Uncomfirmed sources report that Lynn Cullen will be back on Pittsburgh's airwaves, beginning on Monday, March 9, 2009 during the 5-7 drivetime slot.  The station is WAMO  AM 860 right before the hugely popular Bev Smith Show.

WAMO management is expected to make a public statement on Monday.

Great news, kids.  Great news. 

I have been an amateur genealogist for about 12 years and just discovered my first long lost relative via Facebook. I've found plenty of folks via ancestry.com and other websites, mostly very distant cousins.  My mother found my father's cousin at her hair salon.  I am using Facebook to connect with known relatives, which is surprisingly underutilized by my extended clan.

But Facebook to find someone?  I took a shot and typed in the name.  Up popped the person so I took a shot and it was him!

Who?  Well, it is a long story that boils down to my grandfather's biological sister being adopted by extended family after their own father died.  She and her children wove in and out of the family, lived a few blocks away but there was no real contact.  On Friday, contact was made when I called my Dad's cousin Dave and emailed him my family tree file later that afternoon. 

So in about 24 hours, I've added this whole branch and filled in some "missing pieces" of my Dad's life.  That's pretty cool. 

The image above is a button I found in my grandmother's belongings.  It apparently was a photo taken at a fair circa 1925.  The adults are my great-grandparents, Kelso and Edna Kerr.  The boy sitting on the ground is my grandfather around age 12.  The baby is my Great-Uncle Jimmy.  The older girl is my Great-Aunt Edna (Aunt Diddy) and the the younger girl is Great-Aunt Ruth.  Aunt Ruth is the only one still alive -- she's 90 next week.  This is the only memento of my grandfather's childhood I have ever found. 

(I have yet to discover any other gay relatives, but with 1200 and counting it can't be long ... quite a few bachelors in there!) 

             Dreams of Hope $1540.00

Dreams of Hope develop leaders within the LGBT youth community and promote awareness and understanding through the creative and performing arts. Funding will support their 2009 Season.

The Open Door, Inc. $1540.00

The Open Door, Inc.’s mission is to provide a supportive housing program that improves the health of the forgotten population of high risk, chronically homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. Funds will be used for their operating budget.

Adagio Health, Inc. $1540.00

Funds will be used to provide breast and cervical cancer health education and screening opportunities at the GLCC to lesbian and bi-sexual women, with no cost services available to women who are under-insured or uninsured.

The Mattress Factory, Ltd. $1540.00

The Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that supports the creation and exhibition of site-specific installation art. Funds will enable the museum to permanently install “It’s all about ME, Not You”, Greer Lankton’s (1958-1996) final work. This work documents Greer’s life and experience as a trans-gender person coming to terms with Midwestern values (which she embraced in a way) in contrast to the freedom of New York’s East Village in the late 1970’s and 1980’s.

Shepherd Wellness Community $1500.00

Shepherd Wellness Community offers a program of support and assistance to people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Funds will be used for purchase of equipment.

Women’s Law Project $1155.00

Funds will be used to expand efforts to educate and enlist women’s organizations and other allies in the struggle for LGBT rights.

Charles Christen, Med, LPC $1000.00

Funds are to be used to fulfill the requirements for a doctoral degree at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, as well as further the research related to gay men’s health. The overarching goal of this research project is to explore and describe the motivations, attitudes, beliefs and intentions (MABI) related to sex partner acquisition of men who have sex with men between the ages of 18 to 39 years old and with either a low number (1-2) or high number (over10) of sex partners in the past year. A secondary purpose of this study is to explore MABI related to acquisition of sexual partners and the possible association of these MABI with HIV transmission.

Steel City Softball League $1000.00

The purpose of the Steel City Softball League is to provide and protect the opportunity for individuals who support the bonds of fellowship, to play softball in an atmosphere of friendly competition, free from discrimination on the basis of adult age, race, creed, sex and ability. The league will foster and maintain the spirit of good fellowship and true sportsman ship. Funds will be used to keep registration fees down for their members in the face of a fifteen percent increase in expenses.

GLSEN, Pittsburgh $1000.00

Funds will be used to expand GLSEN, Pittsburgh’s “Unified! Safe Prom for All”. “Unified! Safe Prom for All” is a program designed in response to the findings of the latest school climate survey conducted by GLSEN National and Harris Interactive. Of the 6,209 middle and high school respondents 9 out of 10 (86.2%) experienced harassment at school in the past year. GLSEN Pittsburgh’s “Unified! Safe Prom for All” allow local students a venue to meet others, gather information, enjoy themselves and have a truly grand experience in a safe environment.

             REMINDER: THE LAMBDA FOUNDATION”S ANNUAL FUNDRAISING BALL SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009   

On December 10, 2008, I sent a series of follow up questions to Deputy Chief of Staff Kristen Baginski, who had promised to procure some information for me during the Q/A meeting about the Mayor's GLBT Advisory Committtee. See earlier post for details.

On February 25, 2009, I received the following response from the Mayor's team.  Note that the name has changed:  it is now the LGBT Advisory Panel. 

The change to LGBT is an understandable attempt to be more culturally sensitive.  The change from committee to panel?  Just another question to be answered. 

Sue – There is nothing new to report re the LGBT advisory panel. We’re getting ready to choose the panel - once that happens we will have the inaugural meeting.  Charles Morrison, the head of the City’s Human Relations Commission will be monitoring the process to make sure the panel is representative of the community.

 

Joanna Doven

Press Secretary

Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

414 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA15219

412-255-2694

(cell) 412-475-2387

joanna.doven@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us

I never asked if there was anything new to report; I was interested in the old questions from December about the selection and nomination process.  The information about Charles Morrison is interesting and I immediately sent him an email.  His hands are probably tied, but it is interesting that he's been brought in to ensure representation. 

I'll be frank with you.  It will be fascinating to see how far the progressive elements working on the campaign have managed to push the Mayor in terms of breaking up with his gay white male business owner trifecta.  If the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force is going to give the Kerry Stoner Award to Peter Karlovich and Steven Hereforth (see comments in previous post -- it has been confirmed), there is clearly no real fallout or accountability for "pay for play" or potential criminal conduct. So why not include them on the advisory panel?  These men are untouchable. He has nothing to lose.

Pure dazzlement, dahling, and merely a hint of the excitement in store on March 4, 2009, when the Pittsburgh Public Theater rings up the curtain on "The World Goes 'Round," a knockout revue of the music of Kander and Ebb, whose Broadway blockbusters have lit up the Great White Way for decades. All to benefit the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, which continues to provide medical, legal, housing and other vital services to those battling HIV/AIDS.

The hot numero of chic wining, dining and showtime will also bestow the Kerry Stoner award on long-time PATF supporters Peter Karlovich and Steve Herforth, the great guys who've turned their magnificent Mt. Washington manse into Party Central for countless fundraisers.

At the very heart of it was the indomitable Dolores Bold who's chairing the Broadway bash with dear friends (and cocktail party hosts) Dr. Elliott Kramer and Bill Modrak -- a threesome who define all that is elegant; PATF director Kathi Boyle; Robin Fernandez; Richard Parsakian (he designed the gorgeous ambience!); Joe Salandra and Jennifer Grafe; Nachum Golan and Steve Hough; Dr. Larry Leahy; Faye Sampson and Dennis Huber; Dr. Paul Hennigan and Colleen; Jan and Ernie Meade; Joanie and Sam Kamin; Stacy Weiss and Will Carpenter; Judy and Katherine Krause; Mary McVay and son Tim; Beth and Michael Kuhn; Violet and Judge Bob Gallo; Colleen Travis; Stephanie Bozic; Sue Zitelli; Kitty Gleason; and Gordon Fisher with Wes Scott.

Peter J. Ennis, Esq., President
Mary Frances Dean, Esq., Vice President of Development
Reverend Brenda Gregg, Vice President of Programs & Board Development
Regina Vercilla, Secretary
Vernon H. Carter, Treasurer

Kevin J. Altomari
Jay Blackford
Gwyn Cready
Chip Eagle, Esq.
Steven Herforth
Mary Irwin-Scott
Clarisse Jordan
Robert Kmetz
Elliott J. Kramer, DPM
Rob LePre
Daniel Mathews, CPA
Rev. Dr. James McLemore
Timothy McVay, Esq.
Janice Meade
Thomas Mills, MD, MPH
Erika Mullenbach, Esq.
Neil Parham
The Honorable Tonya Payne
Christopher Robinson, MSW
Wesley B. Scott
Ruth Smith
Richard J. Voller

Just as a follow up, I called the offices of Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and that of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to inquire about my previously ignored questions.  I opted not to confront them at the Steel City Stonewall Meeting which was probably a mistake on my part, however given their ongoing broken promises on these questions, it would probably have served no purpose.

Remember this from Rich Lord's article about the Club Pittsburgh pay for play?

It's our prerogative to meet with who we want to meet with," he said. "We want to try to help businesses grow here, stay here, expand here, and that was no different" for Club Pittsburgh.

"Nothing was done for those individuals that wouldn't be done for someone who sent a random letter to our office,"

I guess it is their prerogative to not meet with me and avoid answering my questions.  Still, it is worth the ask. 

In case you forgot:

My LGBT related question submitted for Onorato's cyber town hall meetings was not answered.  I was informed by his staff that they would send me an individual response.  To the best of my knowledge, no one who submitted an LGBT related question received a response.  Bram from The Pittsburgh Comet reported that he did receive an individual response to a question on an unrelated topic. I have tried to contact the Chief's office repeatedly with no luck.

My follow up questions on the Mayor's LGBT Advisory Council were submitted to Deputy Chief of Staff, Kristen Baginski, and Press Secretary, Joanna Doven.  Baginski promised at the meeting to get me one specific answer.  Doven asked for my cell phone number and never called. She recently told me she would be in touch when the "woman in charge" of the project returned to the office.  No follow up.

Folks, if they sent me unsatisfactory answers or answers I disliked, that would be one thing.  IGNORING our questions suggests that the pay for play suspicions are right on the money. 

Nobody wants to play with me.  Sigh.