Nearly forgot ... it is obvious but ... keep whatever it is that shows there are new entries in a categoy and the new posts within a category's thread.
Thank you
the boxes also restrict how much text there is on the front page.

This is not a bad thing. Think headlines. David Brinkley once said that anyone conversant in English should be able to reduce any story to seven words. Hmmmm.
Admit it - You'd be bored without a challenge.