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"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...
Two Hinsdale Falcons football teams were undefeated this season. Two made it to the final game of the post-season. And two came home Bill George Youth Football League Super Bowl victors. The 11U Silver team beat Tri City 13-12 Nov. 9 and the JV Gold D1 team beat Lyons 14-6 Nov. 10 to win the championships. "I'm super excited for them," Falcons Football President Jason Jones said. "All the time they put in - the kids and coaches - it's just a great accomplishment for them. Ever...
Briana Zitkevicius has spent more time studying hip hop and ballroom dancing than ballet. But the Hinsdale resident and Hinsdale Central sophomore is excited to be performing for the second year in Salt Creek Ballet's "The Nutcracker." She made the switch to ballet three years ago. "I was watching other girls do it at my old studio and I just thought it was so beautiful and I really wanted to try it," she said. "Now I really love it and I think it was a good decision." Making...
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14 Baby Angel made an unexpected entrance to the world Aug. 8 in Hinsdale. His mom, Bernice, is part of the cleaning crew at Zion Lutheran Church's Early Childhood Education Center. She was working when she went into labor four months early. "We have that 15-foot Jesus banner welcoming everybody that comes to the ECEC and that's right where she had...
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...
The Hinsdale Central boys varsity soccer team not only made its first appearance at the IHSA state tournament since 2014 last weekend, it beat Edwardsville 3-1 to earn third place and a spot on the podium. An unlikely finish for a team that started out the season 1-6-1, but head coach Mike Wiggins said the players were extremely resilient, hard-working and committed athletes who persevered game after game. "It was not just a difficult start to the year, it was handling the...
Village, library and school boards in Hinsdale are in the midst of approving tentative levies — or annual requests for property tax revenue — before the final levy is adopted in December. The levy requests will be submitted to the clerks in DuPage and Cook counties, who will translate them into tax rates that will appear on homeowners’ bills in 2024. Charts breaking down each of the levies, with an explanation of the taxing cycle and a glossary, are on Page 5. Village of Hinsdale Hinsdale trustees will request about $9.1...
Finn Richards of Hinsdale set a school record and won first place at the IHSA state cross country meet Nov. 9 at Dettweiler Park in Peoria, but he’s not satisfied. He said he has more to give the sport. “It was pretty nice to be able to accomplish what I wanted to do,” the Benet Academy senior said. “At the end of the day, I still feel like I can do more. “I don’t think this is the end,” he added. “I celebrated for a bit, but now I’m back to work. It was good, but it was...
Watching people process last week's election (and by people, I mean talking heads on TV and friends on Facebook) has been interesting. Some are elated, cocky even, that former President Trump was elected to a second term. Others are dismayed. One woman I know posted that she could barely look at her children, knowing how horrific their future would be. Maybe I'm naive, but I have more confidence in our country than I do fear of Trump. If he tries to become a dictator, which I...
Police want to remind parents that certain e-bikes are prohibited in Hinsdale. The Hinsdale Village Board passed an ordinance earlier this year prohibiting bikes powered by more than 750 watts and regulating the use of low-powered bikes, scooters and other devices in the village. Since that time, police have issued more than 60 warnings and citations to riders who have violated state law and village regulations. Deputy Chief Tom Lillie said that number doesn't surprise him....
The 2024 Illinois Report Cards were released last week, and administrators already are examining the data and considering how to use it to help students. Community Consolidated Ele-mentary District 181 and Hinsdale High School District 86 continue to perform well, according to standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education, which issues the report cards. Six District 181 schools and Hinsdale Central were ranked as exemplary for performing in the top 10 percent of...
Hinsdale’s Richard Munson has authored a long list of books on seemingly disparate topics — from biographies on Jacques Cousteau and Nikola Tesla to examinations of the $210 billion electric industry and how technology is changing the food we eat. But if you look closely, there’s a thread that ties them all together. “I’m just quite fascinated with innovators, people who bring new ideas to life,” he told me last week. The latest innovator who captured his interest is one of ou...
When Aaron Myall enlisted in the service after graduating from high school, he knew he didn't want to spend another four years in classrooms. What he didn't know was that he would spend the next 20 years in the service and become a member of the elite Green Beret special forces unit. "I knew that I wasn't ready to go straight to college and I wouldn't have been successful, so I joined the Army as an infantryman," he said. After completing basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., i...
I had the privilege of serving as the moderator for a panel discussion on domestic violence at Pillars Community Health’s Bags and Bubbles event Sunday at The Elm in La Grange. I know about Pillars mostly through Buddy’s Place, which we attended as a family after Ainsley’s grandmother died and she struggled with the loss. I know a little about Pillars’ women’s shelter, Constance Morris House, from dropping off donations there. But I learned a lot about domestic violence...
