by Tess Reiss
At long last, summer’s finally here. You throw open the windows, take in a big deep breath, the house fills with fresh air, and then much to your dismay, in wafts a jangle of urban noise. The buzzing lawnmower early in the morning, firecrackers late at night, dogs yapping and barking, even the unexpected burst of gunshots from time to time.
by Stacy Conroy
There’s a much-needed new dog-grooming place on the East Side, and it’s special because it takes a fresh approach to the pet hygiene industry. Wash My Dog, at 2232 North Oakland Avenue, is in the Wash Tub Laundromat building in an attractively designed, open area. You can go in and wash your dog yourself at a huge savings compared to professional grooming rates.
by Peter Reese
Should parents be able to choose where their children go to school? Should taxpayer money fund religious education? These are just two of many sometimes misleading questions used to sway voters’ hearts and minds in the battle over school choice.
As the lights come up in the COA gym, six girls and a boy sway and twist their bodies to the beat of a distant drum while a graceful figure before them calls out dance movements. The children systematically sway from side to side, touch the ground and reach for the sky. They then step to each side and jump and jump again.
Bong! Bong! Bong! The bells of St. Casimir on Bremen and Clarke ring out twice every 60 minutes signaling the top and the bottom of the hour and at other times during the week signaling Mass. To many, this is just another of the thousands of sounds making up the rich aural tapestry of Riverwest, but to others, it is a reminder to take a few seconds to look upward and inward in quiet reflection.
