More olive oil for sale

The university bookstore has UC Davis olive oil on the shelves again — with delivery last week of 2,500 bottles, the last shipment from this year's production. A white wine vinegar from UC Davis French Columbard grapes is due in the next week or so.

Not counting the new shipments, the university has sold about 11,000 bottles of olive oil and red wine vinegar so far this year, said Dan Flynn, manager of the olive oil and vinegar operation.

This third year of production, from a bumper crop of olives from campus trees, "has seen the best response yet, with the olive oil selling more than twice as fast as last year," Flynn said by e-mail. "I am thrilled that campus and community support continues to grow."

Besides going to the bookstore, people can go online to buy UC Davis olive oil and vinegar, and UC Davis olive oil aprons: bookstore.ucdavis.edu (search for "olive oil").

Steak Bake RSVPs due

The reservation deadline has been extended to June 2 for the UC Davis Retiree Center's Steak Bake. This year's event is scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. June 7 at the Rec Pool Lodge.

Organizers said members of the Emeriti Association and Retirees Association will do the cooking, and the steaks will come from the campus Meat Lab. Police Chief Emeritus Calvin Handy and his Vintage Jazz Players will provide the entertainment.

The cost is $45 per person. To arrange reservations, contact the Retiree Center, (530) 752-5182.

Hoops coach joins USO tour

UC Davis head men's basketball coach Gary Stewart will be one of six coaches on a USO tour called Operation Hoop Talk: Talking With The Troops, the UC Davis athletics department announced.

A department spokesman said the tour dates and itinerary in the Persian Gulf are not being released due to security concerns.

According to a UC Davis news release, the United Service Organizations coaching contingent will host basketball clinics, pose for photos and sign autographs.

"I'm honored to have been selected by the USO to travel with such distinguished basketball coaches to visit with some extraordinary men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country," Stewart said. "I have and will continue to get far more from them than I can possibly give."

The UC Davis news release lists the rest of the tour group as head coaches Jeff Bzdelik (Colorado), Ed Conroy (The Citadel), Jim Crews (Army) and Dave Leitao (Virginia), plus former New York Knicks scouting director and college assistant coach Jeff Nix.

UC service workers may strike

UC filed charges and a request for a temporary restraining order on May 27 with the Public Employment Relations Board against Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents about 19,000 UC patient care technical and service employees.

The union recently announced that it intends to strike UC medical centers and campuses on June 4-5.