Your Turn

Goodbye Tootsie—You Were a Good Wife

This isn't your typical love story.

By Faye Klein The term, "an old married couple" is mostly thrown around with a tinge of sarcasm to describe and dismiss the crusty edged veneer that seems to have grown between or around the target couple, but I'll wager that the vast majority of people in the world secretly would not mind being there someday. After so much time together people, most pretense has ceased—one half stops laughing at the repetitious stale jokes, then stops excusing themselves for burping out loud and both give in to expanding waistlines. But under all that exterior stuff is almost always a deep, loyal and extremely conforting love that flows unspoken between the pair. That's how it has been for Tootsie and Charlie, the matriarch and patriarch of dogs at Angel …

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Your Turn

My Personal Suburban Jungle

This reader tells a tale about one brave ferret—and her quest to find its owner after a confrontation between it and one of her dogs.

By Faye Klein I grew up in Pittsburgh with sidewalks and neighborhoods that had little local grocery stores and bars. I am accustomed to the neighbor proximity of row houses and single-family dwellings that only had one bathroom. Currently a resident of Peters Township, I appreciate the walking trail, a lower tax rate and a big back yard, but I am a little embarrassed to say that I know very few of my neighbors and I mostly blame that on the lack of sidewalks rather than my lack of social graces. Most of the people I meet are during my regular dog walks on the trail where I will wave hello to the daily walkers and stop and swap stories with those holding leashes. I know most every dog's name, but very few of their owner's names. If I want …

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Your Turn

Spring has Sprung Some Leaks

'While most people begin to think of daffodils and dandelions; barbecues and bumblebees, my annual spring and most preoccupying thought is whether or not I am going to fit into those summer pants,' our guest columnist writes.

By Faye Klein It has been a bumpy road to spring.  As some more chilly temps visit us, we are quick to forget the unprecedented warmth that came before this face-slap back to reality. The astonishing arrival of real spring, (practically summer) weather—right on the dot of the calendar-pin-pointed, vernal equinox—lifted spirits, brightened attitudes and brought the pasty and pale outdoors for some vitamin D and emergency lawn work. While most people begin to think of daffodils and dandelions; barbecues and bumblebees, my annual spring and most preoccupying thought is whether or not I am going to fit into those summer pants. I ritualistically pack away my summer clothes when closed shoes are required and swap the winter and summer clothes …

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Members Question Transparency of Washington Area Humane Society

But board President Arch McIntyre said all bylaws and state rules have been followed.

The Washington Area Humane Society’s annual board election coming up Wednesday, some members have said they don’t know who’s running—and have claimed their requests for a list of candidates and list of members came up dry. “The only thing the board has divulged is that there are five seats to fill,” member Faye Klein said in a recent interview. “This has been like pulling teeth.” Klein said she and her husband, Leo, had made several written requests for the information, only part of which was granted. According to emails sent by Leo Kennedy, the board did allow him to pick up a copy of minutes and a membership list he had requested. But Kennedy’s correspondence indicated about a dozen members that were not included in the list provided. …

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Amanda Gillooly

11:41 am on Monday, September 26, 2011

Hey guys! In case you haven't seen this yet, I wanted to bring this new letter to the editor to your attention: http://patch.com/A-mwx1   more ›