Sorted by date Results 247 - 271 of 873
June in Hinsdale is a time to welcome in warmer weather, frolic in a multitude of outdoor activities and celebrate the reopening of Safety Village. Every year at this time since 1983, the miniature municipality tucked next to Oak School sees its small-scale streets filled with rising kindergartners and first-graders learning them the rules of the road. The tiny town featuring 16 diminutive buildings, including replica police and fire stations, a Memorial Building, school, chur...
"I go to Peirce Park everyday," remarked Garett Skiba. The local dad's not on a mission get his steps in, but rather ensuring the integrity of the town's baseball program in his capacity as Hinsdale Little League president. "If I'm not there for games, it's to work on the fields," Skiba said. "What we have at Peirce is probably one of the best complexes in the area because of the hard work of volunteers keeping it going." Last Saturday he delighted in watching players and families fill the grounds for World Series Day, when...
Hinsdale Central's boys gymnastics program was the envy of the state 50 years ago, winning four straight Illinois High School Association titles from 1970-73. The team's championship in 1995 made nine total, still more than any other school. It's a record that may now never be broken as the IHSA has decided to discontinue the boys gymnastics state series due to low participation. In a June 12 press release announcing the end of both the boys gymnastics and debate state series,...
What's rewarding about performing in 'Footloose'? A year ago Miette Morris was recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. Tonight she'll "kick off the Sunday shoes" as she cuts "Footloose" in BAMtheatre's production of the classic 1984 dance-heavy film. The double-cast musical runs tonight through Sunday at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park (see Page 20 for details). "This is one of the very first shows I'm back actually really dancing," Morris said, exclaiming, "I do not...
An invitation to a tea time may be misinterpreted in today's Hinsdale. In the village's nascent era, however, tea parties were a way for women, in particular, to enjoy fellowship and enlightening discussions in a paternalistic society, according to Leslie Goddard, a historian known for her portrayals of figures from the past. As part of the celebration of Hinsdale 150th anniversary, Goddard will present the program "Elegant Indulgence: History and Rituals of Afternoon Tea"...
Josh Lundmark has learned to be resilient in the face of adversity. The recent Cornell University graduate and standout golfer said his last four years has stretched both his outward-looking perspective and personal perseverance. "I feel like I'm more comfortable in uncomfortable situations now," said the Hinsdale native, who received his bachelor's degree in computer science last month. He parlayed his course exploits at Hinsdale Central into a key role on Cornell's golf...
The Hinsdale High School District 86 Board has halted implementation of a previously approved social studies curriculum designed to align courses at the district’s two schools. By a 5-2 vote at the June 8 special board meeting, the board effectively reversed the prior decision after several members had expressed concerns that the planned changes would adversely affect students’ educational experience. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said board member Debbie Levinthal, a leading critic of the new curriculum slated to b...
The Hinsdale Central girls lacrosse team earned passage to Saturday's state championship game, its fourth out of the five that have been held since the sport received IHSA inclusion for the 2017-18 season. That's more than any other program. The Red Devils had dispatched a scrappy Hersey 11-8 in the super-sectional and overwhelmed Sandburg 15-4 in the semifinal on Friday at Central's Dickinson Field to book their spot. "Coming in to the match we were amped and excited,"...
For basketball devotees in Hinsdale, the month of June once was closely associated with Hoops for Life, an annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. This look back on the history of this longtime summer staple uses excerpts from Pam Lannom's story in The Hinsdalean that ran June 12, 2008. Thirty-five years ago, four 1976 Hinsdale Central grads - Tim Leahy, Jim Toomey, Bill Ryan and Don Sternard - felt compelled to join the fight against cancer, which had touched all of their...
Pools are open, school is out (almost Red Devils!) and local road construction projects are getting underway. Those driving around Hinsdale can usually expect some disruptions this time of year. But Al Diaz, assistant village engineer, said the navigational nuisances should be minimal compared to previous summers. “It’s a light year,” Diaz said. “We’re in between (master infrastructure plans). Once the next one starts up, you’ll probably see larger projects take place.” This summer’s slate of improvements consists mainly...
Dubbed the "Ace of Burns Field" for his tennis exploits locally, Hinsdale native Marty Riessen went on to make a name for himself far beyond the village. The Hinsdalean chronicled Riessen's life in as part of the "Hinsdale Originals" series in 2011, portions of which are included here. Growing up in the 400 block of West Hickory Street, Riessen could often be found across the street on Burns' courts honing his game. His father Clare started the tennis program at then-Hinsdale...
The Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival is an event for the family to enjoy - and an exhibition where even the artists are family. Among the 85 participating artists at this year's milestone 50th annual fest Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, in Burlington Park, 30 E. Chicago Ave., are brother and sister Scott and Teri Causey. Teri, an abstract painter, was the first sibling to present at the show, debuting last June. "A friend of mine had told me about it the year before, saying, 'I...
An early awakening. Out the window the sun has yet to make its rise. But a single light from the nextdoor neighbor's home suggests someone else is already stirring. Those prosaic morning observances helped illumine the imagination of Hinsdale Central senior Analise Budziak, whose subsequent short story, "A Trick of the Light," took first place in the inaugural Randall Albers Young Writers Award contest, sponsored by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. "It's very exciting,"...
Seniors Elyssa Chandler and Catie McCabe already shared a membership in Hinsdale Central's Class of 2023. After last weekend's IHSA girls track state meet, they have another identifier in common: four-time All-State honoree. Chandler, who earned All-State status last year with her seventh-place performance in the 300-meter hurdles last year, garnered three more nods in Saturday's final at Eastern Illinois University. Two were in hurdles, with Chandler improving her 300-meter...
Despite some tough luck, the resilient Hinsdale Central badminton team earned a top-five spot at the IHSA state final tournament May 12-13. Overcoming early matches against top-ranked players and a doubles draw that forced one Red Devil team to oust the other, the squad placed fifth, the program's best showing since back-to-back fifth-place finishes in 2018 and 2019. Head coach Katie Maley said her players served up a stellar performance at the tournament hosted by DeKalb...
Sarah Brosius senior Clarendon Hills What do you enjoy about softball? I like the aspect that it's a team sport yet you do things individually. I can work on my pitching and hitting and fielding ground balls and also enjoy each other's company on the field What positions do you play? Pitcher, third and outfield. Wherever they put me, I'm happy. How has your playing evolved since freshman year? I'm a lot more confident in my ability to play. I know going up to bat what I want...
Hinsdale Central's Ben Monahan was fired up about his junior year in the fall of 2021. As the Red Devils' starting quarterback, he was attracting considerable interest from college football programs, fueling his dream of one day playing in the National Football League. But the season took a nightmarish turn when he broke his leg in the opening game. "That obviously crushed me," related Monahan, now a senior. His will to overcome, however, remained intact. "Through all...
In Hinsdale's early days, residents regularly bought their groceries during trips to Chicago because of limited options in the fledgling village. "But that was just before the Fox & Davis store opened its doors (in 1892) and began selling flour at $3.40 a barrel, butter for 24 cents a pound, and three boxes of Frazer's axle grease for 21 cents," chronicles Hugh Dugan in his book "Village on the County Line." The store was located on the southwest corner of Washington and...
State lawmakers appear to have beaten Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 officials to the proverbial punch regarding full-day kindergarten. At Monday’s District 181 board meeting, Superintendent Hector Garcia informed board members that state legislation mandating full-day kindergarten by the 2027-28 school year enjoys bipartisan support, has already passed the Illinois House and is anticipated to pass the Illinois Senate by the end of this week. “(Gov. J.B. Pritzker) is expected to sign it as part of his ove...
Nicole Kubesh cherishes the camaraderie she had with her Hinsdale Central softball teammates before she graduated in 1991. So she was excited when daughter Madeline, a Central freshman, followed in her Red Devil base-running footsteps. "It's been really fun to watch her grow, and I'm just so proud of everything she's accomplishing," said Nicole, a right fielder back in the day and still in possession of her glove and varsity letters. Madeline, a catcher playing for varsity...
What has your teaching career taught you? Growing up in Willowbrook, Barbara Dawes was familiar with many of the schools in neighboring Hinsdale. But her childhood bike rides never reached The Lane School, so getting there for a job interview in the pre-GPS era proved a challenging assignment. "I almost passed it by," Dawes confessed. That was 34 years ago. On June 2, Dawes will dismiss her first-grade class for the final time, thankful for her "hidden gem" of a workplace and...
April's showers are resulting in a colorful yield of May flowers across the village. And no flower past or present is more associated with Hinsdale than the American Beauty Rose. The rose was declared the village's official flower in a May 2 proclamation celebrating the village's 150th anniversary. According to records in the Hinsdale Historical Society's archives, the brilliant bloom's local roots can be traced back to 1887, when printing company owner Orland Bassett and his...
Last summer, Hinsdale's Chase Ackerson was enjoying an evening of music at Ravinia with family when he bumped into a woman he knew through his former violin teacher. Having just graduated college with a degree in music but working in banking, Ackerson was keen to keep his instrumental skills in tune. "She was a member of the DuPage Symphony Orchestra and said, 'We're always looking for more people,' " he related. After sitting in on a rehearsal, Ackerson quickly became the...
What lay beneath the stairs at 510 N. Lincoln St.? No beasts, thankfully. But when workers replaced the front and side outdoor steps of the 1911 Craftsman home last December, the excavation yielded beer bottles and a shriveled piece of leather that turned out to be a shoe. Such clues to a bygone era only serve to augment features like the cross-gabled roof, radiator-adorned rooms and rich, well-preserved millwork that stoke owner Katie Gjeldum's passion for vintage properties....
Enrollment at Hinsdale South High School is forecast to continue declining in coming years, raising the potential of changing attendance boundaries to address the growing imbalance between South and Hinsdale Central. At the April 27 Hinsdale High School District 86 Board meeting, board members discussed a report from demographer John Kasarda projecting that South’s enrollment could dip from its current 1,362 students to 1,100 by the 2028-29 school year if housing turnover and arrival of younger families is sluggish. K...
