ONE FOR DAD: It shouldn’t be any...

ONE FOR DAD: It shouldn’t be any surprise that all three sons of Jonas Salk, who invented the polio vaccine, wound up as doctors. But it wasn’t until after Salk’s death in June, says son Jonathan Salk, a Los Angeles psychiatrist, that he recognized “how much warmth and love people had for my father.” . . . Salk will appear at the March of Dimes annual gala at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Thursday night to accept a posthumous award for his father.

WITHOUT A BANG: Who says politicians can’t keep their promises? Huntington Beach Mayor Victor Leipzig got two gavels for presents when he took office a year ago, but vowed he’d never use them to keep a meeting in order. This week he stepped down, promise kept. . . . “Meetings need to be meetings of minds,” he says. But he admits he was tempted: “It’s been a contentious year.” He gave new Mayor David Sullivan a gavel. Sullivan made no promises not to use it.

GO KID GO: They look like youngsters’ stand-up scooters. But what’s a ‘90s scooter without a motor? Go-Peds are the latest trend for Newport Beach youngsters (E1). . . . Inventor Steve Patmont of Northern California calls it “California barefoot freedom.” . . . Problem is, school principals aren’t too happy about them, so they’re banned from most elementary schools. Says Louise Upham of Harbor Day: “Kids can be careless and those things have gasoline. We’re not real interested in that combination.”

FULL BRANCH: Library budgets cut to the bone don’t deter patron interest, at least not in Rancho Santa Margarita. The branch library there just celebrated its first anniversary, producing statistics that manager Diane Alter says show “we have a wonderfully supportive community.” . . . Visitors: 287,127. Not just browsers either--they checked out 315,223 books. Nearly 7,000 have registered as cardholders, and its support group has raised $41,000 through book sales and special events. . . . Adds Alter: “We have a lot of fun.”