Ellis House Serves as Sanctuary for Neighbor's Horses

Ellis House & Equestrian Center found itself on higher ground than its neighbor and AliBoo owners were able to swim the horses over.

Evacuating a home in a flood situation is hard enough. But imagine the challenge if, in addition to your human family members, you had to evacuate horses. This was the situation for AliBoo Farms last week. Luckily, next door neighbor Ellis House & Equestrian Center was able to help out. In all, eight horses were housed at Ellis House. Additional horses were moved to Big Rock, Il. "Ours are used to being outside," Debbie Granat, Ellis House staff said. "At night we open the indoor arena for them to have shelter, so it actually worked out really nice." The flooding at the AliBoo Farm and Ellis House was from Aux Sable Creek overflowing its banks. Both facilities are located off Route 52  on McKanna Road in Minooka. Ellis House was also …

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Know Your Neighbor

Emma Peake Raises Thousands for Beloved Teacher

Despite never meeting her before, this Oswego 5th grader put together a garage sale to benefit teacher Kerry Anne Engdahl, who is fighting ALS. In the end, she raised $4,600.

In early June, Emma Peake spearheaded a community-wide garage sale to raise funds for Kerry Anne Engdahl in her fight against ALS. Emma just finished 5th grade and had never met Engdahl prior to the event. The garage sale raised $4,600, and required the efforts of many community members. “I was with my mom on a date night and we were talking about all the people that need help with money, and I thought about Mrs. Engdahl and suggested we do a garage sale to help her,” Emma said. Emma said her mom, Shana, thought it was a great idea and they started brainstorming ideas. With the support of her family, friends and neighbors, Emma spent the past four months organizing the garage sale and a coinciding bake sale. Emma said she’s never done …

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Oswego Woman Offers Encouragement with White Board on Michigan Avenue

Lauren Lawson is ‘The Girl With the White Board’

Editor's Note: Lauren Lawson has been chosen as Huffington Post's Greatest Person of the Day. The series features stories of people across the nation who are making a difference in their community. Congratulations, Lauren! How can a small white board and a black marker change the world? One person at a time, that's how. And that's what Lauren Lawson of Oswego has set out to do as she makes her way to Chicago's Michigan Avenue every weekend to stand from noon to 4 p.m. with a whiteboard bearing words of encouragement for thousands of passersby like Do something meaningful, Remember your worth, and Inspiration is contagious. “My hope is to inspire people walking by to become their own biggest fan and to be able to champion any cause they …

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Dean and Dianne: A Love Story—Now with Wheels

Oswego resident Dean Morrissette fell from a tree Oct. 30, and lost the use of his legs. His wife, Dianne, says they are only in the first few chapters of their love story.

The month of November has been a whirlwind for Dianne Morrissette. Nearly every day, she has been driving back and forth from her Oswego home to visit her husband, Dean, as he recovers from a hunting accident. It's not how the couple planned to spend their November. Dean was excited to start a new job at HQC in Oswego after being laid off from his job at PMA Friction at the end of October. Dianne thought she'd be back volunteering at River's Edge Cafe in Aurora, spending time with her new baby granddaughter, and planning for the holidays.  Instead, Dean, 51, spent 17 days at St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. after he fell out of his tree stand at the end of a weekend hunting trip with Dianne and his brothers. After his brothers …

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Pat Gavros

7:27 am on Monday, December 5, 2011

I know Dean's release date is scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 6th. I hope all goes well and that he can come home to the warmth of a familiar place. My prayers are with your family as you begin to adjust and work hard toward trying to be mobile again.   more ›

Neighbors Change the Lives of a Family in Need

Kyla Hartigan had the new motorized wheelchair she needed to get around. The only thing missing was a way for her to get into her own home in it.

Every-day heroes surround us.  They call 911 when they see a stranger in trouble, they hold open a door when our hands are full and they build a ramp for a little girl with cerebral palsy who can't get into her own home in her new motorized wheelchair. Kyla Hartigan is an intelligent, happy, kind and beautiful 5-year-old. Kyla loves playing with her sisters, watching TV and attending kindergarten. Unlike children her age, Kyla can’t walk and has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Last spring, the charitable organization Karing for Kyla reached their goal of raising enough money to pay the balance on a motorized wheelchair not covered by insurance. The funds also purchased the materials required to build a ramp into the Hartigan’s home. A …

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Alette Anderson

6:00 pm on Monday, October 17, 2011

What a wonderful story with such everyday heroes! It is so fantastic to see neighborly love like we always talk about in action. It does still exist!!! Margie is so giving to others, it is nice that others gave in return. What a beautiful thing!   more ›