Patrick Elwood and Gabriel Castillo
18 minutes ago
WILLOW SPRINGS, IL — Mother Nature's wonders surround Willow Springs, and it's an equally beautiful day at Sarah's Stables. There, you'll find Elizabeth Franz helping people navigate areas of life through animal-assisted mental health therapy.
Elizabeth rents space on Keene Avenue and calls it a safe haven for the people she works with.
“This is invaluable for children who are resistant to traditional treatments, right? And for animals as well, because just like my clients like to see animals. , because the animals also love meeting my clients,” Franz said.
As an owner for the past 14 years, Sarah Halladay has made dreams come true.
“Yes, these animals bring a lot of happiness to a lot of people,” Halladay said.
Horses and riders use the adjacent forest preserve as a trail, an effort Halladay said dates back to 1957 and was under different owners.
Sarah said that she strongly hopes to continue living happily as a business owner.
“I love it. I love this area and everything this area has to offer,” Halladay said.
But a problem came to her doorstep through her longtime neighbor, the Cook County Forest Preserve.
“They really never gave us an explanation. They just said what they wanted. They just want it back,” Halladay said.
Ms. Halladay believes they are taking advantage of the prominent land and want it back, but a spokesperson for the forest preserve said that is not the case.
Halladay said she has heard that the forest district wants to reclaim the land next to the stables and restore it to its natural state, possibly installing a fence around it that would block access to the boardwalk and some parking areas. That's what it means. Stables used.
“I told them, 'You're going to put me out of business,'” Halladay said.
Mr Halladay said he was now worried that he was the target of a campaign that would make running the stable so difficult that he would have to sell it at a fire sale price.
WGN-TV reached out to the Forest Preserve and Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle for comment, who said Halladay visited with a security guard and walked the trail several years ago.
In January, Halladay sent a letter to Preckwinkle asking him to come back and tour the stables to meet the animals and the people who benefit from them.
Sarah said she paid $53,000 in property taxes in 2022, which jumped to $111,000 in 2023, which she believes is no coincidence.
However, Mori's spokesperson continues to argue that Mori is engaged in some kind of orchestrated effort against Sara's Stables and has tried to reach an amicable compromise to no avail.
“With her rejection of the final proposal for a forest reserve, we have concluded negotiations and begun the process of reclaiming our property without a quote and the right to ecological restoration of the property in the future. We will maintain it,” said Carl Vogel, director of communications for the forest preserve. Mr. Cook County said.
“It was very stressful, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of stress and worrying about what was going to happen,” Halladay said.
For people like Christine Jashemski, who is part of the Veterans Disability Program, the idea of Sara's Stables going away can be terrifying.
“This stable has given me personally not only joy and happiness, but also peace of mind,” said trainer Yashemski. “When you're in the military, you're put in a lot of different situations, whether it's post-traumatic stress disorder or just an injury.”
In December, the Forest Preserve will pay Sarah $10,000 a year in license fees for the parcel of land, and if she decides to sell, the Forest Preserve will purchase her property based on an independent appraisal. I proposed that this be allowed. Ms Halladay said these conditions were unacceptable.
