Happy April Fools Day, Westsiders! The Westside Buzz team had a heck of a weekend. We took long strolls, popped into some of our favorite spots, and ended up dancing the night away at an Always Sunny Rave on Friday. That’s the magic of the Westside. You might not always know what adventure awaits, but you can absolutely count on having a great time.

Today we’re buzzing on:

• 🐶 MetroBarks Officers need names & Mutt Madness

• 🌯 Who was spotted at Chipotle in Westlake?

• 🐈 The Cavs Jarrett Allen Let’s ‘Em Meow

Plus, 17 fun things to do this week!

Let’s get to it,

—The Briggses

COMMUNITY BLEND

Name the MetroBarks newest K-9 officers

The Cleveland Metroparks Police Department is about to welcome its two newest recruits with an official swearing-in ceremony. Before these furry officers can raise their paws and pledge their service, there's just one small detail missing: they need names!

Here are the name pair options:

• Ike and Sig

• Drago and Mako

• Zero and Tango

Cast your vote by making a donation supporting the Cleveland Metroparks K-9 Unit.

🚅 AMTRAK ridership growing fast in Midwest

The Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak's busiest long-distance train running between Chicago and New York City/Boston through Cleveland, carried 398,420 passengers last year. The route saw an impressive 13.5% ridership increase, outperforming all other long-distance trains despite its inconvenient middle-of-the-night schedule in Cleveland.

If you’ve ever spent any time in abroad in Europe, you come back questioning why we can’t have fast, affordable rail travel between midwestern cities. Nothing snaps you back to reality quicker than searching how long it would take and how inconvenient it would be to take the AMTRAK to Chicago or Buffalo.

Advocacy group Lakeshore Rail Alliance suggests splitting the train into two separate services scheduled several hours apart to better serve mid-route cities like Cleveland, though implementation faces challenges from federal policies that require state funding for route expansion under 750 miles. Full Story via NEO Trans Blog

📸 @THEWESTSIDEBUZZ

Tag @TheWestsideBuzz on Instagram to have your photos featured in The Buzz

🐕 MUTT MADNESS

The Elite Eight (My Homework)

We started with 64 of the cutest dogs submitted by readers of The Westside Buzz, and now we are down to the Elite Eight! Are we headed for an all Bernese Mountain Dog (Sully & Maverick) final, or will we see Lucy the Golden fetch her way to the top?

Featured Matchup 👇

SPORTS TAKES

🌯 Rumors swirl as former Michigan State QB seen at Westlake Chipotle

Disgruntled Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was spotted at Chipotle in Westlake last Thursday. His order? Salad with Double Chicken. One of us.

He wants out of Atlanta, and the Browns desperately need a seasoned professional in the QB room. Kirk will turn 37 before next season is coming off of a ruptured Achilles, but I would feel better about the Browns’ chances next year with him on the team. The Browns need to make a move at QB so let’s see what happens!

🐈 Let ‘em meow

Cavs center and cat dad, Jarrett Allen, received a gift from a Cavs fan and rocked it during Sunday night’s press conference.

The Cavs won their 60th game Sunday night, the first time accomplishing that feat without the kid from Akron. They have all but officially locked up the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, which will be imperative if they want to beat the Celtics and head to the finals. #LetEmMeow!

LOCAL BUSINESS

🧶 Quilting Bee Grand Reopening | Lakewood

The Quilting Bee had their Grand reopening last Friday in their new space at 1456 Warren Road in Lakewood across from the post office. The retail shop for quilters of all skill levels is a great place to scoop up all your quilting needs. Stop in and say hello at their new home!

🥣 Los Abuelitos Brings Salvadorian Food to Westside | Cleveland

Say hi to Los Abuelitos, a family's dream come true that's now serving up a taste of El Salvador right on West 105th Street in Cleveland. They pour their hearts into every dish, sharing the authentic flavors their own grandmothers lovingly prepared. So swing by for a comforting cup of Atole and stay for the irresistible elote. If you’re looking to spice things up on the west side, give them a try. Check out their menu

📰 WESTSIDE POUR OVER

What’s Brewing?

🚀 Bay Village: The Bay Village City School District has unanimously appointed Bridget Dougherty as the new head coach of the Bay High School Rockettes dance team, following Liz Baumgartner's resignation in December. Dougherty, who previously served as a volunteer coach for three-and-a-half years and as interim head coach, is a former Rockette herself who graduated in 2021. Congratulations, Bridget! (Cleveland.com)

🍗 Lakewood: Not planning on going down to The Jake Progressive Field for the opener? Lakewood’s famous Around The Corner Saloon & Cafe is offering $.69 wings and $9 pitchers of Coors for the Home opener on Tuesday, April 8th. ATC is celebrating their 51st year in operation, so stop in and say hello! ATC’s Website

☕ Avon: The Avon Park & Rec department is reviving Coffee hours at the Wilbur Cahoon House Museum starting April 9th. The mud club meets from 10 to 11 AM every Wednesday. Call the senior center to reserve a spot! (ShortTakes in Cleveland.com)

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Kids Corner

Weather

Tuesday

38 🌡️ 36 | 🌤 | 0% | 💨 N 9-11 mph

Wednesday

69 🌡️ 58 | 🌧 | 100% | 💨 S 16-23 mph

Thursday

67 🌡️ 45 | 🌧 | 50% | 💨 SW 9-14 mph

💧^{🌡️ Water temperature = 39ºF}

That’s it for today, Westsiders.

Until Friday,

—The Briggses

PS: Jodie here! Today is THE Mr. Westside Buzz’s birthday. Be sure to send Tony some good wishes, but don’t blow my cover 😉