The Hinsdalean - Community journalism the way it was meant to be

Sometimes a piece of writing will make you laugh. Or cry. Or think about something in a completely new way. Our contributing writers have crafted columns that do all of those... — Updated 6/7/2023

By the time you read this - or soon after - I will officially be the parent of a high school student. I believe the technical term these days is "rising freshman," but I think that... — Updated 5/31/2023

Today, May 18, in the commons at Hinsdale Central, the yearbook is coming. The 80th edition, to be precise, of El Diablo. I learned this from a very dramatic video, presumably made... — Updated 5/17/2023

Each of us had a mother. Whether we knew that woman, loved - or even liked - her, still have her or lost her to death or estrangement, we all are born to a mother. Those of us who... — Updated 5/10/2023

One of the things that has always impressed me about Hinsdale is how philanthropic its residents are - and I'm not just talking about adults. Kids at two District 181 schools are... — Updated 5/3/2023

I had months to work on my very first column. The Doings had recently been purchased by Pioneer Press and we were reformatting the paper. Editors at other Pioneer titles wrote... — Updated 4/26/2023

When the District 181 Foundation sets out to celebrate writing, it doesn't cut corners. I was fortunate to be able to play a very small role in the foundation's Young Writers Night... — Updated 4/19/2023

As I have explained before, I am not a fan of the term "meteorological summer." I mean, there's an actual summer - which begins with the solstice on June 21. Changing the start... — Updated 4/12/2023

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... — Updated 4/5/2023

I first discovered Charles Mackesy in November 2020 when CBS Sunday Morning was doing a piece on him and his book, "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse." We were enjoying our... — Updated 3/29/2023

Ann Grube didn’t intend to make history when she started volunteering with The Community House in 1983. She and her husband, John, had just moved to Hinsdale from Manhattan.... — Updated 3/15/2023

Therese Moraleda of Hinsdale likely will make history as the first girl to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout with Hinsdale's BSA Troop 10. Moraleda, a sophomore at Hinsdale Central,... — Updated 3/8/2023

Every year in grad school when we taught the short story "The Yellow Wall-paper" to our freshman writing classes, my friend David would use the opportunity to include a quick... — Updated 3/1/2023

I spent many years confused by Lent. I’d watch my Catholic friends and acquaintances give up something they either wanted to give up, like chocolate, or thought they needed to... — Updated 2/22/2023

When my dad died almost 21 years ago, I had only a handful of friends who had lost a parent. My husband joined what I've heard described as "the club no one wants to be in" when... — Updated 2/15/2023

I've been thinking a lot about love lately - and not because Valentine's Day is only a few days away. I've been thinking about love because Dan Harris keeps bringing it up on 10 Per... — Updated 2/8/2023

Next week we will begin our coverage of the Tuesday, April 4, election. Unlike most years, we have a single contested race to cover — the Hinsdale High School District 86 board,... — Updated 2/1/2023

I had every intention of getting my COVID booster. Really, I did. But I couldn't seem to find space in my schedule for a day-long recovery period - as I needed after my previous... — Updated 1/25/2023

Ham and cheddar scones. Egg and watercress sandwiches. Salmon spread on pumpernickel. Sticky toffee pudding. That's the menu for tonight's book club meeting, a perfect compliment... — Updated 1/18/2023

The doorbell rang shortly after dinner Tuesday night. As I flipped the deadbolt and opened the door, I expected to find someone trying to sell me more popcorn or more cookies (both... — Updated 1/11/2023

I've learned over the past three years that change is inevitable - even when it comes to cherished holiday traditions. But there's one I plan to continue as long as I can. The... — Updated 12/28/2022

More than a decade ago associate editor Ken Knutson and I covered one of my favorite Christmas stories of all time. Hinsdale's Wes Gibson and his elves - or rather, employees -... — Updated 12/14/2022

I feel like Sally Field at the 1985 Oscars. You like us. You really like us. Field unfortunately was misquoted and that's not exactly what she said (read more about it online, if... — Updated 12/7/2022

Ainsley enjoyed a piece of chocolate with her breakfast this morning. Chocolate (unless it's in the Nutella on her waffles) typically isn't on the morning menu at our house, but it... — Updated 11/30/2022