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Sofia Giannini has always been one to toss her cans, bottles and papers in the recycling bin. But like most people, she knew little about what happened to those items once they were dumped into the recycling truck. Giannini's entrepreneurial studies class at Hinsdale Central High School offered the opportunity to answer some of those questions, to follow those bottles and cans through the recycling process and to learn how she and others can become better recyclers. The...
For some, the holiday season begins with the first snowfall, the radio's transition to songs about Santa or the first spotting of an evergreen tree tied to the top of a minivan. For dancers like Samantha Leddy and Kylie Norman, the holidays begin with rehearsals for the annual production of "The Nutcracker." "I love that 'The Nutcracker' has always been part of my holiday season," Norman said. But after this year, the holidays will never be quite the same for Leddy and Norman,...
By Ken Knutson and Sandy Illian Bosch If residents are hungry for some French toast, interested in trying a new hairstyle, intrigued by new lighting in the living room or fancy redecorating in the family room, they need not travel outside of the village. Four new businesses either have opened or are about to right here in Hinsdale. Central grad returns to her roots Indifference Salon is new to Hinsdale's downtown, but owner Vanessa Camara has a long history with Hinsdale and...
After 15 years as a stay-at-home mom and a short stint in the real estate world, Jacqueline Gale wasn't sure where life would lead her next in early 2018. A chat with her cousin, Kevin Votava of the Hinsdale Fire Department (now retired), set Gale on the path toward the front desk at Hinsdale Village Hall and a job that she thoroughly enjoys. Gale was hired as a part-time finance clerk in March 2018 and went full time nearly a year later. As finance clerk, Gale is the first...
For the Haralampopoulos family of Hinsdale, Halloween is much more than a holiday. It's a whole season filled with planning, preparation and pageantry. The Haralampopouloses start considering ideas for their family Halloween costumes in September. Most of that decision making is left to 7-year-old Athan. "Ever since he could pick, he picks our costume theme and I run with it," Athan's mom, Rachel Haralampopoulos, said. Athan's choices have included characters from Indiana...
After more than a year of virtual performances, the Nazareth Academy theater program returns to the stage Oct. 28-30 with "Clue." Inspired by the well-known board game, "Clue" is a murder mystery with a funny side. The 15-member cast of "Clue" includes a pair of juniors from Hinsdale who are excited to be back on the stage. Emma Francis and Harrison Gianares shared with The Hinsdalean some details about the show and their love of the stage. Emma Francis What do you have in...
Goblins and ghouls all over Hinsdale are busy putting the finishing touches on their costumes for Hinsdale's annual Family Fall Fest. Set for 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, in Robbins Park, South Vine and Seventh streets, the event always includes some stiff competition in the costume contest. "The costumes are amazing," said Eva Field, president and CEO of the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce. Check in at the chamber of commerce table from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to be...
How do support groups help those on the cancer journey? Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are told they have cancer. Yet when the diagnosis hits close to home, it can leave the patient and their loved ones feeling isolated and alone. Support for patients and families dealing with cancer comes in many forms at Hinsdale's Wellness House. Along with classes about topics relevant to navigating the journey through cancer, Wellness House offers dozens of ways for...
Don Bartecki is part accountant, part entrepreneur and 100 percent advocate for the work of UCP Seguin, a nonprofit agency serving people with disabilities across the Chicago area. For more than 20 years, Bartecki has offered all of these skills, qualities and more to the betterment of UCP Seguin. UCP Seguin provides life skills training, community-based residential services, employment services and foster care to adults and children in need of care and support. Bartecki and...
While her mother was building a career helping people buy and sell houses in and around Hinsdale, Suzy Marcus was helping owners turn those houses into homes. Five years ago, the two came together to offer buyers and sellers the best they both have to offer. “I’ve been in the design business for over 25 years,” said Marcus, daughter of real estate agent Suzy Styfer. Styfer has been selling homes for 25 years. “She’s the seasoned professional,” Marcus said. Combined wi...
Employers aren't only concerned with what they can get from their employees. Good employers also want to ensure their employees are getting all they can from their workplace. That's where Amanda Lannert and Jellyvision come in. Lannert is CEO of Jellyvision, a Chicago-based software company that licenses a platform to large employers who want to help their workforce make the most of the company's benefits packages. "The average employer offers 200 to 400 point solutions,"...
The best thing about John Giannelli's job as Hinsdale fire chief is the opportunity to help someone in need. The worst part, Giannelli said, is witnessing that need for help. Inspired by a cousin who worked as a firefighter in Pennsylvania, Giannelli became a cadet with his hometown department in LaGrange Park when he was 18 years old and started as a firefighter/paramedic in Hinsdale in 1991. Working his way up through the ranks of the department, he was named chief five...
Alana Wett's 32-year career is driven by one simple fact. "I just really like to help people," said Wett, the new director of philanthropy at The Community House. Wett, who joined the staff of the Hinsdale nonprofit in June, said her primary job is to raise money for the facility's wide range of programming. But she also wants to draw awareness to all that The Community House has to offer, and to the fact that all Community House programs, from youth recreation to family...
Hinsdale is a friendly, welcoming place, and not just for people. Through the efforts of the Hinsdale Rotary Club and its many community partners, the village is becoming an increasingly attractive place for monarch butterflies. Scattered throughout town, in public places and in private gardens, are habitats designed to attract and nurture monarchs and other pollinators, thanks in no small part to the Hinsdale Rotary Club's latest initiative: Operation Pollination. Hinsdale...
In the days following news of the car accident that took Kendall Pickering's life in December 2020, swimmers and coaches from throughout the Chicago area and even beyond reached out to the Hinsdale Central team. It is those teams, said Hinsdale Central varsity swim coach Bob Barber, who will participate in the first competitive event to be held at Hinsdale Central's new Don Watson Aquatics Center starting with diving at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 28. Swimming competitions begin...
If there's a new pergola, patio or pool being built anywhere in Hinsdale, Lourdes Garcia knows all about it. As the village's building inspector and code enforcement officer, it's Garcia's job to see that every project is being done properly and with as little inconvenience to neighbors as possible. An employee of the village for about eight years, Garcia said she never dreamed that a job managing a large apartment building in Woodridge would lead to where she is today. "It...
"What I did over summer vacation" is a quintessential essay topic when kids return to school in the fall. If these teachers were to receive the same assignment, they certainly would earn a high grade. Miss Allen becomes Mrs. Penn Teacher Perry Allen returned to her fifth year at Oak School with a new name and an exciting story to tell. Allen met Wilson Penn when the two were third-graders at Oak School. They remained friends and classmates until high school, when the two...
After decades spent living and working in Hinsdale, Matt Miller has explored just about every corner of the village. Except for one. A musician since his teen years, Miller said he has long dreamed of playing on the Uniquely Thursdays stage. It's a dream he will see come true tonight, Aug. 19. "Getting a gig is one thing. Getting a show that's a part of your life, it makes such a difference," said Miller, who will perform with the rock cover band Reckless from 6 to 9 p.m. in...
Anyone who has attended Hinsdale's Fourth of July celebration, sifted through the parks brochure or clicked on the village's website has witnessed firsthand the work of Sammy Hanzel. As recreation and marketing communications manager for the village, Hanzel not only plans a host of special events but also lets people know about them through banners, website posts, brochures and flyers. "If it's printed, I probably worked on it," said Hanzel, who joined Hinsdale's staff five...
Grace Richards and Vyktoria Saulis have always found ways to share their love of song with the world around them. A pandemic wasn’t going to change that. Richards and Saulis are co-founders of Song for a Smile, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing joy with personalized video recordings of requested songs, as well as concerts, performed and recorded by Richards, Saulis and their musical friends. Richards has been singing for nursing home residents since she was 11 years old. B...
Meredith Jaye is new to Hinsdale, but only to those who haven't made the trip to the flagship store in Glen Ellyn. "Hinsdale just seemed like a logical location for the next spot," said Kim Fuller, owner of M & Em's Children's Boutique and Meredith Jaye in Glen Ellyn. Fuller's latest retail creation opened at 48 S. Washington St., in May. It offers carefully selected women's clothing, accessories for wardrobe and home, as well as unique gifts. "We're wrapping gifts all day...
As Hinsdale's village planner, Bethany Salmon is helping the village prepare for the future while keeping one eye solidly focused on the past. Salmon's job is to protect the buildings that make Hinsdale special while exploring opportunities for expansion and improvement. Developers and business owners with hopes of bringing projects to the village must first pass their ideas past Salmon. "We're not interested in growth for the sake of growth," said Salmon, who was drawn to...
For many parents, a child's impending high school graduation is filled with anticipation of what is to come. But as Matt Friedman approached the end of his years at Hinsdale Central High School, his parents worried about what the future had in store. Diagnosed with autism, Matt lacked the social skills and executive functioning needed for a traditional college experience, said his dad, Hinsdale resident David Friedman. But he knew his son had skills that would be valuable in t...
Members of the Hinsdale Chorale had long anticipated the group's 20th anniversary celebration, which would poetically occur in the spring of 2020. But like so many things in that year, the milestone passed without the fanfare it deserved. The 20th anniversary concert is one of three that the chorale was forced to cancel while the world sheltered against COVID-19. Longtime member Kristi Freitager said it's by far the longest stretch she's ever endured without singing. But the...
Living across the ocean from your family is hard enough. Add a global pandemic, and keeping in touch becomes a real challenge, especially for those who aren't yet old enough to have their own cell phones and social media accounts. Eliana Villone wasn't about to let COVID-19 get between her and her young cousins living in Italy. So while she was unable to visit in person, she found another way not only to keep in touch, but to help her young cousins learn English in her...
