with renewed focus on education, not acrimony.

• ROSES to cat trapper and rescuer Jody Harmon and all others like her.

Harmon was among those who rescued 11 cats from a homeless encampment in the Albany area. These cats are available for adoption at SafeHaven Humane Society on Highway 34, just west of the I-5 interchange.

June is "adopt a cat" month, according to the Oregon Humane Society, particularly since spring is kitten season.

Although Oregon is a great place to be a cat, a constant need still exists for more responsibility on the part of some cat owners to spay and neuter their pets - and for more people who are willing to make a little room in their homes and hearts for these friendly, entertaining felines.

Many cats and kittens also are available for adoption through Heartland Humane Society's shelter in Corvallis and its satellites.

Yes, cats are demanding and they purr when you're trying to sleep and they shed, but they also have an unerring ability to guess just when you need them to curl up in your lap, nuzzle your hand and purr.

• RASPBERRIES to a proposal by the National Parks Service to withhold the release of names of people who die in the parks, whether by accident, bear mauling or otherwise.

Glacier National Park officials in Montana already have blandly acknowledged that the news blackout is a "challenging change" for media organizations that want the details of what happened and when on public lands, but they have taken it upon themselves to withhold such information from the public - even as it relates to grizzly bear mauling deaths and the names of the victims.

Officials in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming think that this is a mistake, but they are running into opposition from National Parks Officials in Washington, D.C., where officials increasingly are deciding what information the public has a right to know.

People might disagree with the role of the media, but when government officials start to decide what information the public should have access to, they are essentially holding their hands over the public's ears - something this administration increasingly seeks as as standard public policy. As long as the public tolerates such policies, expect more public information to be kept locked up behind an official government seal.