By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

The second month of summer has come and gone, which means it’s once again time to check in on the results of our weekly polls.

Kicking things off for July, we asked how our readers were beating the heat, as we were in the middle of a pretty intense heat wave at the time. One-third of voters said they were “staying in the pool” while another third said “ice cream and other cold treats.” Sharing a sixth of the vote each were “dressing lightly” and “I don’t mind the heat.”

Next, as July 4 was around the corner, we asked what our readers’ Independence Day plans were. And 100% said “Family picnic.” Personally, that’s how I celebrated the holiday as well.

Our next question came in the wake of the passing of Gus Kalaris, which is reported on multiple times in this edition. We asked what our readers’ favorite Gus & Yiayia’s ice ball flavor was. Since there are so many options, we had to pair each flavor up.

It was a close contest, but “Banana or Lemon” took the lead with one-third of the vote. “Cherry or Grape” and “Strawberry or Other” tied for second with 22% of the vote each, while “Root Beer or Blueberry” and “Lime or Peach” got third with 11% of the vote each. I’m a fan of root beer myself, but it’s great seeing the diversity of flavors people enjoy.

As last edition was when we reported on the results of our Spring on the Northside Photo Contest, we followed up by asking if our readers took part in the contest. We received only one vote for this poll question, which answered “No, I didn’t know about it.” Well, if you don’t know about our latest contest, the theme is Northsiders on Vacation and info can be found on Page 4 on how to submit.

One of the hallmarks of summer is the buzzing of cicadas. And with Broods XIX and XIII co-emerging this year, we figured it was time to get public feedback on these insects. As it turns out, they’re quite polarizing, with 50% saying “I think they’re really cool” and another 50% saying “I think they’re gross.”

That brings an end to this round of poll results. Check out our weekly polls, posted every Sunday, at thenorthsidechronicle.com.