David Krahn, a lifelong Oswego resident, laments the loss of the village's once slow pace but welcomes its growth into a medium-size town with small-town values.
"I remember playing baseball until 10 o'clock at night," he said, noting that no such sight exists today.
Yet the village park district is as strong as ever, said Krahn, 55, a former village board member who now works as the executive director of state Rep. Tom Cross' campaign office.
The village still boasts small-town clubs and organizations, and Art's Barber Shop retains its flavor of 40 years ago.
"We still have parades where people bring their families," Krahn said.
"The years I was on the village board, it was important that no matter what we did, we didn't lose our identity and not become another suburb gobbled up by subdivisions," he said. "I love what I see. It's a well-kept secret."
