Saturday and Sunday stuff

There were a number of open houses on Saturday, and as I did some other things, I had the opportunity to stop in and see some of them.

Brown's Garden Shop had Christmas decorations on display and it now looks completely different from what it looked like in the spring. Browns has two buildings, and they are connected with a walkway covered in plastic that acts as a greenhouse. It was very warm in the sun.

Another open house of sorts was going on at the Carnegie Center where Prairie Arts was having their holiday sale. I learned that Prairie Arts has a new website, at http://prairieartscouncil.org/. They still have their old one, but no one knows how to get into it, so they got a new one. (Speaking of website, the Rensselaer Urban Forestry Council is trying to set up a web site. I suggested that they do a blog because they are so easy, but they wanted to do a real website. When they get it up and running, I will link to it. I think they want something like the tree people in Lafayette have.)

Meanwhile, down on the courthouse square, Abby Parmele had an open house in her gallery, the Upstairs Gallery, which is over Clauss Bakery. She has a wonderful view from her window.

Down the street, I saw Mrs Fleming going into her new store, the Willow Switch, and asked her when she would be opening. She said Wednesday. She had this funny sign in her window.

Going north on US 231, the old Chrysler dealership was in its final death throes--an auction for all the office furniture and shop equipment.We will get another vacant building.

Going east, I noticed new construction, the foundations for a duplex, on Rachel Street just south of Merrit. That is the second new bit or residential construction here in the last few weeks.

Finally, a couple of places on College are interesting. Several days ago someone smashed into the steps on the new alternative school. The Rensselaer Republican reported that a driver who was doing something he should not have been doing blacked out and hit it. (I did not take this Saturday--if you look carefully, you can see Monnett students in the background who have just gotten out for recess.)

Finally, here is another empty building, near another recent vacancy just off College across the street from Alliance Bank. This one last had a beauty parlor in it (I think).

There are two empty buildings on this block, but one block south there is new construction.

On Sunday I heard a rumor that a new restaurant will open behind Jordan's Floral, where Devon's Doghouse used to be. However, the sign saying the space was for lease was still there.

And I went to the fantastic choral concert at SJC. Here are the opening 30 seconds of Carmina Burana.



If you want more, you should have gone.