BOYS TOWN WEST: It was 77 years...

BOYS TOWN WEST: It was 77 years ago that Father Edward J. Flanagan founded Boys Town near Omaha, Neb. Since then it’s expanded nationwide, with three programs in Southern California. . . . Tuesday, the first Boys Town in Orange County was dedicated. Its five long-term residential homes in Trabuco Canyon are expected to start housing up to 30 troubled juvenile referrals next month. They call it Boys Town, but the homes are open to both girls and boys.

STILL HOPE? You thought you’d blown your chance to see Barbra Streisand at The Pond at Anaheim? A trickle of Streisand tickets is expected to flow back into the public pipeline as her six-show stand there nears. . . . At least one charity that received $350 tickets--to resell privately at a premium--was able to move only 100 of its 250-seat allotment, and has returned the rest to be sold publicly. Promoter Alex Hodges advises Streisand fans to contact the Pond box office (714) 704-2500 or Ticketmaster (714) 740-2000 to see whether any tickets have been freed up.

COOKIE LOVERS: What’s blue, has large eyes, and loves chocolate chip cookies? If you have a child 4 or younger, you likely know that it’s the Cookie Monster. He’s one of the original characters on public TV’s Sesame Street, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. . . . The traveling Sesame Street show will be at the Pond at Anaheim Thursday through Sunday. But Cookie Monster makes a special visit today to Children’s Hospital in Orange, where a spokeswoman says youngsters can hardly wait.

HOMECOMING: A different kind of party is planned at the UC Irvine Birthing Center in Anaheim. Since it opened in late 1991, with homelike birthing rooms, 1,500 babies have been born there. They’re all invited to a birthday party and public open house there Saturday. . . . The center, run by the UCI Medical Center, is operated entirely by certified nurse-midwives. Its officials claim it appeals to “women who prefer the high-touch, family-centered environment.”