I went to the Homewood-Brushton YMCA last night for a personal appointment that wound up being canceled. On my way out of the building, I noticed a meeting in progress in one of the meeting rooms -- I saw Todd Elliott Koger speaking, and thought, "Is this a candidates' forum?"

It was. Besides Mr. Koger, William D.Anderson, Lucille Prater-Holliday and Joseph Preston, all candidates for the Democratic nomination to represent the 24th District in the state House of Representatives, were seated at tables at the front of the room, addressing a crowd of perhaps three dozen people.

I had already missed most of the meeting, so rather than talked about what the candidates said during my brief time there, I'll refer you to their websites, as each of them has some sort of internet presence. Check them out:

• Ms. Prater-Holliday
• Mr. Koger
• Mr. Anderson
• Mr. Preston

Although Homewood is in the 24th district, 21st District candidate Brenda Frazier had a spokesman there to represent her. The other 21st District candidates, Dom Costa and Len Bodack, Jr., were neither present nor represented.

The meeting was sponsored by the Black Political Empowerment Project, the PA League of Young Voters, and the League of Women voters. The PLYV has a video guide to the candidates here.

B-PEP is also joining with the Community Intensive Supervision Program (CISP) to provide transportation for voters in Garfield, McKeepsort, the North Side, the Hill District, Wilkinsburgh, East Liberty and Homewood. If you live in one of those areas and need help getting to the polls Tuesday, call 412 969 4471. You'll probably speak with Dolores (Dee) Thrower, a member of Commission Baptitst Church who said that one of the things Commission believes in is "being part of the community." For her, that means helping people to get to the polls -- a smaller, more practical expression of "faith-based" action than the programs that usually get that name.

Ms. Thrower said that she has taken her 15-year-old twin sons to the polls with her "on many occasions" so that they would understand how voting works and not have any fear about it. Her message to them is, "Let me show you how it's done, because a lot of blood's been shed, and a lot of walking has been done, and a lot of things have happened over the years so that this could take place. So let's not take it for granted."

I'm not making $$$ on "My Homewood" - if it vanished today, I'd still get paid the same.

I didn't say it was a racial thing. What gave you that idea?