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Christine McCarty began to suspect something atypical about her daughter, Addy, when Addy was just a few months old. "Something was just different with her," said McCarty, whose oldest daughter was preschool age at the time Addy was born. The biggest indicator, McCarty said, was Addy's inability to look her in the eye. As she grew, Addy was unable to point or pick up small objects. There were therapies along the way, but it wasn't until after years of investigating, testing...
What are the keys to foot and ankle health? With the return of spring come April showers, May flowers and an uptick in injuries as people emerge from their winter habits. Ashley Lee, podiatrist at Northern Illinois Foot and Ankle Specialists' Hinsdale office, said the return to activities like pickleball, tennis, running, walking and youth sports results in an increase in visits to her office for treatment of sports-related injuries. The surging popularity of pickleball has...
Before entering the real estate industry, Dario Medina saw his father and brother succeed in the business of buying, selling and developing properties. After a decade-long corporate career in New York, Medina decided to join them. Now the managing broker at Better Homes and Gardens County Line in Hinsdale, Medina earned his real estate license in 2007. He got his start as one of online firm Redfin's first Chicago-area agents before working his way up to management positions...
McDonald's has played a role in Jeff Cantalupo's life for as long as he can remember. The son of former McDonald's Corporation CEO Jim Cantalupo, the Hinsdale resident knew from a very young age that the fast food giant was about more than cheeseburgers and fries. Through the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities, it's also about helping families. "I decided to join the board when there was an opportunity back in 2013," said Cantalupo, who served as board chair for Ronald Mc...
What is the Ostrega Uhl project? Beautiful music doesn't require a symphony hall, a theater or a trip to the city. It just requires talented musicians to play it and interested people to hear it. That's the philosophy behind the Ostrega Uhl Project, the brainchild and passion project of violinist Brian Ostrega and pianist Stephen Uhl. Whether it's a retirement community, a public library or a church, Ostrega and Uhl want to take classical chamber music anywhere an audience mig...
People living in the Chicago suburbs seldom refer to driving as a relaxing activity. But Julie Beja of Hinsdale said every trip she takes as a volunteer for Interfaith Community Partners leaves her feeling good. "I always come home happier than when I left," said Beja, who began volunteering with the agency eight years ago. Based in La Grange, Interfaith Community Partners offers free transportation for seniors throughout the western suburbs who no longer drive. Volunteers...
What inspires you to create your art? It isn't uncommon for sixth-grader Rosie Sun's teachers to return assignments with notes attached. But rather than suggestions or comments about her math or language arts homework, the messages often include compliments about the doodles she's included along the margins of the page. Any blank piece or portion of paper is an opportunity for Rosie to create something new. Rosie discovered her love of art at age 4 while living in China and...
Grace Episcopal Church of Hinsdale was a part of Sara Clary's life long before she moved to the village in 2012. Grace was her grandmother's church of choice, and visits to her grandmother often included visits to the church, Clary said. "It just seemed like the logical place to continue going," Clary said. Today, Clary serves as senior warden at the church. Together with junior warden Sarah Tims, she helps interim rector Rev. Tom Crittenden make everything at the church run...
Deciding what to wear can be a daily struggle for a lot of women, and even men. Professional stylist Megan Brotschul of Hinsdale said the problem often isn't a lack of clothing, but too much of it. Doing business as Style Strategy, Brotschul helps customers find the outfits that are hidden amongst the clutter of their closet by helping them to see what they already have and offering new ways to put those items together. "It's all in the way you style things," she said....
How can failures help children grow? Failures and mistakes are part of life, and those inevitable moments also can become character-building opportunities. That was the message of Michelle Icard, an expert in adolescence and author of three books on the subject, who spoke to parents Jan. 31 at The Community House. Icard, author of “8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success: What to Do and What to Say to Turn ‘Failures’ into Character-Building Moments, said a healthy adole...
Less than two years ago, Katherine Wessel was a city-dwelling single woman with a corporate job and "living very much a bachelorette lifestyle." Today, she's living in Hinsdale with her partner, David Chiang, helping to raise Chiang's pre-teen twins and enjoying a very different work environment at the Hinsdale Public Library. "I made a 180-degree switch when I moved to Hinsdale," Wessel said. It's a change she does not regret. Not long after moving in with Chiang and his two...
How can homeowners avoid remodeling woes? Hiring someone to complete a home improvement project can be an exciting step for any homeowner. But to ensure the work is done right, the consumer has some work to do, too, said Jeff Kida, a certified remodeler and owner of DDS Design Services LLC of Hinsdale. A remodeler for more than 20 years, Kida said much of his work involves kitchen and bath remodels for architects and general contractors. "They need someone with design...
As a child, Jeanne Hendrie remembers seeing her mother, a teacher, pack up food to bring to students in her classroom who didn't have access to breakfast. Hendrie said she's not sure if that experience sparked her own commitment to helping children, but the Hinsdale mom is dedicated professionally and personally to making life better for kids. Not long after moving to Hinsdale from Chicago in 2019, Hendrie discovered The Community House. Along with the many benefits the...
What is your train exhibit about? Frank Rozich's interest in model trains goes back to childhood, when he would occasionally be allowed to play with a train that once entertained his father as a child. Decades later, that train now sits on Rozich's mantle and is the flagship piece in what has grown into a prolific collection. A portion of that collection now fills the display cases inside a room at the Hinsdale History Museum at 12 Clay Street. Titled "Miniature Rails, Massive...
It's been a lifetime since Rich Meyer lived in Hinsdale. But a part of him still calls it home. "It's a fairy tale town," he said. A graduate of Hinsdale High School, Meyer said he would have been content to stay in Hinsdale and start working after graduation. But even in the early 1960s, his teachers, neighbors and classmates encouraged and valued a college education. More than 60 years later, Meyer said he's grateful for what his hometown and his education have provided....
How important is self care over winter break? The days surrounding Christmas and New Year's Day are called a break for a reason. Licensed clinical social worker and The Community House staff therapist Shannon Haut said taking time to care for oneself is the very best use of the days and even weeks between one semester and the next. She encourages students to take some time for themselves while class is out of session. "I say lean into that," said Haut, who works with young...
The magic of the holiday season doesn't end just because the calendar turns to Dec. 26. With the kids free from school and homework, winter break is a great time to take in some of the holiday festivities available in Chicago before they're gone. Navy Pier lights things up Light Up The Lake is being called the largest indoor and outdoor holiday experience in Chicago. With photo ops at every turn, the light displays on Navy Pier include a giant teddy bear, snowflakes, a...
How can you dress up holiday drinks? Gatherings of friends and family are made extra special this time of year with the help of festive decorations, holiday attire and decadent dishes. For those whose gatherings also include cocktails, local mixologist Michael Bergeron said a cocktail can go from everyday to extra with just a few simple changes. Bergeron is the expert behind the bar at Hinsdale's Que Miso, a new addition to Washington Street that combines the flavors of...
When Teri Zeidel and her husband moved to Hinsdale from Canada, she said she thought it would be a fun place to live for a few years. Twenty-three years later, Zeidel said it's still a fun place to be, and a great place to call home. Hinsdale is one of two places that hold a special place for Zeidel. The other is Nelson, a small town near Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada, where Zeidel grew up and where she returns multiple times a year to visit family and enjoy the...
As a 30-year resident of Hinsdale, Claudine Schramko said she is proud of the hometown she and her husband chose for their family. As a real estate agent, she finds joy in helping to make Hinsdale someone else's new home, too. Schramko, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, specializes in residential real estate. After spending years at home caring for her three daughters, she decided to enter the world of real estate four years ago. While selling homes was a...
The holiday concert at Hinsdale Central High School is a decades-long tradition that has become as much a part of the holiday season as candy canes and reindeer for the student musicians. "It's definitely a pretty established tradition here at the high school," said choir director Jennifer Burkemper, who has been leading singers at Central for 17 years. She said Central's choirs, orchestra and bands began rehearsing their holiday repertoires weeks ago in preparation for the...
What do you do as a hospice chaplain? At 56 years old, plenty of people begin to think about the day when they will report to work for the final time and begin a more leisurely life. Not Branislav Dedic. Twenty-two years ago, at the age of 56, Dedic was about to embark on a new job as hospice chaplain at AdventHealth St. Thomas Hospice. Today, the 78-year-old credits the job for keeping him young and for strengthening his faith. As hospice chaplain, Dedic's job is to make a...
A heartfelt "thank you," a warm handshake or a friendly smile are all appropriate ways to show appreciation to a U.S. veteran. This Veterans Day, so is throwing out your unwanted documents. Hinsdale American Legion Post 250 will host a free public shredding event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Veteran's Day, Saturday, Nov. 11. The public is invited to bring their documents to the Memorial Building circle drive on Maple Street. Free-will donations will be welcomed, said Joe Craig, a...
Small, strong, unique and determined are just a few words Hinsdale's Christina Scalise-Morrissey uses to describe a hummingbird. She said those same words accurately describe the children who turn to Hummingbird Pediatric Therapies for help to overcome all sorts of obstacles and meet all kinds of goals. Founder and CEO Scalise-Morrissey and her teams provide a host of services to children from newborns through pre-teen, including speech, occupational, physical and feeding ther...
Katharine Andrew was in Hinsdale just once before accepting the position of manager at the Hinsdale Historical Society. During the "one horrible semester" that she spent on the Niles North High School cross country team, Andrew traveled to Katherine Legge Memorial Park and still recalls the beautiful, historic homes she saw along the way. After her interview last year at Hinsdale's Immanuel Hall, she found herself excited once again by the town's history. "I couldn't say no...
