Education

Education Rooted Locally, Built to Last

Four decades of adapting to community needs while staying deeply connected Article by Patti Noble | Photography by Sharmila Taylor Staying relevant for over four decades requires more than good timing—it takes foresight, flexibility, and a genuine commitment to serving people where they are. Some businesses grow because the market demands it; others endure because they listen to their community. First Institute has done both, by evolving with the needs of the people it serves—adapting...

Food + Beverage

Marching into Spring with Lighter Bites

After a heavy winter, these little bites won't weigh you down on a spring day Article and Photography by Klaudia Burian Every creature big and small is happily marching into spring; birds with song, squirrels with frenzy, and the ground is swelling like a piece of bubble gum ready to pop with the first daffodils and tulips. Nurseries are sweeping their front steps ready to welcome in color-hungry eyes seeking those first little chatty pansies and violas, and colorful door wreaths to replace...

Home + Design

History in Motion

How moved homes reveal Crystal Lake’s growth, showing how preservation and progress have long worked side by side in shaping the town Article by Katie Bobrow | Photography by David Bradburn & Sharmila Taylor At first glance, the neighborhoods just beyond downtown Crystal Lake look settled and familiar. The houses line the streets where they have always been, or so it seems. But a closer look at historic records, old maps, and preservation files reveals a more complicated story. Some of these...

Life + Culture

Making Space for Grief

How one mother is using her lived experience to guide others through loss Article by Patti Noble | Photography by Sharmila Taylor Grief is the great equalizer.  It spans social and financial status, it crosses all lines of privilege or need. It forces us into a new place that will never be the same as the old one.  Grief does not arrive with instructions. It doesn’t follow a timeline, honor milestones, or soften with good intentions. It changes the shape of a life—and then asks the...