7 Good News Stories: They Say 'I Do' At Aldi; Hippos Pitch Woo At Zoo

ACROSS AMERICA — Jessica Bojanowski and Michael Hurd got married in an Aldi grocery store in Batavia, Illinois, the other day, the first couple to say “I do” in a place that is the antithesis of what most people think when asked to describe a dream wedding venue.

Don’t judge.

The Southgate, Michigan, couple — among hundreds nationwide who wanted to walk down the Aldi grocery aisle to happily ever after — best embodies “Aldi love,” the company said.

Aldi, they said through a company spokesperson, is a key part of their relationship. The couple work opposite shifts, “so weekends are the only time we get to really see each other. We’ve always cherished our Sunday morning shopping ‘dates,’ ” they said, calling their wedding at the store “fate.” » By Emily Rosca for Batavia (Illinois) Patch

‘So, You Want To Be A Frogman?’

When visitors walk into the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum on Long Island, they are greeted by a life-size replica of Universal Pictures’ Creature from the Black Lagoon holding a sign with the words, “So, you want to be a frogman?” It’s a nod to the first statue given by the 1963 class of the elite military unit to the Naval Special Warfare Command upon graduation. But the evolution of the SEALs — with a moniker standing for Sea, Air, and Land — has always been dramatized by Hollywood, up until now, the leaders of the foundation in Murphy’s honor hope. The museum offers a more realistic, but equally dramatic, view. » By Peggy Spellman Hoey for Patchogue (New York) Patch

Hmm, Palette, Palate Or Both?

At the not-well-traveled-at-all intersection of contemporary art and confection, is Caitlin Monachino. She worked at a Greenwich, Connecticut, bakery decorating high-end cakes as a grad student. A good job at a contemporary art museum in Ridgefield threatened to put an end to her pâtisserie pursuits, but then the pandemic hit. “And so I started making cookies, kind of just for fun at first, and then I started posting them on my social media page,” she told Patch. “And I don't know, it just kind of took off …” Now, she has the best of two artistic worlds — one visual, one edible. » By Rich Kirby for Ridgefield (Connecticut) Patch

Alternative To ‘Sketchy’ Alternatives

Buying online can be “sketchy,” says Air Force veteran Cindy Collins, who aims to offer customers an alternative they can trust with her new Euphoric Herbals tea and wellness shop in Edgewater, Maryland. When shopping online, “you can’t ask questions like, ‘Where is this from? Is this organic? Is it conventional,” she said. “They can come here to ask those questions.” They can also count on Collins, 42, to support charitable causes and reduce negative impacts on the environment. » By Jacob Baumgart for Edgewater-Davidsonville (Maryland) Patch

‘Positive And Powerful Images’

Some New Jersey kids recently got a chance to see a movie superhero who looks a lot like them doing some awesome things. Thanks to a pair of nonprofits, nearly 250 students, parents, school workers and mentors from 16 Newark middle and high schools were treated to a free screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, the founder of a young women’s leadership nonprofit, said that “now more than ever, it is important for our young people to see positive and powerful images of themselves on the big screen.” » By Eric Kiefer for Newark (New Jersey) Patch

Van Gogh, The Canine

Van Gogh a 7-year-old boxer/pit mix taken in by a Connecticut rescue group is, in fact, missing an ear, but he shares another treat with his Dutch Post-Impressionist namesake: he paints. And humans are lining up to buy his artwork. How he accomplishes it is another story. » By Rich Kirby for Bethel (Connecticut) Patch

They Grow Up So Fast

It seems like no time at all has passed since the Nile hippopotamus Fiona was just a fragile preemie who survived despite long odds, earning a title as one of America’s sweethearts. But she’s coming of age at almost 6, and has attracted a suitor, captured on video chasing her. Cincinnati Zoo officials are a bit like human parents when their kids start dating: Yes, it’s completely natural. But she’s so young! » By Beth Dalbey for Cincinnati (Ohio) Patch

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