My friend Debby is the founder of Damon?s Den Doberman Rescue, based in Brighton Heights.  She is a local dog trainer and a great person.  She?s holding an unusual, but cool fundraiser to help pay for the recuperation of a specific dog which was found abandoned in a foreclosed home (sigh!).  As you get ready for your spring car washing, keep this in mind.  The car wash recently changed hands so the sign just says Car Wash. 

> Anyone who is either local to the Bellevue/Brighton Heights/Avalon

> qarea or travels through there frequently may be interested in these.

> My friend runs the fancy car wash on Ohio River Blvd. next to Eat -n-

> Park and she has printed coupons that are good for up to a $14.00

> deluxe wash. This car wash is a hand car wash. They are great. The

> coupons are available for $12.00 and Damon's Den Doberman Rescue gets

> 1/2 the proceeds. We currently have in rescue, an 8 year old female we

> pulled from WPHS a couple of weeks ago who was abandoned in a

> foreclosed home in McDonald. A neighbor heard her and broke in and

> brought her to the WPHS. She was almost bald, she was badly in need of

> thyroid meds and good nutrition and TLC. She is doing better but we

> will need $$ to have her vetted again and make sure her meds are at

> the right dosage. If you are interested in these coupons, please email

> me at dogslife4me @ comcast.net You can see Odessa (and the other dogs we have now)

 at www.damonsden.petfinder.org Thanks in advance!

 I?m hoping to find a local business to help sell the tickets so Odessa can get back to full health and find a loving home. 

Dick Marshall of Crafton writes a moving tribute to his deceased father, noting his loving acceptance and celebration of Dick's identify as a gay man.

My father died nine years ago, encouraging me until the very end of his life to be a compassionate, nonjudgmental, loving and inclusive man. He encouraged my leadership with mentally challenged children and as a facilitator with HIV and family groups affected by AIDS. He also encouraged me to stay active in my church. My father loved me unconditionally as his gay son as he loved my brother as his straight son. He would have hoped (and prayed) that Mr. Fox would one day feel similarly about his own beloved son, and I imagine that he would have wanted to quietly and firmly shake Mr. Fazzini's hand.

Mr. Fox and Mr. Fazzine testified at the recent Presbytery meeting on gay clergy.  Mr. Fox said he loved his son but deplored his identity as a gay man which he deemed sinful and unworthy of providing leadership in the church.  Mr. Fazzini also has a gay son of whom he states he is inordinatnly proud and clearly deserving of a church that affirms and celebrates him as a complete being, not in spite of his identity. 

Mr. Fox makes me appreciate my parents.  They won't join PFLAG anytime soon, but they love and accept Ledcat and me.  My parents are willing to leave their comfort zone to participate in our lives. 

Kudos to Mr. Marshall for providing yet another example of the power of the letter to the editor.  Please won't you write your own?