‘Pretty large community of addiction’

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drug and alcohol dependence recovery, McHenry County, New Directions Retreat, recovery residence

Independent photo by Ken Farver | Executive director Bobby Gattone stands outside the New Directions Retreat Center that opened last week at 14411 Kishwaukee Valley Road. Gattone has been a volunteer board member, one of the first case managers, and grants manager for New Directions. After struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, he was two weeks sober when a friend took him to The Other Side, New Directions’ sober bar in Crystal Lake. He was surprised to see 50 people “having a blast” without drugs or alcohol. “I wanted other people to have that same experience,” Gattone said.

New Directions Retreat opens in Woodstock to meet pressing need

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drug and alcohol dependence recovery, McHenry County, New Directions Retreat, recovery residence

Susan W. Murray

Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008, returning to the paper as a writer in 2018. A 26-year resident of Woodstock, she taught English, American history, and religion to junior high students at St. Mary School for nine years.

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Susan W. Murray

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