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 family, friends and supporters of Ben Beekman, a 29-year-old Corvallis burn victim. They are rallying to his aid when he needs them the most.

On Aug. 9, Beekman narrowly escaped from his burning upstairs apartment at Tyler Avenue and Seventh Street. However, he did not escape injury. He has burns on his back, upper arms and shoulders. According to an online journal maintained by friends (www.caringbridge.

org/visit/benbeekman), he is scheduled today for surgery today at Legacy Emanuel Hospital's burn center in Portland.

His mother, Susan Beekman, said that he is likely to be at the burn center until at least Christmas. Friends are planning a benefit for him on Sept. 30, when they will hold a "musical silent auction" at the Old World Deli to help

pay his medical expenses.

We extend our best wishes to them for a successful fundraiser, and to Ben for a swift and complete recovery.

• RASPBERRIES to eating when you should be driving, and ROSES to the multipurpose benefits of seat belts.

After his scary experience Wednesday, we're sure that Steven Earp, 48, can appreciate both tributes.

Earp bought a breakfast sandwich from a fast food joint and was scarfing it down while driving when he choked on a piece of it. He gasped for air, and then he blacked out behind the wheel. His car plowed into the back of a parked car. Fortunately, he was wearing his seat belt, and the impact of the crash prompted auto-Heimlich maneuver (excuse the pun) from the shoulder harness, which dislodged the bite of sandwich from Earp's windpipe.

Earp was checked out at a hospital and released. No word on whether he was given a ticket, but for the record, anyone who eats while driving risks being cited for "driving while encumbered." You also risk dying in a tragi-comic "death by croissant" fashion that will be hard to explain at your funeral. Good enough reason to picnic by the side of the road.

• ROSES to Oregon State University wheat researchers who are helping to feed people and revive a shrinking mid-valley crop: winter wheat.

Jim Peterson, an OSU wheat breeding and genetics professor, and Michael Flowers, a cereal specialist with OSU's Extension Service, are among the developers of the "Goetze" wheat variety, a high-yield experimental breed well suited to the Willamette Valley and resistant to a troublesome wheat "rust" fungus.

The new variety could revive the local cultivation of wheat, which has given ground to grass seed in recent decades. Its high-yield potential also means producing more wheat on the same acreage.

And speaking of OSU researchers who are outstanding in their fields:

• ROSES to Ronald Wrolstad, a distinguished professor emeritus in OSU's Department of Food Science and Technology, who received the national 2007 William C. Cruess award from the Institute of Food Technologists at their recent annual conference in Chicago.

Among his many career research and development contributions, Wrolstad helped to developed a natural red food dye from radish skins and helped better document the anti-disease, anti-aging properties of fruit skins and peels.

ROSES as well to OSU food scientist Jae Park, who was named a fellow of the institute for his studies of sea proteins, and for helping to boost surimi production at OSU's seafood research lab in Astoria.

• RASPBERRIES to the U.S. Olympic Committee, which ordered the author of a travel guide to Olympic National Park to stop attempting to trademark his little guide. Why? Its title includes the name "Olympic."

The USOC wants author Jason Bausher to withdraw his bid to trademark his "Best of the Olympic Peninsula" travel guide. Their reasoning: It might infringe on the Olympic Games. The USOC vigilantly squashes any effort to pocket cash from labeling anything as Olympic unless its officially related to the Olympic Games. In this case, they're taking that job seriously, to the point of silliness.

You know, we think an organization set up by Congress to oversee things related to the games would have much better things to do such as, oh … trying to counter with good deeds all the bad press generated in recent games by kickback-

taking Olympic committee members, cheating judges, drug-using athletes and the public's growing boredom with the Olympic Games in general.

Instead, the USOC is taking on a part-time park ranger and Eagle Scout. His travel guide has about as much to do with the Olympic games as it has with … say … Washington's capital city. Residents there should be on the alert. Common sense looks to be on life support at the USOC.