DEFENDING THE DOC: Veterinarian Edgar R. Folkers...

DEFENDING THE DOC: Veterinarian Edgar R. Folkers Jr. won’t be at his Mission Viejo Animal Hospital today, where Orange County People for Animals plans a demonstration to support two of his unhappy customers. Their dogs died during anesthesia there. But Folkers says some of his other customers do plan to be there--to support him. “These accusations are unfounded,” Folkers says.”And many of my regular customers wanted to help.”

*

NOT SO NEIGHBORLY? The city of Cypress created the “Great Neighbor Program” in 1990 to award residents who did good deeds. But some folks may wonder if they haven’t been neighborly enough lately. Nobody has won the award the past two years. . . . City Manager Darrell Essex insists there are plenty of deserving neighbors: “It’s just that with the city’s pressing financial concerns, the award sort of got swept under the carpet.” Essex says he’ll resurrect it later this year.

*

NOT JUST HOT AIR: Outnumbered House Republicans savor every victory, no matter how small. Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach) was delighted this week when the House approved 326-98 his swipe at the National Helium Reserve. Begun in the 1920s to ensure a supply of helium for military airships, the program is now $1 billion in debt to the Treasury. The Cox legislation would end the program’s monopoly on sales to NASA, which uses helium for non-blimp research. . . . Cox calls his victory “a nice way to cut down on the blimped-out federal budget.”

*

ON THE LINKS: Koll International didn’t mind that a guest at the resort it’s developing in Baja’s San Jose del Cabo stayed on the tennis court this week long after everyone else had gone to bed. . . . He was Mexico president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, on hand for inauguration of a four-lane highway linking the town to Cabo San Lucas, where Koll, based in Newport Beach, is building a second resort. Golf courses at both resorts are being designd by Jack Nicklaus.