On March 26, 2026 I checked into my new home at MacKenzie Place in Fort Collins, Colorado. So what’s the big deal? The big deal is that this new address is my second retirement community in the last five years. How was I going to hold it together in my new abode? The answer hit me when my Wednesday Journal arrived with the morning mail!
Each week my Wednesday Journal arrives no matter where I live. It is my attachment to home, Oak Park and River Forest, and all the friends and activities I have left behind. The Journal feeds my longing for an ongoing connection with my previous life! I am not joking I had shared this sad realization with circulation manager Jill Wagner, and she encouraged me to write about it.
Oak Park was my home for over 50 years. Both of my daughters were born and raised there. Oak Park was where I found myself, and I haven’t lost me yet. Being president of the Beye School PTO and the League of Women Voters gave me an avenue to support the village, and Wednesday Journal allowed me to share this support with the community. Having a local newspaper that allowed me, and many others, to reach out into the community to share ideas and newsworthy information was a real gift!
It is said that a good newspaper can change our lives. I experience that with Wednesday Journal and trust you, the readers, will have a similar experience.
Janine Katonah
Former Oak Park resident