Odds and ends from downtown Rensselaer

Yesterday I visited downtown, being very careful not to ride my bike on the sidewalks.

There are a number of changes in progress. The microfilm department will be moving from their current offices on Washington Street to the first floor of the court house, into the area vacated by the Surveyor's office. It is next to the lady's restroom and the Planning and Development office. (What do they do?) They do not know when they will be moving.

The office is full of file cabinets. They store all the records of the judicial system. I asked if they could not replace the paper with electronic entry, and was told that state law does not allow that. I asked if I could take a picture of their files, because soon this scene will not longer exist. If I am lucky, I will be able to get another picture when the files are being moved.

The window of their office serves as a tiny art gallery. Featured now are pictures from a painter from Brook. I wonder if a new location will be found for the tiny gallery.

Next door is a tiny space that had been used by Bags, Bangles, and Baskets. It has some flowers in the window, which looks a lot nicer than emptiness. As for Bags, Bangles, and Baskets, it is now located two miles south or Rensselaer along US 231.

Downtown now has a second dog grooming business, The SPAW in the old Horton Building at the intersection of Washington and Cullen Streets. I like the way they decorated the space.

I knew the owner of this business when she was in grade school and middle school. She left Rensselaer for Chicago and then Florida, and now is back. I would tell you more about what she does, but I do not know enough about pets and grooming pets to be very helpful. She is not limited to dogs, but will tend to all pets (though she did not have much to offer when I asked her what she would do for a turtle.) The SPAW of Rensselaer has a Facebook page but not may likes yet. 

The date for the grand opening has not yet been set, and signage is in process.

South on Washington I found both dogs and art. The Embers is temporarily an art gallery selling painting by Michel Keck.

Just a reminder--if you create a Facebook page for a business or civic group, make sure the Jasper County Library knows about it. They have a directory of local Facebook pages.