"MEET ME under the Kaufmann's clock" was an invitation that generations of Pittsburghers knew, but the description hasn't been quite accurate since the store changed hands and was reflagged as Macy's two years ago. Of course, it will always be Kaufmann's clock to old-timers, but newcomers need a little prompting in Pittsburgh folkways. That came Tuesday when city officials, including Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, and members of the Kaufmann family convened for a ceremony to give the corner of Smithfield Street and Fifth Avenue, Downtown, the honorary designation of "Kaufmann Way." Pittsburghers years hence will see the sign and be reminded under which clock they are supposed to meet.

UP THE WAY on Grant Street, they were fighting like cats and dogs in a meeting last week in City Council, but it turns out that real cats and dogs do pretty well in those precincts. Every Wednesday for the past few months, a dog and cat have been visiting council to promote the Animal Rescue League's "Drive for Five" program, an effort to get 5,000 strays adopted. As the Post-Gazette reported Thursday, the council visits have proved lucky for the animals, with most of them being subsequently adopted (13 dogs and 12 cats have been placed with owners so far, and some went to council staffers). Now if only someone would adopt certain council members ...

PITTSBURGH owes its existence to its rivers, and in recent years they have been rediscovered in many forms. RiverQuest, formerly Pittsburgh Voyager, has been part of that effort since 1995. It is a not-for-profit educational program offering river-based educational programs for students, teachers and the community -- and now it has a new $3.5 million flagship, the Explorer, which arrived Wednesday after a 10-day, 1,600-mile journey from Alabama. Explorer, which will replace the smaller Discovery, is a remarkable "green" boat built to exacting environmental standards and the first of its type. Ahoy and welcome!