Please Adopt
Dear Ace,
I just wanted to thank you for your wonderful article "Rescue Me" in the latest issue [Feb 20, cover story]. It beautifully illustrated the love and joy of sharing your life with a companion animal.
What I really appreciated was the consistent message of adoption. The article was obviously well-written and informed, so I don't need to mention all of the animals who needlessly lose their lives due to over-population every day. 
I think it was wonderful that Rhonda, as a well-known figure in the community, obviously associated with her very recognizable dogs, spoke so strongly in its favor.
Too many people believe they have to have a purebred and think they can only go to a breeder to get one. At this point, there is virtually no reason NOT to adopt. There are dogs and cats of all shapes, sizes, ages, and mentalities and rescues around the country-including purebreds. With a little bit of research and patience, you should be able to find the perfect new friend.
Also, of course, as president of Home At Last Animal Sanctuary, I was touched and honored to receive her support of our organization. We consistently work with local and national shelters to provide assistance and often pull animals from the street who are in immediate need. Our mission has always been tri-fold: rescue/adoption, spay/neuter, and education. While we have been working hard for six years and have rescued countless animals in that time, it is of course still a daily struggle.
Knowing we have the support of people at Ace, and others in the community is heartwarming and proves that we are making a difference (though just looking at the content, furry faces of the animals is enough). We believe in Compassion for All Species and our rescue, adoption, and education efforts prove that.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks again. Your continued weekly support in the Pet Pick is wonderful and it just means alot to know that people really believe in what we're doing.
Sincerely,
Sarah Dorroh
Home At Last
www.homeatlastanimals.org
Editor's Note: Thanks so much to the many, many readers who wrote to express concern and empathy for my beloved Martha. We are down to her final days now. I am very lucky to be able to take some time off this week to be with her (thanks to our very capable staff), and everyone we know is taking the opportunity to spoil her relentlessly.
We're blessed with an amazing, caring, and compassionate vet-along with my close friends who usually only treat two-legged animals-and thanks to all of them, she does not appear to be suffering or in pain.
We are printing Sarah's letter-as one of a representative sampling-to continue to encourage our readers to participate in Adoption.
We know many animals have found loving homes through Ace's weekly Pet Pick. This week's Call to Volunteers (in the Ace list) is also in support of animal organizations.
There are so many resources available, as Sarah points out, "there is virtually no reason NOT to adopt."-RR
Letters Policy: Ace LOVES to publish our mail (250 words or less please); please include name and daytime phone. No photocopies. No bulk mail. First come, first served. We may edit for space and grammar; we will limit frequency; and, on popular issues, we may print one or two letters to represent a segment of public opinion. Private correspondence should be labeled “NOT FOR PUBLICATION.”
Mail: 486 West Second St , Lexington, Ky 40507
e-mail: editor@aceweekly.com
Rising waters
The Urban County Govern-ment's Division of Sanitary Sewers will pump flood water out of your basement. Anyone with a flooded basement can call 425-2255 to report their status. If you reported a flooded basement, but have taken care of the problem yourself, then please call to cancel.
Home Improvement
Homeowners in need of recovery from the Ice Storm, may need to get building permits before beginning any structural repairs on their houses. A building permit is required for any structural repairs such as rafter repairs, collapsed porches, or roof damage. Because of the extensive damage, the city is waiving permit fees for emergency repairs until March 21. To obtain a permit, just bring a description of the repairs being made to the Division office at 101 East Vine Street, Phoenix Building, 2nd floor. For more info, call Building Inspection at 258-3770.
Take back the juice
Residents who are still in the dark, need to contact licensed electricians, and have electrical mastheads repaired and inspected before getting KU to restore power. After repairs are completed, the electrician must call Commonwealth Inspection at 263-7800. Once Commonwealth has inspected the masthead and KU has their approval, they can restore power. Any resident who has a critical medical condition and is waiting to get power should call the Emergency Operations Center at 258-3970 or Commonwealth Inspection to get on a priority list. It is the homeowner's responsibility to have the masthead repaired.
It's not TV. It's HBO. Free HBO.
A spokesperson from Insight Communications has said they're applying a 7-day credit to customer accounts. This credit will appear on the bill within the next thirty days. Yeahhhhhhhh!!! Meanwhile, in other utility news, Kentucky American Water Company is running a television ad campaign "saluting" KU's heroic efforts. Rumor has it that upper-level management at KU and LG&E may enter witness protection programs after news surfaced that as many as 7000 households remained without power seven days after the storm.
And it's still not over for many
Donations are still needed for shelters housing those without electricity. Items needed include: canned food; paper products such as toilet paper, plates and napkins; matresses/cots; blankets; towels/washcloths; soap; baby food; diapers; adult undergarments. Donations can be dropped off at a warehouse at 2512 Palumbo Drive.
Speak your piece
The public is invited to the Central KY Council for Peace & Justice's annual dinner & peace fair. The fair will be at 5 - 8 p.m. Saturday March 1 at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral, 144 Market St in Lexington. Come at 5 pm for the fair. A vegetarian dinner is at 6 pm. At 7 p.m Lexington-Fayette County Mayor Teresa Isaac will speak on "Working for Social Justice in Lexington." The fair and speech are free. Dinner tickets are $8 and $4 for children 12 and under. Call 233-8263 to reserve dinner tickets.
Tree lines
The trees in this city have been decimated, leaving behind a plenty of broken tree branches. If you're tired of looking at that pile of tree limbs that are stacked up in front of your sidewalk, you can get rid of them at either the LFUCG Recycling Center location, at 360 Thompson Road, or the Haley Pike landfill near Avon. The recycling center will be open from 7am to 5pm, Saturday March 1, and Sunday, March 2. Also, due to the storm debris cleanup, garbage pickup will only occur once this week, instead of twice. Garbage will be collected Mondays and Tuesdays only. Rosies (recycling) will be picked up on their regular schedule. At this time, no yard waste bags, Lennies, appliances, or bulky items will be picked up.
To submit an advocacy/activism activity or event for Quickies, email rkirkland@aceweekly.com, or editor@aceweekly.com.