Best of the Blogs: This Week's Top Reads

Check out some of the interesting blogs posted on Patch this week throughout Lake, McHenry and Cook counties. Click on the headlines below to read the full blogs. Do you have strong opinions about these topics? Good. Tell us about it in the comments.

Art Unleashed in Downtown Highland Park

Beginning June 28, Downtown Highland Park will celebrate the Dog Days of Summer as it welcomes the “Big Dogs” to its central business district by award-winning, nationally known artist Dale Rogers. Consisting of twenty-two, 8 foot high by 10 foot long cor-ten steel “American Dog” sculptures, this one-of-a-kind traveling art exhibit will make its home in Downtown Highland Park throughout the month of July.

- posted by Downtown Highland Park Alliance on Highland Park Patch

A New Tradition

For the first time, Deerfield Youth Baseball and Softball Association hosted the Warrior Classic, a fast pitch softball tournament.  Held June 7-9, participants included 34 teams from throughout the Chicagoland area, from Antioch to Chicago.

- posted by Steve Symonanis, Director of Publicity, DYBA on Deerfield Patch

Keep Your Dog Safe During the Fourth of July

Noisy parades, loud music, neighborhood picnics, and, of course, fireworks -these summertime pastimes are all great fun for people but they are traumatic and dangerous to their pets.

- posted by Lost Dogs Illinois on Crystal Lake-Cary Patch

Got Books? Donate Used Kids' Books to Lake Zurich Rotary Literacy Program

If you have kids, you probably have books that they no longer want. Now Lake Zurich Rotary offers a place for you to donate those books and help needy children read better.

- posted by the Lake Zurich Rotary Club on Lake Zurich Patch

Park District Announces Selection of the Next Executive Director

The Des Plaines Park District has announced the selection of their next Executive Director by the Park Board of Commissioners.

- posted by the Des Plaines Park District on Des Plaines Patch

Is Suicide A Sin?

...As for those who dare pass judgement remember that suicide has two contradicting sides to it, first, it can be a sign of power which determines one's own final destiny; second, it may be the ultimate sign of weakness and failure.

- posted by Ray Giovannelli on Niles-Morton Grove Patch

IL Unions Say No More Pension Negotiations

Illinois' public sector union say they've done all of the negotiating they are willing to do on pension reform. Watch the videos and read the full story of how unions are taking a hard line against a new pension plan at Illinois Watchdog.

- posted by Benjamin Yount on Palatine Patch