Pierogi heaven is quite possibly located in the basement of Barbara and Alex "Gooch" Kwiatkowski's Midlothian home. Ask any of a large number of their family, friends and "friends of friends" who have been showing up every fall for the last 20 years to spend the day in pierogi production.

The economy is putting a pinch on many nonprofit groups. Like it has in the past, the Herald-News is inviting nonprofit community service organizations to submit their Christmas "Wish Lists."

Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out this week finds.

Sometimes it seems that Joliet residents are upset about a potential 20 percent hike in the property tax rate. But there wasn't much taxpayer anger evident at the city council's first budget meeting this week.

B.J. Ward is trying to light a reading fire under the boys who attend the Bolingbrook elementary school by launching a program called Boys Reading Club.

Operation Care Package is determined to send Christmas stockings to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this year. More than 10,000 handmade stockings have come to Joliet from throughout the United States to help make sure this happens.

Q: I am a 73-year-old female on no regular medications. I eat a healthful, balanced diet but sometimes indulge in pastries and candies, especially around the holidays, when I bake for my friends and family. I participate in senior water aerobics at my local community center and try to walk every day.

Dear Abby: I'm 32 and a "large girl." I am also intelligent, witty and fun to be around. I make friends wherever I go. The problem is my mother -- who is also big -- keeps telling me that heavy women are not desirable and we must "settle" when it comes to choosing a mate.