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The hallway is buzzing outside the choir room at Hinsdale Central Tuesday after school. Teens are singing song lyrics, practicing dance steps, rehearsing monologues and dealing with nerves. "My tummy hurts," one says. The students are auditioning for a role in "Mary Poppins," the spring musical at Hinsdale Central. "Were trying to bring back some bigger cast shows," director and Central English teacher Susie Jaffe said after the auditions. "COVID really made us, and theaters...
Hinsdale High School District 86 Board members said they want more information about making more courses available at South when they discussed the 2025-26 staffing framework at their Jan. 9 meeting. Adolf Galinsky, a parent in the Hinsdale South attendance area who spoke during public comment, said 32 percent of students’ course requests for this school year at South were denied, compared to 11 percent at Central, according to information presented at the Dec. 13 academic committee meeting. “The news of that difference shoul...
Zach Kruse Clarendon Hills When did you first start wrestling? When I was 5 years old. I saw my brother, Ron, wrestling growing up, and I always aspired to be like him - and still do to this day. What do you love most about the sport? How rewarding it is. Your success depends really only on yourself and only on what you do. What is most challenging about wrestling at 190 pounds? There's a lot of good wrestlers in the weight class. How have you improved since your freshman...
There’s a lot of talk every January about starting the new year off right. You need to get organized — file those receipts, buy plastic bins for the pantry, delete the extra photos on your phone. You need to get in shape — try Pilates, yoga, high intensity interval training, weight lifting, walking, cycling, or all of them. You need to eat healthy — choose an eating plan: Mediterranean, DASH, paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan, write a grocery list and head to the store. I’ve be...
Each year in January we reach out to the leaders of seven major nonprofits and ask them to review the happenings of the previous year with readers. An article on the Hinsdale Historical Society, HCS Family Services and Wellness House appeared in the Jan. 9 issue and is available online at www.thehinsdalean.com. Candor Health Education After launching its 50th anniversary celebration in February of 2024, Candor Health Education will close out the year-long commemoration with a gala fundraiser on Feb. 1. “We’ve been doing a l...
Not many would describe the weather this week as ideal conditions for working outside. But for John Finnell and the village’s forestry employees, it is. “This weather right here, in the mid-20s with no snow, is fantastic,” said Finnell, superintendent of parks and forestry. “Our equipment still works well in the 20s and the ground is frozen, so we’re not doing a lot of damage to the turf. “This is perfect weather for pruning,” he said. Village crews and contract workers are in the midst of the village’s annual cyclical...
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a 32-year-old Jason Lezak and his U.S. teammates defeated their vaunted counterparts from France in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay to win gold. "This was the best race of my life," he told Hinsdale Swim Club members at a special clinic Saturday. "We were going up against a French team that was the favorite. We were not supposed to win this race." Seconds later, swim club members were watching the race on the jumbotron at the Don Watson...
I can't remember the last time I made a New Year's resolution. Nor can I remember the last time I kept a New Year's resolution - which is why I stopped making them. Weeks of indulging in eating, drinking, gift-giving and making merry can leave us feeling a mix of regret and panic. We look at the scale or checkbook balance and say, "No more!" But after a couple of weeks (or even a couple of days), our concern wanes - along with our will power. Instead of making resolutions, I...
Since 2011, I have been writing an annual birthday letter to Ainsley as my final — or first — column of the year, depending on how her Jan. 2 birthday falls. I would love to say I had an annual tradition in mind that first year, but I actually was just trying to fill space during that weird week between Christmas and New Year’s. As I have repeated every year, I appreciate how patient Ainsley has been in allowing me to write this column — and how patient readers have been in...
Toni Patisserie & Café had its busiest holiday season ever this year, owner Toni Cox said. "Both Thanksgiving and Christmas we did way more than our projections, and our projections are pretty aggressive," Cox said last week. "We were pleasantly surprised." The buche de Noel (yule log) cake, stollen and cookies were the biggest sellers. "Cookies were crazy. We had a hard time keeping up with them," Cox said. For the first time this year, the shop sold hors d'oeuvres for...
As you read this, I am home in my PJs enjoying my third day off this week — an extra bonus this year that might not happen again in 2025. We’ll have to see if the paper comes out on time next week. The time after Christmas and before New Year’s is always a rather strange time of year. Holiday celebrations continue, but with a different flavor than they had before Dec. 25. The tree is starting to dry out, the cookies are getting stale and the thought of drinking another glass...
Twenty years ago Eva Field had an interview with Jan Anderson for a part-time assistant director position at the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce. The two clearly hit it off. "Three hours later, I left with the job," Field said. Last week Field spent her last day with the chamber, retiring as president and chief executive officer. She said she's leaving the nonprofit in a good place. "The chamber has moved into a healthy direction for the last several years," Field said. "I do...
"Mom, I'm bored." It's hard to believe that such words could be uttered this time of year, with the frenzy of activity around the holidays. But once school lets out tomorrow and kids have a few days at home, they just might be looking for something to do. We've compiled a handful of suggestions below that extend into the new year. The first three are holiday-related, with the final one for those who have had their fill of holiday fun. O Tannenbaum Christmas Around the World...
A $1.1 million federal grant could make the difference in whether historic Sixth Street is paved in asphalt or bricks when the road is reconstructed next year. Prior to a public hearing on a proposed special service area at Tuesday’s board meeting, Village President Tom Cauley said U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who represents Hinsdale, is championing a grant for the sewer work on Sixth as part of a larger infrastructure bill that Congress is likely to approve before the end of the year. “I’m not sure there’s an appetite for...
After months of objecting to Clarendon Hills’ plan to create a tax increment financing agreement along 55th Street, Hinsdale’s two public school districts have reached an agreement with that village. Community Consoli-dated Elementary District 181 Board members Monday approved an intergovernmental agreement with Clarendon Hills that dramatically reduces the amount of tax revenue the district could potentially lose under the TIF. “It’s been a journey,” said Mindy Bradford, assistant superintendent for business and operation...
The Hinsdale Village Board is set to approve a 2025 budget Tuesday, Dec. 17, that includes $4.77 million for capital projects. The capital improvement plan identifies major projects, along with funding sources, for expenses higher than $10,000, according to village documents. “Capital assets are the largest improvements for most governments, with the use typically spanning many years, if not decades,” said Carrie Dittman, the village’s chief financial officer. “It requires forethought and planning to maintain capital infrastr...
At this point in December, the winter sports season is underway for all Hinsdale Central teams. In this, the third of three season previews, readers learn from coaches about the boys and girls basketball team and girls gymnastics team. Boys basketball First game: Nov. 25 @ Hoops 4 Healing (V beat Naperville Central (65-55) Last year: 15-16 Head coach: Nick Latorre Seasons as head coach: 15th at Central, 23rd overall No. varsity team members: 21 Strengths: We have good...
I love seeing all the Christmas pictures and paintings my Facebook feed. Houses are beautifully decorated inside and out and spotlessly clean. Children are well-behaved and looking right at the camera. So are the pets, for that matter! Of course, Christmas for most of us - or at least for me - has little resemblance to these images of perfection. Maybe that's why I like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" so much. He tries so hard and can never seem to get it quite right. I don't...
The most special part of Christmas for Carmela St. John is the Christmas Eve procession with the baby Jesus for the crèche. The youngest child carries the baby as family members walk through the house singing "Tu Scendi Dalle Stella," a tradition St. John has participated in since her childhood in Italy. "Baby Jesus doesn't get put into the nativity until midnight," St. John said. Earlier that evening, the family enjoys the traditional feast of the seven fishes for Christmas...
Hinsdale High School District 86 finally closed the books on the Future Ready Facilities projects voters approved in April 2019. The district spent $167.6 million on a long list of projects at both high schools, almost $27.8 million more than the $139.8 million listed in the referendum. Most of the additional spending — almost $17.9 million — came from premiums on the $138.9 million in tax-exempt municipal bonds the district sold. “Municipal bonds will generally always sell...
The winter sports season is under way at Hinsdale Central High School. The boys and girls wrestling teams faced their first opponents at meets Tuesday. The boys hockey club - whose season spans multiple seasons - has been playing since September. This is the first in a series of three winter sports previews. The next installments will run Dec. 5 and 12. Boys hockey First game: Sept. 15 vs. Cobras (V won 6-2) Head coach: Jim Brooks Seasons as head coach: 1st season as head...
Angela Lavelli had been at work for several hours before she embarked on a 10 a.m. shopping excursion Friday. As owner of Café la Fortuna in Hinsdale, she gets an early start - and her coffee shop is the first stop of the day for many of her customers. She warmly greets them by name as they walk through her doors. Two of her co-workers will celebrate the holidays with her. Daughter Alejandra and son-in-law Miguel also work at her shop. The celebration will begin with a big...
Mike Lach has taken advantage of the superintendent report agenda item at Hinsdale High School District 86 Board meetings to focus on the goals he wants to accomplish and the progress being made. The Nov. 21 board meeting was no exception. One of this themes was working together. “We are a better community when we work together,” he said before announcing the formation of a small parent-student curriculum committee. “We’ll keep growing this committee as we need to,” he said. “We want to be able to hear from parents and...
Hinsdale officials, donors and residents celebrated the completion of the Memorial Building Plaza Tuesday on a remarkably mild November night. "This is the first time I've seen this done and I'm very impressed with the way it turned out," Village President Tom Cauley said in his remarks. "This project was a good example of cooperation between the village of Hinsdale board and the Hinsdale Library and the generosity of members of the Hinsdale community." Cauley noted that the...
Trustees Tuesday passed the village property tax levy, which is expected to bring in an additional $370,000 this year. They also had their first board-level discussion about the draft 2025 budget, which shows an increase in fire and pension fund costs of $464,000. Those costs are funded by property taxes. “You end up with a $94,000 shortage, essentially,” Carrie Dittman, the village’s chief financial officer, said at the meeting. “What that means is that fewer of our property tax dollars are going toward operations as more of...