Not all questions fired at President Bush are about Iraq, oil and the economy. And not all the questions are coming from voters he hopes to woo.

A third-grade student at St. Antoninus School in Covedale wrote the president about the world's disappearing rain forests.

Nine-year-old Jenny Healey learned about the plight of rain forests in a social studies class.

After lecturing on the topic, social studies teacher Joyce Snyder suggested writing to the president.

It wasn't a class project, but Jenny decided to write a letter on her own in February. In July, she received an answer.

"The president didn't say much about rain forests,'' Jenny said. "He suggested that we keep doing whatever we think is good for the rain forests. But I was excited to get a letter from the president and excited that he sent a picture of himself and the first lady.''

Jenny has shown the picture to her schoolmates and the teacher showed it to the class.

"I am going to frame it and keep it in my room,'' Jenny said.

She is the daughter of Steve and Sandy Healey-Wenhold of Covedale.

Officer honored

Cincinnati Police Officer Patrick Galligan received the Valor Award Friday from the Ohio Attorney General's Office.

Galligan was shot at Feb. 19 - allegedly by a member of the "Tot Lot Posse'' - while investigating the street gang.

Michael White, 22, of Nottingham Court, was charged with attempted murder. His case is pending.

Galligan, 41, is well-known in the area where has worked for 15 years.

Police have said members of the Tot Lot Posse were responsible for a wave of crime in 2002, including a homicide and numerous shootings. The gang is named for a former Linn Street playground.

Galligan was sitting in an unmarked, green Dodge Neon at a traffic light on West Liberty and John streets at 11:15 p.m. on the night of the shooting. As he started driving through the light, a bullet came through the car's windshield.

Galligan tumbled out of the car, pulled his gun and fired back twice before his pistol jammed. White was hit once in the foot.

Homeless at Xavier

Xavier University students will begin a weeklong shantytown at 2 p.m. Sunday with a theme of "People, Citizens, Neighbors without Homes."

The aim is to educate people about homeless in Cincinnati and around the world.

Students will build about 20 cardboard shanties on the academic mall, where they will stay for several days.

University organizations donate $50 to build a shanty.

Money donated to the Drop Inn Center during the event will be used to help residents coming out of a six-month recovery program to help them pay for a deposit on an apartment.

VOLUNTEERS: Blankets for Guatemala

Families who have adopted children from Guatemala, part of Friends Through Guatemalan Adoption, will be packaging dental kits on Make a Difference Day on Oct. 23.

The supplies will be distributed in rural areas of Guatemala where medical and dental health care is scarce.

The group also plans to make fleece tie blankets to be distributed to families living in the highlands of Guatemala, where it gets cold at night.

The dental kits and fleece blankets will be put together at Church of the Savior United Methodist Church, 8005 Pfeiffer Road, Montgomery, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 23.

Sonya Zumbiel, a member of the group who lives in Amberley Village, said 50 families in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are involved with the group. Those who have adopted children or are in the process of doing so want to give back to the birth country of their children.

Zumbiel and her husband, Tom, adopted a son, Marty Jose Zumbiel, last year.

Sonya Zumbiel and Aimee Davis of West Chester, who founded the group, will spend eight days in Guatemala next month distributing the items.

"We have been there working on adoptions, but this will be the first time going there to be involved in social work,'' Zumbiel said. "We are excited about it.''

She said 15 or so members are planning a mission to Guatemala in July to work in a medical clinic and an orphanage.

The group can be contacted about contributions by e-mail at szumbiel@cinci.rr.com.

"So far we have raised $5,000 for the project,'' Zumbiel said.