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I was really looking forward to having dinner with a friend last Friday night. My husband and daughter were both going to be out, and I was excited for the chance to relax and catch up with her. I was all ready to go when I decided I had time to throw a load a laundry into the wash before I left the house. That way I wouldn’t have to stay up late waiting for the clothes to come out of the dryer. I headed downstairs to the laundry room and was still sorting clothes when I h...
April is National Donate Life Month, established in 2003 to bring attention to the critical shortage of organs and tissue for patients through various activities and events, and encourage individuals to become organ/tissue donors. Ceremonies are held to honor those who have donated and saved lives, to mourn those who have died while waiting for a transplant, to provide support for patients whose lives depend on finding a donor, and to celebrate the lives saved and improved due to donation. According to the Health Resources...
It was the day that I had been waiting for. My fourth-grade teacher passed around the large packets filled with lists of activities and choices for the upcoming special day. I scanned through the options, circling the words that jumped out to me the most on the page. Baking. Forensic science. Firefighting. I ranked my top activities and submitted them to my teacher. The purpose of these thick, white packets was for High Interest Day, an event in elementary school where...
We are big fans of the Hinsdale Public Library and know residents are, too. In honor of National Library Week this week, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things we love about the library. 10. Super subscriptions — why pay a fortune to subscribe to some fancy service when the library offers monthly book boxes with a curated book and swag for adults, teens and students in third through fifth grade? 9. • I Spy cases — these creations from members of the Hinsdale Junior Woman’s Club give kids — and their parents — the chanc...
I really wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the eclipse Monday — until I realized my 1:30 p.m. interview at village hall about Restaurant Week (insert shameless plug here — see story on Page 17) would end at just about the right time for me to join the Hinsdale Public Library’s viewing party on the front lawn of the Memorial Building. So I headed outside, picked up an Eclipse Shade (all the actual glasses were gone already) and took a peek at the sun. It was pretty cool to...
Knowing the definition of irony is required before reading this column. Ready? OK. Hold on to your dictionaries. Irony is stalking me around every corner. And that's no small thing when you're trying to live - as the trendsetters say - your "best life." You're loving, you're caring, you're giving, you're successful. But irony is lurking. It's ready to pounce on your "best life" at any moment. Ah! How to avoid it? Well, we could avoid turning any corners. OK, OK. That's...
On April 2, 2024, just1mike and Mend A Heart foundations sponsored Young Hearts for Life free ECG in-school heart screenings at Hinsdale South. Six hundred and 16 students were screened. Nine students were identified with a previously undiagnosed cardiac condition. Since 2017, 20 Hinsdale Central students have been identified with undiagnosed cardiac conditions through the YH4L screenings sponsored by the just1mike foundation. Heart screenings save lives. As junior board members for the just1mike foundation and Central...
A few weeks ago, I had an appointment in the city and decided to take my preschool-aged daughter along for a girls' day out. We had a wonderful day planned, and we dressed for the occasion, in dresses and fancy shoes. We decided to take the train to make the day even more special. I had packed snacks and books and stickers, as I know all too well that a special day can go south if your young date becomes hungry or bored. The train was a bit full, so we couldn't sit on top as w...
The Historic Preservation Commission has been involved in generating grants and tax abatements to assist in the financing and construction of additions to homes on the Historically Significant Structures Property List. The HPC and the trustees are subsidizing the improvements to private homes with taxpayer money. President Cauley has said that the owners needed “incentives” to undertake these improvements. During a recent HPC meeting, a proposed new home to be built in the historic district was discussed. The HPC did not giv...
I'll never forget the day I went in to meet with Ainsley's fifth-grade teacher at the start of the school year. The teacher asked if I had anything I wished to share, and I provided what I believed to be an honest assessment of my then 10-year-old daughter. "Wow. That was really grounded," she replied. I was surprised. I wondered if she meant that I was an exceptionally observant parent who had offered a particularly accurate portrait of her child. But I think what she really...
The arrival of spring for many ushers in a rising level of activities, obligations — and stress. April is National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. The National Institutes of Health want people to recognize that managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle — and that knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize exacerbation of health-related issues. Mental Health America provides a Stress Screener (ww...
My senior year in college, as part of a January "short term" group trip to France and England, we traveled by bus to Wales to read William Wordsworth's "Tintern Abbey" at Tintern Abbey. I'm not a huge fan of poetry in general or Wordsworth in particular, but the memory of that day has stayed with me. Last week I had a similar experience - this time, set to catchy tunes. Dan and I took Ainsley to Liverpool and London to see the stomping grounds of her favorite band, The...
Faith is a timely topic this week. According to Google, faith is the trust or confidence in someone or something. It's also described as a strong belief in God or the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. My own interpretation is that faith is opening yourself up, allowing something into your heart that can't be seen or proven, yet felt very deeply. It's an acceptance that we won't always have the answers and a vulnerability to trust the...
Next month the Hinsdale Village Board is likely to take action on short-term rentals, changing the zoning code to prohibit people from renting Hinsdale homes for fewer than a specified number of days. Trustees, in referring the matter to the plan commission for a public hearing, suggested that threshold be 180 days. Plan commissioners said they think 90 days is a more appropriate number, and we agree. The complex nature of this issue was evident at the March 13 public hearing. First, it’s tough to determine exactly how many H...
A spring break staycation may be just the way to play this year, enjoying a less crowded, more relaxed local vibe. Your favorite community spots also have special programs especially for kiddos. The Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St., always has a slate of fun activities during spring break week. To register or for more information on the following programs, visit www.hinsdalelibrary.info or call (630) 986-1976. • Youth in grades three through five will learn to make sweet and savory snacks in Kids Can Cook from 2 to 3...
March 15, 2020, marked the first day I worked from home due to the COVID pandemic. Everything about that day was different. I fired up my computer and just stared at the screen. As COVID raged, schools, businesses, churches and transportation hubs of all kinds suddenly shut down. Stores ran out of supplies. Goods ceased to flow to and from ports. Streets and towns were eerily empty. People got very sick, and in the end, millions died. Not just faceless people in far flung...
I first met Cristina Henriquez in 2007. I wanted to do a story on a new mom for the issue before Mother’s Day, and she fit the criteria. As often happens when interviewing Hinsdale residents, I discovered there was so much more to the story. In addition to giving birth to her daughter, Sofia, Cristina had published her first book of short stories and a novella the previous year. Since that time, she has published three more novels. And her latest — “The Great Divide” — recen...
The beginning of the run is the hardest part. It takes time for your body to warm up, settle into a new rhythm and get used to the higher level of oxygen. People don't think that, though. They think that the longer you go, the harder it gets and the more tired you are. But that's not the case. I have been a runner for as long as I can remember. As a former athlete, running has always been a part of me. I've had the same 3-mile running route through Hinsdale since the seventh...
I’d like to thank the people of the Hinsdale community who attended the 2024 Community Revue, “Artificial Hinstelligence.” Our opening weekend was a spectacular success, with audiences raising the rooftops with their laughter. We hope that those who have not yet had an opportunity to see this original musical revue skewering all things Hinsdale will come to Kettering Hall for our final weekend. It will be our pleasure to entertain you, with proceeds benefiting the incredible programs that The Community House offers. And r...
Many Women's History Month pieces focus on women whose names we all know - pioneers like Marie Curie or Rosa Parks. Or they might highlight less prominent figures like Rosalind Franklin, the British scientist whose work led to the Noble Prize-winning discovery of the double helix, the credit for which went to a group of men. I'm taking a different approach and saluting women who, during the time they lived or worked here, left their mark on Hinsdale. And on me. • Ly Hotchkin I...
This is National Sunshine Week — and not because we have an extra hour of daylight following the start of daylight saving time Sunday. Sunshine Week is an initiative launched by the American Society of News Editors in 2005 to promote conversation about the importance of open government and freedom of information. The date coincides with the March 16 birthday of James Madison, known as the “Father of the Constitution” for his role in drafting and promoting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Freedom of the press is one o...
The 96th Academy Awards will be presented Sunday night. And, as usual, I will have not seen most of the films up for awards. I am a big fan of one of the best picture nominees this year — “Barbie” — which also earned nominations for best supporting actor and actress, a pair of nominations for original songs and nods for costume design, production design and adapted screenplay. I even saw this one in a theater. I appreciated the performances of Annette Bening (best actress...
When I backed into a neighbors parked car a couple years ago, I developed a fear of driving through narrow spaces. Embarrassing? Absolutely. Seemingly irrational? Of course, but fear doesn’t always make sense. My sister visited recently and was highly amused as I slowly maneuvered through the Portillo’s drive-thru, my hands at 10 and 2, my car’s camera programmed on the screen to help guide me. “I should be videoing this and sharing it with the rest of the family,” she giggl...
A host of actors, filmmakers, composers, costume designers and other talented individuals will take home an Academy Award Sunday night. With Hinsdale being such a high-achieving community, we thought it only right that some local people, places and things receive an award as well. So, without further ado — or a big opening number or jokes from Jimmy Kimmel — we recognize the following: • Best performance during an election — Cat Greenspon presented herself as a reasonable individual whose priority was district student...
We all know there are 365 days in a year, right? Well, not exactly. It takes the Earth 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds to orbit the Sun. We account for those extra hours every four years by adding an extra day to the end of February. For the first time in The Hinsdalean’s history, Leap Day is also publication day! To celebrate, we’ve compiled this list of little known facts to provide both education and cocktail party conversation for the weekend. Happy Leap Day! • The Julian calendar, which Julius Caesar intr...
