The weeds were covering most of the sidewalk, and the Barlows were chagrined when they noticed a woman in a wheelchair, who appeared to be stuck in the weeds.

They stopped to help and learned that instead of being stuck, she had a large pair of weed clippers she was using to clear a path for herself, even braving the sharp thorns on the weeds that had cut her arms and legs as - in the style of Sylvester Stallone - she slashed her way through brush.

The Barlows stayed to gather the weeds the woman had spent two hours cutting and threw them over the fence and back onto the construction site.

Can't stop this group: You can take the Damned Old Democrat out of the Alta Club, but you can't take the Alta Club out of the Damned Old Democrat.

For years, a group of elderly Democrats who had been influential in Utah for decades, but are now headed into the winter of their collective existence, met every Friday for lunch at the Alta Club.

The group was led by former Gov. Cal Rampton, the state's chief executive from 1965-76.

But cancer, anemia and a stroke has slowed down The Guv, 93, who now spends his time at the CareSource Hospice in Holladay and is unable to make the weekly trek downtown.

So last Friday, fellow Damnites Jack Gallivan, Cal Gaddis, Walker Wallace and Sam Rich went to the CareSource for lunch, with Rampton as their host, so they could continue their discussions on politics, good government and the woes of George W. Bush.

That's a wicked ride: Lagoon's extreme roller coaster "Wicked," which turns its occupants upside down, is stopped periodically so the operator can scour beneath the monster ride to recover dropped items, which usually consist of cell phones, hats, wallets, etc.

But on Aug. 6, there may have been an amusement park first.

A woman asked the operator to go beneath "Wicked" and retrieve her breast.

It actually was just a breast enhancement device, but she was happy to get it back.

Read the fine print: The Salt Lake Bees have given kids a chance to run the bases after Friday and Saturday games all season long, as a part of the team's effort to make the local baseball games a family affair.

Last weekend, parents were delighted to learn that each participant in the base-running fun received a certificate good for one free kid's meal at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

But the parents had to smile upon reading the fine print, which included the notice, "Alcoholic beverages not included."

prolly@sltrib.com