This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2004, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

You might recall that last year the College Republicans at Utah State University held an "Affirmative Action bake sale" on campus, charging minorities and women less for the bakery items than male Caucasians as a dig on Affirmative Action programs.

The tactic offended many on campus and was criticized by some officers of the Associated Students of Utah State University.

After some heated exchanges, Angie Hammond, ASUSU vice president for diversity, and Scott Dewey, an officer for the College Republicans, agreed to arrange a debate on the USU campus, with Dewey's side arguing against Affirmative Action and Hammond's side supporting it.

Dewey and Hammond had never met before the debate agreement. Now, they are engaged to be married.

Speaking of Diversity: While former Utah Olympic guru and Massachusetts Republican Gov. Mitt Romney was in Washington last week urging Sen. Orrin Hatch's Senate Judiciary Committee to quickly pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, former Massachusetts Republican Gov. William Weld was delivering the homily at the wedding of his former revenue commissioner and his former chief of staff - both men.

"If I had been [in Washington], I think I would have been testifying on the opposite side," Weld told the Boston Herald, which headlined its story "GOP - Gay Old Party."

Meanwhile . . . Romney's declaration that federal intervention to dictate state gay marriage policy was similar in precedent to Utah's war with the U.S. over the pioneer practice of polygamy didn't escape niggling from Democrats on the panel.

"Thank you for the history lesson on polygamy," the committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, told Romney. "I was intrigued by Senator Hatch's comment to the press that he knows a lot of these polygamists in one part of Utah and they're fine people."

Another type of vandalism: Witnesses attempting to use one of the many restrooms at East Canyon Reservoir last week discovered the facilities were closed because of vandalism. Then they witnessed an official act of vandalism.

They watched in horror as a Utah State Parks ranger got out of his truck with a shovel and knocked down bird nests on the restroom roofs, leaving hundreds of birds screaming and flying in a frenzy.

State Parks' spokeswoman Holly Brown says the action was against policy. The ranger is a seasonal hire and he will be disciplined.

Easy to find: Along with a notice of their upcoming 40th reunion, members of the South High School graduating class of 1964 received a list of classmates for whom the reunion committee has no addresses. Committee members asked the alumni to review the list and inform them if they recognize anyone and know their address.

We can help with one on the missing persons list - Wanda Barzee, who is in state custody for allegedly kidnapping Elizabeth Smart.

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Paul Rolly and JoAnn Jacobsen-Wells welcome e-mail at rolly wells@sltrib.com