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An educator's passion for their field doesn't end when class is dismissed. At least that's the case with Hinsdale Central High School foreign language teachers Jennifer Klein-Chaney and Rebecca O'Connor, both of whom spent time this summer immersing themselves in the languages they teach. This summer's trip to France was more than a vacation for teacher Klein-Chaney. It was a chance to reconnect with family and friends while immersing herself once again in her native...
By Sandy Illian Bosch [email protected] Hinsdale Central High School Spanish teacher Tonya Walery has been planning a summer trip to a Spanish-speaking destination for years, only to have the last two trips canceled due to COVID-19. This summer, her trip finally happened. Walery and a fellow teacher traveled to Mexico in July, where along with taking time to enjoy a bit of resort life, Walery took in the ancient ruins of Chichén Itzá and the culture of the Mayan p...
Long before she took her first engineering class at Hinsdale Central High School, Grace Deane knew a thing or two about using science to make life easier. Tasked with keeping her family's upstairs bathroom stocked with tissue, a much younger Deane used a basket and bungee cord to fashion a makeshift dumbwaiter to do the job. "I would dump all the toilet paper in there and then walk upstairs and pull the cord," she said. Now a senior at Hinsdale Central with several...
For many teachers, summer is a well-earned time to relax, recover and recharge after a busy school year. For Hinsdale Central High School teacher and soccer coach Mike Wiggins, the end of the school year is just the beginning. Wiggins started his Five Star Soccer Camps in 1994 at Hinsdale Middle School, attracting about 60 young players eager to learn the skills of the game. That first camp took place in the winter but quickly became a summer tradition for Wiggins and the...
Hundreds of basketball players are expected to test their skills, challenge their opponents and have some fun at the 3-on-3 tournament at The Community House in Hinsdale Saturday, Aug. 13. The annual event raises money to support youth programming at The Community House while offering basketball players and their fans a fun way to spend a Saturday. "It's really a fun atmosphere," said Amy Velco, whose sons Hayden and Hunter will be on the courts for this year's tournament. The...
Each summer the Bank of America Student Leaders program chooses 300 high school juniors and seniors from across the country to gain leadership experience and develop skills while working with a nonprofit organization close to home. This summer, Sahan Sahgal of Hinsdale was among those 300 and one of five Chicago-area teens to embark on the eight-week endeavor. "I'm committed to helping out and giving back to my community," said Sahgal, who was introduced to the program by a...
Without realizing it, Olivia Ostrowski has been preparing for her summer job at the Hinsdale Public Library since childhood. "I spent a lot of time at the library as a little kid," Ostrowski said, taking part in the summer program that she helped to plan and run this year as youth services summer assistant. This wasn't the first library job for Ostrowski. Before graduating from Hinsdale Central High School in 2021, she worked at the library as a page. The job involved...
Jerry Thomas' 42nd Race to Mackinac is another for the books, and one that he and the crews of all 242 vessels that embarked on the annual race from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Mich., aren't likely to forget. "It was very challenging," Thomas said upon completing the trek. He said the crew of the Winnebago worked against three bouts of high winds that peaked at more than 70 miles per hour, as well as heavy rains and thunderstorms. Thomas said the goal of the six-member crew...
If you live in Hinsdale and get a call from someone telling you your toilet is running, it might not be a prank. It might be Karen Buccieri. Hinsdale's water billing clerk pays close attention to the water use of all 6,800 customers on the village's water system. When she sees signs of a potential leak that could be wasting water and costing a customer extra money, she lets them know. "I go through the leak report every day," said Buccieri, who joined the village staff 11...
Cameron Linn can't remember a summer that didn't involve baseball, but until last summer, his time on the field was spent strictly in front of home plate. "I love being around baseball and Peirce Park," said Linn, who spent this summer not as a player, but behind the plate as an umpire for Hinsdale Little League's 7U, 8U and 9U games. Players who complete their time on the 12-year-old Little League team are eligible to serve as umpires, and as a rising eighth-grader, Linn...
In the Stage Door Fine Arts production of "High School Musical 2," actors Libby Larson and Tess McArdle play a pair of rivals with a mutual interest in a handsome young man. In real life, the girls are longtime friends about to share the Stage Door Fine Arts stage for the final time. "I'm a little sad, because it's Libby's last show," said McArdle, who plays the show's antagonist, Sharpay. She and Larson have shared the stage since they appeared as ensemble members in "Peter...
When sisters Ariel and Vania Leung head to the pool, it's rarely for a leisurely soak. As members of the Underwater Hockey Club of Chicago, a trip to the pool means they are prepared for a workout. "It's a very niche sport," said Ariel, a native of Hinsdale who recently settled in La Grange. She learned of the sport from her sister and brother-in-law, Hinsdale resident Brian Lin. Lin is a former member of the University of Illinois club and a current member of the Chicago...
By Sandy Illian Bosch [email protected] Just a few short years ago, Alexandra Knoch of Hinsdale was a camper at The Community House's summer volunteer camp. Now a junior at Hinsdale Central High School, Knoch returned this summer as a camp counselor. Volunteer camp is a chance for kids entering sixth through ninth grades to learn about volunteering and the organizations in their community that rely on the help of volunteers. "It's different as a high schooler looking...
Julie Jordan Laux said her younger sister, Jodi Allen, was good at just about everything she did. Even after her death from pancreatic cancer, Laux said her sister is still making her mark. "She's still winning," Laux said. While battling cancer, Jodi wrote a prayer for the board of directors of Xavier University, Cincinnati, on which she served. While in hospice care, a music therapist turned those words into a song, which was submitted to a contest and won. The message of th...
By Sandy Illian Bosch [email protected] Isabella Terry's last summer before college is anything but lazy. As a nanny to three active children, her days are full of activities and responsibilities. But they're also filled with a whole lot of fun, Terry said. The recent Hinsdale Central graduate cares for Amy Ponto's three children, ages 9, 6 and 5. Terry has babysat since she was 14, but is spending her first summer as a nanny, sharing responsibilities with her friend,...
The Hinsdale Central High School 4x800 relay team finished the 2022 Illinois High School Track and Field finals with a second-place finish and the desire to keep on running. On the way home from that meet at Eastern Illinois University, coach Noah Lawrence suggested the foursome make a trip to Eugene, Ore., for the Nike Outdoor Nationals, the unofficial national high school championships held at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus. Just a couple of weeks later,...
People across the United States look forward to July 4 as a day to spend with family and friends, to relax and to celebrate. But for Maggie South of the Hinsdale Parks and Recreation Department, it's showtime. Preparations for Hinsdale's annual Fourth of July parade begin in February, South said, and culminate with one of the biggest events of the year for the village where she has worked since November 2018. "We're there to see that everything goes as smoothly as possible,"...
Long before he ever donned a Red Devils basketball uniform, Evan Phillips learned the basics of the game from members of the Hinsdale Central basketball team. "I remember it being super special and cool to be coached by the varsity players," said Phillips, who was in elementary school when he attended his first Hinsdale Central summer basketball camp. Now an incoming senior and a member of the varsity team himself, it's Phillips who is sharing his knowledge and skills with...
Caroline Hurley and Samantha Rotta have shared a lot since meeting at a BAMtheatre rehearsal several years ago. They enjoy play dates, they dance together at Salt Creek Ballet, and now they share a role in this summer's production of "Les Miserables." Caroline, 11, of Hinsdale, and Samantha, 10, of Downers Grove, share the role of young Eponine, the pampered daughter of innkeepers Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. "It's a really fun part," said Caroline, whose character wears fa...
As an expert in artifact conservation, Anna Weiss-Pfau of Hinsdale is entrusted with some of the world's oldest, rarest and most valuable objects. "My husband thinks it's funny the museums don't want you to touch the art, but they call me and want me to come take a scalpel to it," said Weiss-Pfau, owner and principal conservator of Elmhurst-based Third Coast Conservation, formerly Liparini Restoration Studio in Evanston. Weiss-Pfau holds a master's degree in artifact...
When settling in for a little summer reading, most would turn to a breezy novel or timeless classic. Hinsdale Central's Ajay Gupta prefers something a bit more informative. "I read The Economist every day," said Gupta, a member of the Hinsdale Central speech team and fourth-place winner in international extemporaneous speaking at this year's National Speech and Debate Tournament in Louisville. As a competitor in both extemporaneous and impromptu speaking, it's important for...
How does the pet walk benefit the humane society? A decades-old Hinsdale tradition continues Saturday, June 25, as the Hinsdale Humane Society presents its annual Pet Walk Festival. Deborah Kraus, development director, said the event will give animal allies of all ages the chance to support the shelter while learning about the many services offered to humans, canines and felines. The Pet Walk Festival will be held at the Humane Society, 21 Salt Creek Lane, Hinsdale (see Page...
The Jolly Boys have shared their harmonies and love of music with the community for three quarters of a century. They will celebrate this milestone with a fundraising concert Tuesday, June 21, that will showcase 75 years of songs while supporting The Community House of Hinsdale. Dick Pinto, who has sung with the all-male chorus since 1984, said the Jolly Boys is one of the oldest choral groups in the Chicago area. Just like every Jolly Boys rehearsal, the concert will begin...
Finding something new and exciting to do this summer doesn't have to involve a lot of searching, planning, travel or even money. From long-extinct animals to larger-than-life art sculptures, it all can be found just miles from home. Outdoor art installation Cantigny Park and the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage have teamed up to create a 48-piece art exhibit that pairs the talents of six artists from Mexico City with the beauty of Cantigny. Matt LaFond, Cantigny's executive...
After spending months with a classroom full of 3-year-olds, summer is a particularly quiet time for Kathy Behrens, teaching assistant at Hinsdale Covenant Preschool. Behrens was a preschooler herself when her family first moved to the village. And while her life has included stints in Texas, Minnesota and London, Hinsdale has always been home, Behrens said. It's where she and husband Chris, a Darien native, raised their three children, and where Behrens found her unexpected...
