Benjie Sanders/Arizona Daily Star 2001

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A Flower to the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, 4800 S. Sixth Ave., which opens its historic doors Jan. 2 for the 2006 rodeo season. Its collection of wagons, horse-drawn buggies and carriages, and Old West and rodeo memorabilia is a step back in time.

The museum, north of Irvington Road, will be open 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays through March 17, with varied hours around Rodeo Week. It will be closed Feb. 23-24 There's a $5 donation, and children under 16 are free. Call 294-1280 for information or to arrange a tour after the new year.

A FLOWER to Jack K. Lee, long-time University of Arizona marching band director and composer of the school's fight song, "Bear Down, Arizona." He died Friday of Alzheimer's in suburban Phoenix at 84.

Lee was inspired to write "Bear Down Arizona/Bear Down Red and Blue" in 1952 as he was flying home from a job interview for the UA marching band director job, and the plane flew over Bear Down Gymnasium. Lee was marching band director until 1980. He worked for the UA until 1988.

No counting how many people have sung or will sing "Go! Go! Wildcats go!"

A flower to those folks who will be taking their tree to one of the 14 TreeCycle sites now through Jan. 9. The trees will be chipped and used to control erosion at the city's Los Reales Landfill. For more information call 791-5000 or go to www.tucsonrecycles. org.

Using the TreeCycle centers is a safe way to rid yourself of the tree, and it serves a beneficial purpose to the city's landfull.

A THORN to those who are even thinking of using another method of disposing of their tree.

A thorn to stores charging a restocking fee for returns on such big-ticket items as electronics, home appliances and tools.

The stores have every right to charge these fees, as long as they clearly state their return policies. And the stores have the right to recoup labor and related costs of handling the return merchandise.

Some consumers had Grinch-like experiences when they went to return an item and discovered a 15 percent restocking charge.

A thorn also goes to the consumers who abuse stores' return policies, which results in increased costs and tougher return policies that have an impact on us all.

A FLOWER to Rep. Marilyn Jarrett for proposing a return to pre-1988 days when all vehicles had to have two license plates, one in front and one in back. The single, rear plate is a cost-saving idea, it doesn't spoil the look of a fancy car, and the cute personalized plates are lots of fun.

Still, the double-plate issue deserves consideration. Double plates can be a deterrent to car thefts and can make the vehicles more easily identifiable.