Petrak: Summer brings good stories, and that’s good news
The longest days of the year are upon us. Flowers are blooming everywhere, and lawns are particularly lush thanks to a rainy spring. Kids are out of school, ice cream...
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Petrak: Grade school graduation is first step of letting go for parents
You might not think a pair of red sweatpants with holes in the knee would make you cry. Then again, if you're a parent with a graduating child this year,...
Petrak: Memorial Day ceremony to share story of La Grange American Legion’s namesake
For the better part of 20 years, Robert E. Coulter Jr. has been a familiar name to me. But I didn't really know anything about him until this week. If...
Petrak: Memorial scholarships keep memory of loved ones alive
As anyone who has been to an end-of-year school assembly knows, the room is full of students, teachers, administrators and proud parents. Some of the most influential and important people,...
Petrak: Advice from a soccer mom to her younger self
When running an errand over the weekend, I parked my car by a neighborhood baseball field. I slowed my pace when passing by, because a T-ball game was going on...
Petrak: House walks offer a glimpse inside some pretty cool La Grange and Western Springs homes
If these walls could talk. . . In lieu of structures that can actually speak outside of, say, a children's television show, you can listen to others talk about some...
Petrak: It’s worth taking a look at those old family videos, just a few clicks away
If a picture is worth a thousand words, some video and film clips are worth a mini novel. At least that's what I thought the other day, when I was...
Petrak: Road trip shows two Americas, and the history of one
One has a lot of time to think on open roads, especially if one's driving partners are asleep. In the past month, I have driven in 11 states. Mostly because...
Petrak: Celebrating those volunteers who are generous in spirit
On my very first office wall, I hung a quote that I thought was fitting for the nonprofit organization for which I was working: "Never doubt that a small group...
Petrak: La Grange housing developments show buildings’ histories create legacies
There has been buzz in La Grange recently about proposed and planned new residential developments, one on the site of the Jackson Square Antique Mall in downtown La Grange and...