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As a young firefighter with the Hinsdale Fire Department nearly a quarter-century ago, Jon Carlson responded to a warehouse fire in Lombard. "I remember how dark it was from the smoke and how hard it was to operate in that environment," Carlson said of his first large-scale incident. But he also recalled the spirit of camaraderie and purpose that fueled his group's efforts. "(I had) the feeling of being able to make a small difference in the outcome and being able to go in...
A team of individuals from several departments work together to keep students in Hinsdale High School District 86 safe, security director Kevin Simpson told board members at their June 2 meeting. “There are some unsung heroes that are involved,” Simpson said, pointing to deans and counselors. “They are all vital to our threat assessment teams. Our threat assessment teams are ahead of the curve of where I think most districts are.” Simpson presented the security update in the wake of the May 24 Uvalde school shooting, when 19...
Early multi-use building - This photo in Sandy Williams' book, "Images of America - Hinsdale," is of the hook and ladder group in front of the town hall at 25 E. First St. about 1890. "The fire department began as a group of merchants who volunteered to protect the wooden buildings in the downtown area. Later, a hose company and separate hook and ladder group were established, merging in 1893 to form the Hinsdale Volunteer Fire Department." This building, constructed in 1887,...
Could there be a simple solution to two problems, one facing District 181 and the other the village Of Hinsdale? Unacceptable proposals for the long vacant land at the intersection of Ogden and Adams, owned by IBLP (Institute of Basic Life Principles) have once again been withdrawn by Ryan Co., leaving the possibility of dividing that property and satisfying two needs at once. 1) The NW corner of the Ogden/Adams Intersection includes 7.5 acres with an already existing building on a parcel zoned IB (institutional building)...
Over stuffed - Hinsdale Middle School students Adeline Hsieh, Kara Groom and Zaara Singh bring out several of the more than 600 boxes of cereal that were collected Thursday morning at HMS. With a half dozen squad cars filled to the brim, the Hinsdale Police Department had to put out a call to the Hinsdale Fire Department to come to the rescue with another vehicle to help with the pick up. The food collected from all nine District 181 schools weighed in at 7,374 pounds, which...
With the Stuff the Squad event taking place across District 181 last week, members of the Hinsdale Middle School Kindness Club decided to leverage the opportunity and add the ever popular YouTube "Domino Effect" to help increase donations. Using cereal boxes for dominoes, students created a maze of more than 600 boxes that weaved from the Washington Street entrance to the front door of the school near the parking lot. As last-minute boxes kept arriving, the kids had to...
Horse powered fire truck - This photo in Sandy Williams' book, "Images of America - Hinsdale," shows the fire deparment's hose cart ready for a parade in 1905. "Before 1912, horses were not owned by the department. The first team to appear at the station after the fire bell rang was hired for $5. At the time, Hinsdale's funeral director stabled his horses downtown. Legend tells that these horses, trained to respond to the bell, once took off for the station during a funeral...
With daylight saving time starting at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 14, the Hinsdale Fire Department urges residents to change their smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when setting their clocks ahead one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Install these alarms in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of your home. Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4 inches from the wall; wall mounts should be 4-12 inches from the ceiling. Do not install near...
As Hinsdale High School District 86 Board members plan to discuss COVID-19 mitigations at tonight's meeting, parents are upset with the way district leaders have responded to a court's temporary restraining order invalidating the mask and vaccine mandates for public schools. Parents and staff received an email Sunday from Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and board President Terri Walker in response to Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow's decision on the suit, which names some...
The temporary ice rink in Burns Field Park, 320 N. Vine St., is officially open. The warming house is open on Saturdays and Sundays for supervised hours. Stop by for free hot chocolate, a cozy fire and a place to escape the cold. Masks are required inside the warming house. Check the barricades located at the rink to see if it is safe to skate. Green signs indicate the rink is open, red signs mean it is closed. The Hinsdale Parks and Recreation Department will offer rink status updates online at https://ww...
Hinsdale President Tom Cauley said last week he wanted to make public a 36-page report completed more than a year ago on the investigation into the death of Nicole Hladik, a 25-year-old village firefighter/paramedic candidate who took her own life in July of 2020. But Hladik’s family and friends made clear at the Jan. 18 village board meeting they don’t accept the legitimacy of the village-led investigation, which Cauley said found that “nothing inappropriate happened” against Hladik, the sole female firefighter on the for...
The first bout of winter weather has arrived, and village officials would like to share the following reminders with residents. Personnel and plowing equipment are ready for any snow or ice removal that may be needed throughout the winter season. The village’s snow removal plan prioritizes plowing and/or salting operations in the following order — main arterial roads, central business district roads and school routes, train platform, secondary streets, sidewalk circuits, cul-de-sacs, parking lots, alleys and town cle...
Residents of Kentucky, southern Illinois and three other states hit by twisters this past weekend are coping with death and destruction as many of us are preparing for Christmas festivities. These powerful storms resulted in unavoidable tragedies. Our friends at the Hinsdale Fire Department hope to call our attention to avoidable tragedies this holiday season by participating in the statewide Keep the Wreath Red fire safety program. For each fire caused by holiday decorations, a red bulb will be replace with a white one on...
If we could come up with one reason to be thankful for each day of November — up to and including Thanksgiving — in 2020, we certainly can do so in 2021. Complaints seem to be in abundant supply this year. But if we stop, take a breath and look around, there are so many reasons to be grateful. 1. anyone who passed out full-sized candy bars yesterday 2. the coaches and parents who support the dozens of athletes on the girls tennis, girls swimming and boys and girls cross county teams at Hinsdale Central High School, all of...
IllumiBrew Nov. 18-19 Morton Arboretum 4100 Route 53, Lisle (630) 968-0074 https://www.mortonarb.org Be among the first to see Illumination: Tree Lights at the arboretum while sampling seasonal beers, ciders and meads from popular Chicagoland breweries stationed along the Illumination trail. Each tasting ticket includes 15 3-ounce beer sample and a souvenir light up tasting glass. This event is for ages 21+ only. Nov. 19 is sold out. Time: 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. time slots available. Tickets: $75, $40 for designated driver...
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...
Residents should do more than simply set their clocks back one hour when daylight-saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7. The Hinsdale Fire Department and the International Association of Fire Chiefs encourage residents to use the extra hour they “gain” to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, test the alarms and remind family members, friends and neighbors to do the same. Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are mos...
Clarendon Hills Fire Department has yard signs throughout their town (“We Need Our Own To Save Our Own”) which are supporting the purchase of a new ladder/pumper truck to replace their old truck. I now hear that Hinsdale is considering sharing their older ladder truck with Clarendon Hills in an effort to save money for both villages. Is sharing a truck a wise idea? Things to consider: The truck might be housed in Clarendon Hills half of the time. This could cause a potential delay in response time when the truck isn’t house...
Hear a chirp, make a change! Words to live by, literally, as smoke detectors serve as residents’ first warning of fire in the home. Keeping the devices’ batteries fresh will help keep inhabitants safe. This is Fire Prevention Week, a time when fire departments across the country unite around a common message to remind people of the importance of being vigilant against fire’s deadly potential. The theme for 2021 is “Learning the Sounds of Fire Safety,” including, of course, the prompt to switch out the battery. Another t...
Capt. Andrew Ziemer of the Hinsdale Fire Department said calls regularly come in to report concerning but confusing sounds. “We get service calls all the time when something’s beeping,” he said. “‘What does that beep mean?’ ” Visitors to the Hinsdale Fire and Police Open House this Saturday, Oct. 9, can find out with this year’s theme, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” Ziemer said the aim is to help people distinguish between audible alerts such as the smoke alarm chirp and the carbon monoxide detector beep. The annual ev...
PUBLIC SAVESTATION DEDICATED The first 24/7 accessible SaveStation with life-saving AED in Hinsdale was dedicated Sept. 21 at Burns Field Park in Hinsdale. The station was donated by the Just1Mike Foundation in honor of Michael Brindley, who died of sudden cardiac arrest at age 16. His family are former Hinsdale residents and Mike was a frequent user of the park. “The village is excited and honored to be the recipient of this public access SaveStation with AED,” said Heather Bereckis, superintendent of parks and recreation. ...
The village of Hinsdale and the Just1Mike Foundation will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication of the first 24/7 SaveStation public access defibrillator at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Burns Field, 320 N. Vine St. The station is being dedicated in honor of Michael Brindley, who died of sudden cardiac arrest at age 16. The family are former residents of Hinsdale and Mike was a frequent user of Burns Field. His mom, Kristy, will fly in from California to attend the ceremony. A CPR demonstration by the Hinsdale Fire...
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...
The village of Hinsdale and Lt. Tom McCarthy of the Hinsdale Fire Department are the subject of a discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of Nicole Hladik, a firefighter who took her own life in July 2020. The suit, filed June 28 in Illinois Northern District Court by Hladik’s widower Daniel Zaborowski, alleges that Hladik was subject to discrimination and harassment based on her gender. “At all relevant times, Hladik was the only active female firefighter working for the Hinsdale Fire Department,” the suit states. “In f...
Hinsdale police distributed the following reports July 20. Criminal trespass to vehicle arrest Roderick J. McGinnis, 48, 1004 N. 10th St., No. 404, Milwaukee, Wis., was arrested for criminal trespass to vehicle and driving with a revoked license after a police stop at 11:02 p.m. July 16 at Shell Food Mart, 210 E. Ogden Ave. A registration inquiry alerted police that the vehicle was reported stolen by the Milwaukee Police Department. He was charged and released to appear in court. Suspected DUI-drugs incidents • Police were d...