On top of Old Smokey, all covered with cake

Older than the average bear: Smokey Bear, never without his felt campaign hat and shovel, is celebrating his 70th birthday, and the U.S. Forest Service is looking to update his image as he pitches his reminder about wildfire prevention to millennials.

But his birthday didn’t go as planned. Yogi, Boo-Boo, Baloo and Gentle Ben sang “Happy Birthday” and brought in a cake with 70 burning candles. But Smokey, horrified by the conflagration, beat the cake with his shovel, doused the fire with a pail of water, then stirred the ashes until it was cold.

—

Short stack, please, extra butter: Vermont is the latest state to consider legalizing recreational marijuana. Its Legislature has asked the governor to study fiscal and other impacts of such a move.

On the plus side, legalizing marijuana is expected to double the sales of Vermont maple syrup.

—

Don’t know much about history: On this day in 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV.

Joan declined to attend the ceremonies, still miffed at how she was treated at a church bonfire almost 500 years before.

—