Gresey: ‘Putting a face on food allergies’

It was from Ann-Marie Burke, mother of kindergartner Connor Burke. Both Ann-Marie and Connor were featured in a story about food allergies that ran in the Feb. 12 edition of the Chronicle.

“Hi, Sandy. Thank you for the wonderful pictures of my son Connor Burke in today’s paper,” Ann-Marie wrote. “Thank you for helping to relate his story and the story of other young children who are challenged with food allergies every day. Putting a face on food allergies can only help others to understand this issue.”

Thanks for the feedback, Ann-Marie. And thanks for allowing Sandy and reporter Nicole Weskerna to tell your family’s story.

Additional reader feedback we’ve recently received includes an email from Laura Machin of Campton Hills.

Chronicle reporter Brenda Schory wrote a story about Laura that appeared in the Feb. 9 edition of the newspaper. The story highlighted how Laura – who was adopted at birth – recently found several of her biological siblings.

“Brenda! Thanks for the great article in the paper!” Laura wrote. “I sure didn’t expect my face to be on the front page! I think we have successfully told the story in respect to letting other adoptees know what is now possible in their search for their birth parents. Thanks again.”

We appreciate the email, Laura.

And finally, this touching email to news editor Al Lagattolla came in earlier this month from Dave and Rita Campbell. Al had written a story for our Feb. 6 edition about a memorial service for Rita’s twin brother, Ralph Umbdenstock, a U.S. Air Force veteran who died Dec. 31 at age 61.

“Al, we read your article on Ralph’s memorial service today, and we were very pleased with what you wrote,” the email stated. “It was a nice tribute to Ralph, and my wife especially was touched by it. When a local paper does an article like this, it shows their community involvement and that they pay attention to what is happening, even in a small town like Maple Park, which some papers would feel isn’t worth bothering with.