Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff was packed with plungers and spectators in the early afternoon March 1. People and groups from around the state came out to support the event which raises money for the Special Olympics.

Kids from the Oswego area took a trip down the Candy Land Trail on Dec. 14, when the Oswegoland Park District held a number of holiday-themed activities at its Boulder Point facility.

"Feliz Navidad" may be a radio staple during the holidays, but many Americans aren't familiar with the Christmas traditions of Latin American cultures. Several families in the Oswego area learned a little bit about the Las Posadas celebrations during a bilingual reading and activity event at the Oswego Public Library on Dec. 11, and they picked up a bit of Spanish vocabulary while they were at it.

The brown leaves came down and the snowflakes went up on lightpoles in Oswego's downtown on Nov. 13, as crews from the Public Works District began replacing the village's fall decorations with winter banners and Christmas lights.

Local veterans and their families braved gray skies and a chilly breeze on Nov. 11 to pay their respect to members of America's armed services.