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As an adolescent approaching her teen years, Grace Rodi struggled to find an activity in which she could excel. While friends were competing in gymnastics and discovering their musical talents, Rodi said she longed for something that fit her own set of skills. "I was very tall and uncoordinated and I couldn't sing," Rodi said of her 12-year-old self. That's when a letter arrived in the mail inviting young women to compete in an upcoming pageant. She went to an open call,...
What was it like to set a Guinness World Record? Annie Gustafson will never struggle to find that "fun fact" to share at a party or office ice breaker. She will always be someone who set a world record. Annie, a seventh-grader at Hinsdale Middle School, was one of 353 dancers to set a new world record for most ballet dancers en pointe simultaneously in New York earlier this year. The group set the new record by performing a bourree together for one minute. The previous...
What plants will cicadas put at risk? Spring is always a busy time at the Morton Arboretum. Add in millions of emerging cicadas and the season's to-do list gets exceptionally longer. "We're doing a lot to prepare," said Spencer Campbell, manager of the plant clinic at Morton Arboretum in Lisle. He said workers at the arboretum were busy throughout the first weeks of May wrapping hundreds of the arboretum's youngest trees to protect them from this year's expected cicada brood....
Illness doesn't work on a 9-to-5 schedule. That's just part of why RUSH Concierge Medicine is the right choice for its members, said Marie Runyan, registered nurse and concierge nurse navigator at the Hinsdale facility. Opening its doors at 32 E. First St. just a month ago, RUSH Concierge Medicine is a new addition to both the RUSH brand and to Hinsdale. Concierge medicine provides members with 24/7 access to their doctor. Wellness care, including physicals, immunizations,...
Why is prayer important? Kristin Haag Mathews was introduced to faith and prayer as a child. As an adult facing some of life's greatest challenges, she turned back to prayer for strength and guidance. In doing so, Haag Mathews said she found peace and a desire to share it. As leader of the Caring Team ministry at Hinsdale Covenant Church, Haag Mathews introduces others to the power of prayer, helps people in their quest to strengthen their faith and leans on her own faith to s...
Sasha Wolff said she wasn't prepared for the impact that becoming a Homework Helper at the Hinsdale Public Library would have on her life. "It's just been so rewarding to see kids be proud of themselves," said Wolff, who spends time after school helping younger students with homework, school assignments and academic improvement. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade have been invited to attend Homework Helpers between 4 and 5 p.m. a few afternoons a week at the...
Christine McCarty began to suspect something atypical about her daughter, Addy, when Addy was just a few months old. "Something was just different with her," said McCarty, whose oldest daughter was preschool age at the time Addy was born. The biggest indicator, McCarty said, was Addy's inability to look her in the eye. As she grew, Addy was unable to point or pick up small objects. There were therapies along the way, but it wasn't until after years of investigating, testing...
What are the keys to foot and ankle health? With the return of spring come April showers, May flowers and an uptick in injuries as people emerge from their winter habits. Ashley Lee, podiatrist at Northern Illinois Foot and Ankle Specialists' Hinsdale office, said the return to activities like pickleball, tennis, running, walking and youth sports results in an increase in visits to her office for treatment of sports-related injuries. The surging popularity of pickleball has...
Before entering the real estate industry, Dario Medina saw his father and brother succeed in the business of buying, selling and developing properties. After a decade-long corporate career in New York, Medina decided to join them. Now the managing broker at Better Homes and Gardens County Line in Hinsdale, Medina earned his real estate license in 2007. He got his start as one of online firm Redfin's first Chicago-area agents before working his way up to management positions...
McDonald's has played a role in Jeff Cantalupo's life for as long as he can remember. The son of former McDonald's Corporation CEO Jim Cantalupo, the Hinsdale resident knew from a very young age that the fast food giant was about more than cheeseburgers and fries. Through the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities, it's also about helping families. "I decided to join the board when there was an opportunity back in 2013," said Cantalupo, who served as board chair for Ronald Mc...
What is the Ostrega Uhl project? Beautiful music doesn't require a symphony hall, a theater or a trip to the city. It just requires talented musicians to play it and interested people to hear it. That's the philosophy behind the Ostrega Uhl Project, the brainchild and passion project of violinist Brian Ostrega and pianist Stephen Uhl. Whether it's a retirement community, a public library or a church, Ostrega and Uhl want to take classical chamber music anywhere an audience mig...
People living in the Chicago suburbs seldom refer to driving as a relaxing activity. But Julie Beja of Hinsdale said every trip she takes as a volunteer for Interfaith Community Partners leaves her feeling good. "I always come home happier than when I left," said Beja, who began volunteering with the agency eight years ago. Based in La Grange, Interfaith Community Partners offers free transportation for seniors throughout the western suburbs who no longer drive. Volunteers...
What inspires you to create your art? It isn't uncommon for sixth-grader Rosie Sun's teachers to return assignments with notes attached. But rather than suggestions or comments about her math or language arts homework, the messages often include compliments about the doodles she's included along the margins of the page. Any blank piece or portion of paper is an opportunity for Rosie to create something new. Rosie discovered her love of art at age 4 while living in China and...
Grace Episcopal Church of Hinsdale was a part of Sara Clary's life long before she moved to the village in 2012. Grace was her grandmother's church of choice, and visits to her grandmother often included visits to the church, Clary said. "It just seemed like the logical place to continue going," Clary said. Today, Clary serves as senior warden at the church. Together with junior warden Sarah Tims, she helps interim rector Rev. Tom Crittenden make everything at the church run...
Deciding what to wear can be a daily struggle for a lot of women, and even men. Professional stylist Megan Brotschul of Hinsdale said the problem often isn't a lack of clothing, but too much of it. Doing business as Style Strategy, Brotschul helps customers find the outfits that are hidden amongst the clutter of their closet by helping them to see what they already have and offering new ways to put those items together. "It's all in the way you style things," she said....
How can failures help children grow? Failures and mistakes are part of life, and those inevitable moments also can become character-building opportunities. That was the message of Michelle Icard, an expert in adolescence and author of three books on the subject, who spoke to parents Jan. 31 at The Community House. Icard, author of “8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success: What to Do and What to Say to Turn ‘Failures’ into Character-Building Moments, said a healthy adole...
Less than two years ago, Katherine Wessel was a city-dwelling single woman with a corporate job and "living very much a bachelorette lifestyle." Today, she's living in Hinsdale with her partner, David Chiang, helping to raise Chiang's pre-teen twins and enjoying a very different work environment at the Hinsdale Public Library. "I made a 180-degree switch when I moved to Hinsdale," Wessel said. It's a change she does not regret. Not long after moving in with Chiang and his two...
How can homeowners avoid remodeling woes? Hiring someone to complete a home improvement project can be an exciting step for any homeowner. But to ensure the work is done right, the consumer has some work to do, too, said Jeff Kida, a certified remodeler and owner of DDS Design Services LLC of Hinsdale. A remodeler for more than 20 years, Kida said much of his work involves kitchen and bath remodels for architects and general contractors. "They need someone with design...
As a child, Jeanne Hendrie remembers seeing her mother, a teacher, pack up food to bring to students in her classroom who didn't have access to breakfast. Hendrie said she's not sure if that experience sparked her own commitment to helping children, but the Hinsdale mom is dedicated professionally and personally to making life better for kids. Not long after moving to Hinsdale from Chicago in 2019, Hendrie discovered The Community House. Along with the many benefits the...
What is your train exhibit about? Frank Rozich's interest in model trains goes back to childhood, when he would occasionally be allowed to play with a train that once entertained his father as a child. Decades later, that train now sits on Rozich's mantle and is the flagship piece in what has grown into a prolific collection. A portion of that collection now fills the display cases inside a room at the Hinsdale History Museum at 12 Clay Street. Titled "Miniature Rails, Massive...
It's been a lifetime since Rich Meyer lived in Hinsdale. But a part of him still calls it home. "It's a fairy tale town," he said. A graduate of Hinsdale High School, Meyer said he would have been content to stay in Hinsdale and start working after graduation. But even in the early 1960s, his teachers, neighbors and classmates encouraged and valued a college education. More than 60 years later, Meyer said he's grateful for what his hometown and his education have provided....
How important is self care over winter break? The days surrounding Christmas and New Year's Day are called a break for a reason. Licensed clinical social worker and The Community House staff therapist Shannon Haut said taking time to care for oneself is the very best use of the days and even weeks between one semester and the next. She encourages students to take some time for themselves while class is out of session. "I say lean into that," said Haut, who works with young...
The magic of the holiday season doesn't end just because the calendar turns to Dec. 26. With the kids free from school and homework, winter break is a great time to take in some of the holiday festivities available in Chicago before they're gone. Navy Pier lights things up Light Up The Lake is being called the largest indoor and outdoor holiday experience in Chicago. With photo ops at every turn, the light displays on Navy Pier include a giant teddy bear, snowflakes, a...
How can you dress up holiday drinks? Gatherings of friends and family are made extra special this time of year with the help of festive decorations, holiday attire and decadent dishes. For those whose gatherings also include cocktails, local mixologist Michael Bergeron said a cocktail can go from everyday to extra with just a few simple changes. Bergeron is the expert behind the bar at Hinsdale's Que Miso, a new addition to Washington Street that combines the flavors of...
When Teri Zeidel and her husband moved to Hinsdale from Canada, she said she thought it would be a fun place to live for a few years. Twenty-three years later, Zeidel said it's still a fun place to be, and a great place to call home. Hinsdale is one of two places that hold a special place for Zeidel. The other is Nelson, a small town near Kootenay Lake in British Columbia, Canada, where Zeidel grew up and where she returns multiple times a year to visit family and enjoy the...
