Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 216
Time to get your planetary party on! Saturday is Earth Day, an occasion to consider all that’s wonderful about this celestial orb we share, as well as how we can ensure its natural treasures are around to amaze and inspire countless future generations. Every time we take note of Hinsdale’s lovely tree-lined streets, sprawling green parks and its preserved ancestral prairie areas (you know about those, right?), we should give thanks. Each week we try to deliver information on ways to soak in the area’s natural ameni...
April is National Volunteer Month, and there’s a lot to celebrate. In 2021, more than 60.7 million Americans volunteered through an organization, contributing $122.9 billion in economic value. Volunteers are pulling their weight in Hinsdale, too. Just take a look at the list of ways they’re assisting these nonprofits in town. And for those interested in helping, each entry also includes one or more volunteer opportunities at that agency. Candor Health Education At Candor, formerly the Robert Crown Center for Health Edu...
In the decades we’ve been covering elections, we’ve rarely seen an election like this one. The worst had been the race for village president in 2009, when someone sent out a juvenile email about then candidate Tom Cauley. The stunt obviously didn’t do Cauley any harm, as he won that election — and three more since then. In 2023, smear campaigns seem to find their home on Facebook more than email inboxes, where people are free to say whatever they want about the candidates and the volunteers who are supporting them. We’ve c...
Why should you vote in the Tuesday, April 4, election? The 2,450 students who attend Hinsdale Central High School, where they are taught by 215 certified faculty members and have the chance to participate on 31 athletic teams and more than 85 clubs. The 1,364 students at Hinsdale South High School, which has 134 certified faculty members, 31 athletic teams and more than 70 clubs. An annual budget of some $160 million. The three individuals voters elect to serve on the Hinsdale High School District Board will be responsible...
✔︎ Asma Akhras ✔︎ Kay Gallo ✔︎ Catherine “Cat” Greenspon Andrew Catton Deborah Willoughby A little more than two years ago, the newly seated board in Hinsdale High School District 86 spent two and a half hours taking 10 votes trying to choose a new board president. Since that time, the board has been regularly divided on a host of issues large and small, from curriculum issues to the approval of minutes. A segment of the board and the community also has lost confidence in the superintendent, making board meetings even m...
“If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough,” the popular saying goes. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow — and with no disrespect to the Irish — we’d like to offer our own twist on the saying. “If you’re lucky enough to be a Hinsdalean, you’re lucky enough.” And so, we offer up the following reasons — an incomplete list, we admit — that Hinsdaleans have to feel the sun shining on their faces and the wind always at their backs. • the volunteers and philanthropists who are willing to share their time, talents...
On Tuesday it was reported that thousands of protesters in the nation of Georgia had clashed with police in the streets of the capital Tbilisi. It was the second day of demonstrations, with the police resorting to water cannon and pepper spray in response. The cause of the unrest? A parliament-backed draft law which critics say will limit press freedom and civil liberties. The bill would require non-governmental and media organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to declare themselves as...
Hinsdale’s first international celebrity just happened to be a woman. Loie Fuller, born in 1862 in the midst of a bitterly cold January, did not take long to discover her love of being on stage. “After Loie was able to walk, her parents took her with them to several presentations of the Chicago Progressive Lyceum, that early movement toward culture which few of the living still can remember,” Hugh Dugan wrote in “Village on the County Line.” “On one of these occasions, when Loie was two and a half, she slipped away from h...
February is National Black History Month, a time to recognize the legacy of Black Americans who have helped make this country a more perfect union through their talents, sacrifice and inspiring leadership. The National Museum of African American History and Culture cites Carter Woodson as the annual observance’s originator, first creating Negro History Week in February 1926 “to ensure that school children be exposed to black history.” As only the second black American to receive a PhD in history from Harvard (after W.E.B. Du...
February is a month dedicated to matters of the heart. For many, that meant making sure a special someone received a card and flowers on Tuesday. But February is also American Heart Month, a time to brush up on the signs of a heart attack and the steps necessary to avoid one. Heart attack symptoms include chest and/or upper body (arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach) discomfort and shortness of breath, according to the American Heart Association. Other signs can include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. If...
Love is in the air with the approach of Valentine’s Day. The occasion affords us the perfect opportunity for heartful recognition of those who selflessly serve Hinsdale’s nonprofits and faith communities. The organizations hope you feel their love! • Wellness House volunteer Gabrielle Sirchio has truly made a difference since joining the Unique Boutique Salon crew last summer, using her skills and passion as a stylist to help patients navigate hair changes during and after cancer treatment. • Laura Wisniowski is appreci...
For the first time in The Hinsdalean’s history, there is a single contested race on the spring ballot. Only Hinsdale High School District 86 has attracted more candidates than there are open seats in the Tuesday, April 4, election. Asma Akhras of Darien, Andrew Catton of Hinsdale, Kay Gallo of Clarendon Hills, Cat Greenspon of Burr Ridge and Debbie Willoughby of Westmont are seeking three open seats on the board. We typically begin covering the election in January so we have space for all of the articles we run on each of the...
The time has come to stop kicking the full-day kindergarten can down the road. As evidenced at Monday night’s Community Consolidated Elemenatary District 181 Board meeting, both residents and district officials signaled a strong desire to see this long-shelved idea finally become reality. Count us firmly among the full-day fans, as well, with more than 83 percent of school districts within a 10-mile radius having already implemented it. Moving from half-day to full-day at the seven elementary schools could cost as much as $...
The new year opened with almost three weeks of warmer than normal temperatures, with highs in the 50s last week and this week. But 2023 also has brought us more than our fair share of cloudy days as well. You can probably count on one hand the number of times the sun has come out — and it won’t be out tomorrow. (The forecast shows our next glimpse of the sun will be on Friday, Jan. 27.) All these gray days can leaving us feeling, well, a bit under the weather emotionally. Do not despair! Hinsdaleans have plenty of opp...
Happy 150th anniversary, Hinsdale! Of course, it’s a little early to extend a happy anniversary wish, seeing as the village’s incorporation date is April 1, 1873. But this is the start of the sesquicentennial (a fancy word for 150th) year, and we’re excited to celebrate the occasion by sharing more about the village’s history with readers. The question is, where to begin? Hugh Dugan spends the first 92 pages of his 1949 book, “Village on the County Line,” writing about Hinsdale’s history prior to its incorporation...
As we reflect on the highs and lows of 2022, we are also compelled to turn our collective gaze to 2023 and consider the possibilities for beneficial and constructive development as a community. Here are our resolutions for the year ahead. • Preserve and protect The village should continue to promote the historic overlay district it created earlier this year and the incentives available to homeowners looking to renovate qualifying properties. The program will be effective only to the extent that people are made aware of it i...
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the town The Hinsdaleans were scurrying, they rushed all around. For last-minute gifts and cards they did sprint, Armed with lists and ideas and maybe some hints. Gateway and Grant squares and downtown they traveled But with each stop, their nerves did unravel. The hustle and bustle had dampened their mood. They were tired and cranky and needed some food. They stopped for some lunch and looked over the list. To finish their s...
Sometimes the voice of common sense can be heard amidst the din of polarizing politics and extremism. We were encouraged when last week Gov. JB Pritzker signed off on amendments to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform measure that will do away with the cash bail system in the new year. Critics were rightly concerned about provisions that trespassers, for example, could no longer be arrested and that a suspect could only be detained if a threat could be demonstrated against a specific party. The largely Democrat-backed act...
Some like to decorate with multicolored bulbs for holidays. Others enjoy the simplicity of all white lights. At the Hinsdale Fire Department, the preferred color is red. Every year the department teams up with the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and neighboring departments in the “Keep the Wreath Red” program. A holiday wreath hangs inside the Mini Museum, the small building located near the fire station’s entrance at 121 Symonds Drive. If there is a holiday related fire, one of the wreath’s red bulbs will be replace...
Happy December! For many of us, turning the calendar page from November drives home the reality that our Christmas shopping weeks are now fewer than the number of branches on Charlie Brown’s sparse yet plucky tree. We are thankful that there’s nothing sparse about Hinsdale’s business community, with dozens of unique shops selling products that you’d be hard-pressed to find on shelves or racks anywhere else. The village’s economic pulse is strong due in large part to the faithful patronage of residents and out-of-town visitors...
“Tradition” is a word we find ourselves using a lot during the holiday season. One of our favorite traditions at this time of year is our taking time to reflect on one thing we are thankful for each day of November. Nov. 1 — big, fat turkeys — not the kind you put on the table, but the inflatable birds decorating lawns all over town. There’s even one on North York Road getting ready to dig in to a piece of pumpkin pie. We smile every time we see one. Nov. 2 — the readers and advertisers who continue to support us year in and...
Snow’s arrival this week is making it feel a lot like holiday season around here. Soon loved ones will gather for the cherished traditions that mark this wonderful time of year. We also have the opportunity to make this a more wonderful time for those in need by supporting local agencies on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29. The Community House is asking supporters to “Commit to Community” by making a donation to its annual fund. The dollars enhance the lives of others by providing funds for program equipment, counseling servi...
They served in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Their ranks range from private and seaman first class to lieutenant colonel and commander. They fought in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan and served in times of peace. Some are active duty, some are retired. Many are living and many are deceased. They are the 198 veterans profiled in this year’s Veterans Day special section. When we ran our first pages in 2015 honoring these men and women, we had 72 submissions. That n...
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is expected to surpass 14 million by 2060. More than 16 million American caregivers provide over 17 billion hours of unpaid care every year. Those staggering statistics come from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to highlight Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November. In light of these figures, the foundation urges citizens to be proactive about their brain health and get a memory screening. “The brain is one of the body’s most vita...
The Nov. 8 election is less than three weeks away. Some of you may have already cast ballots through early voting. Well done, and today, as in election years past, we take the opportunity to use this space to encourage the rest of the electorate to exercise their Constitutional right to select their government representatives. We have provided charts outlining the candidates and their positions in races at the county, state and Congressional levels. See Pages 5 and 7 in this issue for the latest installments. All of our...
