Cozy bookshop sets up right in Oswego

Old Towne Books and Tea in Oswego is up and running. Well, maybe not the "tea" part, but Catherine Leah Guillemette wants the community to know that the village of Oswego has a bookstore.

"We wanted people to see us and know we were there," Guillemette said of the impromptu opening Oct. 17. "(They) can relax and enjoy a good book without having to drive out to Naperville," she said.

The official grand opening will be in early November.

Books might be sparse in the store's first days, but Guillemette assures that inventory (new and used) in the shop is sure to grow with a new shipment of books arriving daily.

Guillemette owns the homey shop at 61 S. Madison St. (the old Oswego Hotel) with her aunt, Mary Murray, also of Oswego.

• Are you a gamer living in the Tri-Cities? Then Happy Birthday! Play N Trade Video Games opened this month at 1938 W. Fabyan Parkway in Batavia next to Trader Joe's.

Dan Moore and his wife, Lisa, run the gaming store that boasts 10 32-inch screens so gamers can try before they buy. The store has games for everyone from old-school Atari and retro Nintendo 64 and Sega to PlayStation 3.

Moore, a former airline pilot, said the gaming franchise is family friendly and was attractive as one of the few businesses doing well in today's market. The shop is on Facebook and offers a "Players Club" for serious gamers.

The grand opening will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 7. If "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is what you really care about, then it comes out Nov. 10. Call 630-482-9500 for tournament information.

• Your cats will be purring over Pawsitively Loves Cat, a new cat-only grooming salon in Oswego. Owner Julie Hoover, a self-confessed cat lover and manager of the Oswego Animal Hospital, said she is filling a need to get cats away from those stinky dogs.

"There is definitely a need for a cat-only place. There is a desire to see cats set aside from dogs," Hoover said.

The purfectly dog-free salon at 64 Main St., Suite 3, also carries cat treats and novelty boutique items. Hoover offers line cuts and sanitary clips to feline friends from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Pawsitively Loves Cats will be having its Grand Opening at noon Saturday. Bring your cat in costume and receive a free nail trim.

The Flower Basket is sitting pretty in its new and larger location near downtown Aurora after moving from 2150 Jericho Road this month.

Owner Colleen Hardekopf and her flower arranging staff are in the old Brown's Flowers building at 302 N. Lake St., thanks in part to federal funds that are helping her buy and move into the aging corner landmark.

"It's going to look wonderful," Hardekopf said of the remodel that is already under way, which will include a "green" roof. "It is part of Aurora," she said of the building. "It is going to come back to life again -- like it was."

The Flower Basket has been in business for 30 years, 20 of them on Jericho in unincorporated Aurora Township. Hardekopf said the move is a "beautiful asset for the city." And she is grateful to the city's aldermen and the mayor for standing up for a florist.

View some of Hardekopf's sweet smelling offerings at www.flowerbasketinc.com.

Submit items to "Comings and Goings" at ourbiznews@gmail.com or 630-416-5276.