Like most grandparents, C.W. Bourne had plans for having fun with his nine grandchildren in his retirement. But he didn't plan on caring for baby ducks.

"But I am having fun with it,'' said Bourne, a retired truck driver from Springdale. "My grandchildren are enjoying it also. We are just trying to keep them alive.''

The ducks became orphaned before they were hatched.

Bourne and a friend, Bill Jones, were cutting grass at their church, First Baptist of Springdale, when they noticed a duck tending a nest of 11 eggs in a corner of the churchyard.

C.W. Bourne, 63, of Springdale, rescued duck eggs from an abandoned nest, took them home and hatched them. The Cincinnati Enquirer/STEVEN M. HERPPICH

"She would leave occasionally to get food and exercise, I suppose, but she would always cover the eggs," Bourne said. "Then we noticed she was gone and never came back.''

Bourne and Jones decided to take the eggs and try their hand at incubating them.

"I brought them to my house, put them under a light to get them warm. Soon I could hear them trying to get out. One didn't develop, but I have 10 beautiful little ducks,'' Bourne said.

Bourne shouldn't have any problems raising the ducks, said David Oehler, curator of birds at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

"They will be fine as long as he follows a few simple rules," Oehler said. "Just give them fresh food and water and keep them clean.''

Perfectly smart

Seven Lakota students earned perfect scores on sections of the SAT and SAT II tests taken in March and May.

Greg Back scored perfect on the math portion of the SAT, and Maria Abascal did the same on the writing section of the SAT II, while Addison Kimmel aced the SAT verbal. They are from Lakota East.

From Lakota West were David A. Carper, Courtenay M. Holscher, Matthew R. Meyer and Muzhou Wang, who all achieved a perfect score on the SAT math section.

Minority grads

Forty-five minority graduates who have attended local independent schools will get something extra during the Queen City Foundation's annual Salute to Scholars reception Saturday.

Ronald E. Felder, foundation president, said the graduates will receive a book signed by former University of Cincinnati and NBA great Oscar Robertson. The book is The Big O, My Life, My Times, My Game.

"We will also give them a personalized pen and a certificate of appreciation,'' Felder said.

The ceremony is noon at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.

The students have attended such schools as Cincinnati Country Day, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, St. Ursula Academy, St. Xavier High School, Seven Hills, Summit Country Day and Ursuline Academy.

Felder said this is the 35th year the foundation has been motivating academically talented minority students to apply to independent college prep schools.

For more information, call 562-6234.

Acts of kindness

Nearly 3,000 students from three Mason schools - along with several adults - are completing the district's end-of-year School Supplies Recycling Project and have scheduled a sorting party today.

The event will take place at the home of Becky Osborne, 4879 Bradford Chase, Mason, who is the Make a Difference Day chairwoman.

"This is part of our Make a Difference Day year-round efforts," she said. "Many, many students and parents have participated in this event, which is incredibly labor-intensive."

The three schools participating are Mason Heights Elementary, Western Row and Mason Intermediate.

Students from those schools have donated their new and used school supplies to be sorted, boxed and transported to Washington Park Elementary school, Over-the-Rhine.

"I have about 40 boxes," Osborne said. "They include crayons, colored pencil, pens, scissors, notebooks, notebook paper and backpacks. This is our second year of involving these three schools. I think the students are beginning to accept this as a tradition and are excited about participating in the project."

The sorting party will be between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.. Kids are invited and snacks are provided.