Sorted by date Results 960 - 983 of 983
I wonder, if I started interviewing celebrities, whether my writing style would change. After all, it seems every article I read about someone famous opens with a ridiculous account of the circumstances surrounding the interview. Years ago I read a piece about Julia Roberts. The author opened with an account of his lunch meeting with her, describing in overwritten detail where they sat and what she wore and what she ate. “Who cares?!?” I screamed at the magazine. I tried to...
And in the blink of an eye, it’s over. Summer 2019 is in the books. I know, I know. Summer will continue until the autumnal equinox marks its official end Sept. 23. But summer — for the purposes I discuss here — ended this week with the start of school. And this year — as it has every August since Ainsley was in preschool — its unofficial conclusion has taken me by surprise. We are somewhat prepared, with a large box of school supplies sitting in our living room. With any...
Has anyone seen my white go-go boots? Yes, I actually own white go-go boots. I acquired them a few years back when I had to dress up like a University of Illinois cheerleader for a scene in the Community Revue. I might need to wear them again in this year's show, and I have no idea where they are. They are not in the plastic bin that has been officially designated as The Spot to hold all revue and Halloween costume items. They are not in the guest room closet, which has been u...
When I heard the news, I was drawn to the bookshelf in the basement. There it sat, in pristine condition. My autographed copy of “Beloved.” The book was a gift years ago from a friend who managed to get me autographed copies of two of my three favorite novels (Graham Swift inscribed a copy of “Waterland” and Virginia Woolf, of course, is not available to sign autographs). Knowing Toni Morrison had died Monday made me want to hold the book in my hands and leaf through its pag...
I baked my first cheesecake under duress. Dan and I were newly married, living in an apartment in Wrigleyville, and we had invited his parents over for a Saturday night dinner. Being young and foolish, we had indulged in some merriment the night before. Overindulged, to be truthful. And so much of Saturday was spent recuperating on the couch. I don’t think I started working on dinner until about two hours before my in-laws were expected to arrive. Somehow, I managed to pull it...
Just a few days into fifth grade and the daily petitions have begun. Ainsley NEEDS a cellphone, she tells me. EVERYONE else in her grade has one. Ainsley clearly wants a cellphone, and I know for a fact several kids in her grade have one. But that isn’t a strong enough argument for me to get her one — not when she’s 10 years old. I had hoped to find some fellow parents who would be willing to take the “Wait Until Eighth” pledge with me, but I’ve been too frightened...
After determining that the new pools at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools should be 40 yards long rather than 25, Hinsdale High School District 86 Board members now must decide whether to build a six- or eight-lane pool at Central. Hinsdale High School District 86 Board members heard from architects, their owner's rep, administrators and community members at their Aug. 22 meeting as they reviewed options for the two pools. The plan to keep six-lane, 25-yard pool...
This is the second set of previews taking a look at the teams competing this fall at Hinsdale Central High School. The football and boys and girls golf teams were previewed in the Aug. 22 issue, available online at https://www.thehinsdalean.com. Boys cross country, girls swimming and girls volleyball will be featured Sept. 5. Girls cross country First meet: Sept. 7 @ Hornet-Red Devil Invite Last year: 17th at state Head coach: Mark McCabe Seasons as head coach: 19 No. team...
Some $23 million worth of construction projects will begin at Hinsdale Central High School at the end of this school year as Phase 1 of $139 million worth of improvements in Hinsdale High School District 86 begins. Initial projects at Central include the pool addition, the building and grounds addition/relocation, installation of turf in at Dickinson Field and practice fields, renovations of tennis courts, roof replacements, sewer improvements and miscellaneous ADA and...
The Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 Board has continued to bolster its food allergy management plan to keep students safe and staff trained in the event of allergy-related medical emergency. At Monday’s board meeting, Dana Bergthold, executive director of special education, presented the district’s plan, which is entering its second year of implementation. She said the district holds ongoing professional development for all employees and has procured books and c...
Visitors to the newspaper's website at thehinsdalean.com will see it has undergone quite a makeover. Unlike the previous site, which linked only to a single story, the cover photo and obituaries, this site allows viewers to access the entire newspaper. "We are thrilled to officially launch our new site," said Jim Slonoff, The Hinsdalean's publisher. "Enhancing our website has been a project we all have spent a lot of time studying, thinking about and planning here in the offic...
"To be alive is to be aging." That's one of the messages of a new website devoted to helping connect those who are aging and their loved ones with information and resources. The website, redefiningaging.org, was established through the leadership of Community Memorial Foundation in partnership with The Hinsdalean and members of the Healthy Aging Task Force. It was announced last week at two events: a May 1 lunch at The Community House featuring Mary Schmich (see story above)...
Ly Hotchkin doesn't mind being 94. She misses having a drivers license and better eyesight, but she still enjoys laughing with people she loves over a good drink. That wasn't the case 18 months ago. At the time, she was ready to die - and she told her doctors as much. "I begged them to let me die because I was so lethargic I didn't want to do anything, and it was horrible," Hotchkin said. "Guess what they did? They put this pacemaker in." The device changed everything. "The...
Five years ago, Jim Horn retired after practicing law for more than 35 years. "To be honest, I did not have a plan going forward other than to just withdraw from the professional world and live a healthy lifestyle and wait and see what might appear or become interesting or capture my imagination," he said. What captured his attention was a diagnosis of stage 3 prostrate cancer after his physical in February 2016. "I was absolutely shocked," he said, noting that he had been act...
When Congress chartered the American Legion in 1919 and Hinsdale Post 250 was formed shortly after, the goals of the organization - as stated in the preamble to its constitution - were straightforward. And lofty. "For God and country, we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a 100 percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and...
Shortly after her divorce, Julia Sweeney bought a little bungalow in Hollywood and imagined a wonderful life there - living alone, entertaining friends and spending afternoons listening to Tchaikovsky. "That's basically when God said, 'Ha!' " Sweeney told the audience at JourneyCare's Life is a Journey program Tuesday night in Oak Brook. The former Saturday Night Live star, writer, director, actress and monologist proceeded to share about 30 minutes of "God Said Ha!" a show...
In a September 2015 column, I announced the formation of an ad-hoc advisory board in conjunction with our paper's series spotlighting mental health issues. Two years later, that advisory board disbanded and gave me one directive: write more about aging. As we had brainstormed coverage topics over two years, the issue of mental health and aging kept coming up. We discussed the sense of loss many feel as they lose family and friends and their own physical and cognitive...
Brian Griffin knows Dickinson Field. He played there as a member of a 2002 Red Devil football team that was undefeated until the state semifinals. He's paced the sidelines during games in a variety of roles, including varsity linebackers coach, special teams coach and, most recently, defensive coordinator. He's stood in the center of the huddle midfield, congratulating players after a win and consoling them after a loss. Now Griffin, 34, is preparing for his first season as...
History is all Cicero says it is. It also can be dry, boring and seemingly irrelevant to all but its most avid students. That's where living history comes in. Programs that allow folks to witness a Revolutionary War battle, feel what it was like to be a runaway slave on the Underground Railroad or experience the workings of an 18th-century farm can spark an interest in history like no textbook can. And Hinsdaleans don't have to travel far to see history brought to life. Graue...
Construction could begin on the new parking deck near Hinsdale Middle School as early as Monday. “Right now we think that’s going to be the starting date,” said Brad Bloom, assistant village manager. The first step will be to remove an earth retention system crafted of corrugated metal panels, which requires the use of a loud, vibrating machine. “We’re trying to get that done before school is in session,” Bloom told trustees at the village board meeting Tuesday. The first d...
Municipal and state officials are working to make sure the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook will not emit ethylene oxide again. Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Darien and Willowbrook have a month to try to stop the plant from re-opening. DuPage County 18th Circuit Court Judge Paul Fullerton on July 24 granted the village’s motion to intervene to become party to a lawsuit the Illinois Attorney General filed against Sterigenics in October 2018. “This is a significant achievement,” a vil...
Commencement ceremonies in May meant the end of competition for many athletes who played for Hinsdale Central. But a few dozen former Red Devils will have the chance to continue their careers at the college level. The Hinsdalean asked those who have committed to play what they will miss most about Central and their hopes for the next four years. This is the first in a two-part article. Samantha Brescia University of Oregon, lacrosse I'll remember: the bonds and connections I...
The money is in the bank. Hinsdale High School District 86 has $70 million ready to pay for upcoming construction projects at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools following a July 15 bond issue. The bonds were sold to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at an interest rate of 2.964, Jennifer Currier of PMA Securities told the board at its July 25 meeting. Eight firms bid on the bonds, with rates ranging from J.P. Morgan’s low offer to 3.053 on the high end. The district wil...
The number of microbreweries in Illinois has more than quadrupled in seven years, from 54 in 2011 to 229 in operation last year. Chicago is home to dozens of them, but Hinsdaleans don't have to drive that far to taste a quality craft brew. This article - the second in a three-part series - highlights three options, all within a 12- to 20-minute drive of Hinsdale. Black Horizon Brewing Co. Charles St. Clair walks out from behind the bar at Black Horizon Brewing Co. with a beer...
