It’s Our Patchiversary: Oswego Patch Turns One

If I’m being honest, when this site launched one year ago today, I had no idea what to expect.

I’d been doing the community journalism thing for about 15 years and thought I'd seen and done it all. Then, along came Patch.

When it comes to covering local news and giving out information, Patch isn’t too much different than what we’ve all come to know from community news outlets. What sets it apart is its commitment to helping to improve the lives of residents who live here.

In the past year, I’ve had the great honor to meet some of the most incredible people I've ever known. They put others before themselves and show levels of dedication and character not found in most. 

As I start the second year of this big experiment in doing my part to make the community a better place, I thought I'd provide you with a little refresher on those that have gone above and beyond during that time. If you're new to Oswego Patch, take a few minutes to become familiar with these everyday heroes who we call our neighbors.

 tells you much of what you need to know about the incomparable Pat Gavros—a woman who has dedicated the last year of her life to never letting us forget the sacrifices of those who have fought and died for our country. .

 highlights the very best of our community. Life was getting better for Kyla Hartigan after she received the motorized wheeelchair she needed to help her get around. But the 5-year-old girl with cerebral palsy had no way of getting in her own front door. When a nonprofit that had committed to helping the Hartigans build a ramp to their home fell off the face of the earth, the Hartigans' neighbors knew just what to do. 

 is the story of Oswego firefighter Dave Sackett who has been bravely fighting multiple sclerosis for more than a year. Instead of quitting his job and suffering in silence, Sackett turned his disease into his challenge and has helped raise close to $20,000 for the National MS Society all while staying on the job. 

 is the inspiring story of Kerry Ann Engdahl, a kindergarten teacher at Churchill Elementary School battling Lou Gehrig's Disease. Like Sackett, Engdahl has turned her diagnosis into a positive and led her Always Laugh and Smile team in May's Walk to Defeat ALS. Just some of what you need to know about Engdahl can be found in her own words from the story. “No matter how tough life can be, the kids’ innocence makes you forget about the problems you have because their needs are more important," she said.

Finally,  reminds us of the life and times of life-long Oswego resident Dick Young, a man who built many of our local buildings and became a trailblazer in the fight to preserve our local ecology.

Of course, these are just a few of the people that are doing extraordinary things in our community. Stay tuned in the next 12 months as we look for more.