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How can people exercise their brains? We've all heard of aerobics as a way to keep our bodies healthy. Neurobics, on the other hand, isn't nearly as well known but may be as important to mental fitness as cardio is to physical fitness. "Our brains are continuing to grow," said Mary Ferguson, director of community relations at The Birches assisted living and memory care in Clarendon Hills. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Ferguson's colleague, Patti Terkovich, will present "Building Your...
What champagne is best for New Year's Eve? Long before France had a name, the grapes grown in this part of the world were used to create a sparkling beverage associated with celebration, special occasions, and even royalty. Although all true champagnes are made in the Champagne region of France with locally grown grapes, not all champagnes are alike. Ashley Vittori, co-owner of the Hinsdale Wine Shop at 12 E. Hinsdale Ave., said flavor, color and mouth feel can vary greatly wh...
When and where are Christmas worship services? Hinsdale faith communities offer a range of opportunities to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here are the times and activities offered by the towns' houses of worship, from family-friendly fellowship to candlelight services for people who want to step outside just as the clock strikes Christmas. In addition to the in-person services listed below, many churches also offer online worship options for people's convenience....
How did you start your nonprofit? Eighth-graders Saira Joshi and Madison Marshiano were elementary school students when they decided to do something good for their community. Today, the hands that build Small Hands Big Impact aren't so small anymore, and the impact of the nonprofit founded by these two friends keeps on growing. "Two besties doing our part to make a positive change in the world!" is how Saira, a Hinsdale Middle School student, and Madison, who attends Latin...
How do you organize a book drive? Growing up, Violet Eck could often be found ensconced in the pages of a "Fancy Nancy" adventure or a selection from the "I Survived" book series. "Like 'I Survived the Great Depression.' I loved those, they were my favorites when I was little," Eck said. Now as a busy Hinsdale Central senior, Eck lamented the challenge of carving out recreational reading time. But knowing how formative stimulating literature was in her childhood, she wants to...
What is a swing actor? At any moment during the run of "Cinderella" at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Kevin Kuska may be called upon to step into the role of chef or king - or summoned to spread a special message from the prince. "I will step into any of those three roles with as little as maybe an hour's notice," said Kuska, a swing actor in the current production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella", playing now through Dec. 29. Should an actor playing any of the...
What is P.A.S.S.? As a Hinsdale Central sophomore student-athlete, Aryan Bansal could detect the struggle some of his teammates were having balancing schoolwork with the demands of pursuing high school sports. "Kids were saying in the locker room, 'I've got three tests tomorrow and practice doesn't end until 6:30 p.m.' " recounted Bansal, now a junior. "There's no time to get to teacher office hours when you have to get to practice." A two-sport athlete himself, Bansal underst...
Why is aluminum a better choice for bottled water? When Hinsdale resident Toral Gandhi gets ready for work each day or packs her bags for her next business trip, she's doing it for much more than a paycheck. "I wanted to do something that had a positive impact on the world," Gandhi said. After earning a business degree from the University of Michigan, Gandhi worked in the financial services industry for several years before meeting Nicole Doucet and Jeff Page, co-founders of...
The heart is traditionally regarded as the wellspring of compassion. For professional caregiver Teresa Phillips, real TLC starts with open ears. "Listening and understanding," said the lead caregiver and 12-year employee of Home Helpers Home Care of Hinsdale. "I believe that if you put yourself in (your client's) shoes, you can understand what they're going through." Phillips' commitment to soul-nurturing service earned her a spot among the finalists for the Home Care...
What does a police chaplain do? The stress, anxiety and trauma of a tragic event often extends far beyond the people who are injured in an accident, own a property impacted by fire or are the victim of a crime. Pastor Meredith Onion said witnesses and first responders also can be negatively impacted by a traumatic situation. Her job as volunteer emergency chaplain for the Hinsdale Police Department is to be available to all of them. "I meet people where they are," said Onion,...
How do you plan the Community Speaker Series? Several years ago Hinsdale's Megan Mikhail attended a local presentation by Jessica Lahey, author of the bestselling book "The Gift of Failure." It was part of the annual Community Speaker Series, and Mikhail left illuminated. "It taught me as a parent that it's very good for my children to have what she called 'soft fails' so that they can learn and grow and (I will) not be scared of them failing," Mikhail recalled. Mikhail and...
As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Samrah Syed said she thought she knew quite a bit about her family's culture. As president of the South Asian Student Union at Hinsdale Central High School, she is learning just how much more there is to know. Like many members of SASU, Syed recently participated in the club's First Days Project, which aims to collect stories of immigrants' first few days in the United States. Syed interviewed her father, who traveled to the United...
What should people know about dog adoption? There are few moments more rewarding for Carla Wudi than when a rescue dog finds its forever family. Like Noah, the emaciated pooch found tied to the bench outside the shelter last winter. "We didn't think he was going to survive," she Wudi, foster care manager for the Hinsdale Humane Society. Not only did he regain his health, he's thriving in his new adoptive home. "Today he's just this big lug," Wudi said. "That show that there's...
Diana Ivas wasn't looking for an escape when she left her teaching career after 17 years. "I loved teaching," Diana said. But not long after dipping her toe into the real estate business in 1988, she discovered she loved that world even more. Now decades into her real estate career, Diana said those years in the classroom still impact her ability to do her job. "To be a teacher, you have to be very organized," said Diana, who also listed good listening skills and the ability...
What can we expect for this fall's color? Predicting how colorful the autumn's tree color display will be is not an exact science, according to the Morton Arboretum plant knowledge specialist Sharon Yiesla. "The thing with fall color is it's usually multiple things that contribute to fall colors," she said. "I think there will be good fall color, We just can't say how brilliant or how dazzling it will be." Specifically those factors are leaf pigments, length of the nights and...
What does it mean to be a Candidate School? The early childhood professionals at Union Church’s preschool have had their eye on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme since today’s 30-somethings were students at the school. On Aug. 30, the school announced it had been named one of four stand-alone preschools in the country to earn the title of Candidate School — the final step before full designation as an International Baccalaureate school. “We’ve been on a...
What should people know about fall allergies? When it comes to cherished autumn trappings, ragweed and mold do not rate highly, especially for allergy sufferers. Dr. Ross Tanis of Hinsdale's Allergy & Asthma Physicians said patients may notice that the period when symptoms are most acute is becoming more protracted. "The warmer seasons are longer, and for that reason you're seeing people having seasonal allergies last longer throughout the year," Tanis said. He cited a...
What do you hope to accomplish your senior year? Meiyan Zhu has one goal for her senior year of high school, and that's to make it the best one it can be. "I'm making sure high school doesn't pass me by," Zhu said. She's made a conscious decision to spend her final year of high school trying new things and stepping back just a bit from her rigorous academic schedule to make time for fun. Just days into the new school year, Zhu already has added a line to her resume as a...
Ali Graeme was brimming with nervous excitement as she prepared to open Sweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery in downtown Hinsdale in 2009. Surveying her shop's new sign from the sidewalk at 13 W. First St., a couple walked past. "I heard them say, 'Oh, this is a bakery. This isn't going to make it,' " Graeme recounted. Today she can reflect on 15 years of making it and baking it, serving up an assortment of delectables with the ingredients of both good health and fabulous flavor...
What will help kids as school year begins? The lazy days of summer have turned into the busy days of another new school year. Shabana Sheikh, program director of The Community House’s Counseling Center, said a little planning can go a long way toward getting the new year off to a good start. “There’s a lot of exciting stuff that kids look forward to,” said Sheikh, a licensed clinical professional counselor who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in c...
What's important for brain and body well-being? According to the Alzheimer's Association, nearly 7 million Americans are living with the disease. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million. In 2021. Alzheimer's disease was the fifth-leading cause of death among people age 65 and older. Those are alarming figures, to be sure. But statistics should not steal people's hope in measures to stave off the effects of Alzheimer's, said Hadi Finerty, senior manager...
For Coldwell Banker agent Cathie Callen, real estate is about problem solving. "It's like a puzzle," Callen said, the pieces of which are different for every person she helps to buy or sell a home. An agent since 2006, Callen said she enjoys helping buyers find a home that meets their physical needs, their emotional wants and their financial means. A mother of three, Callen was raising her children and working as a teacher when she decided to pursue a new career. "I decided...
What are the benefits of chi gung and tai chi? Serving cups of tea. Stepping on melting ice. Gentle actions, but they can be keenly therapeutic when incorporated into the ancient practices of chi gung and tai chi. This summer instructor Patrick Baio has been teaching a 90-minute Saturday morning course on these systems of movements and body postures at The Community House (see Page 17 for details). Baio said the program is for all ages, but most students are seniors. "A lot...
What's been rewarding about real estate law? Dominic Mancini found more than a job when he began his career in Hinsdale nearly 50 years ago. He found his forever home. He's now a father of four and a grandfather of 10, seven of whom live within walking distance of Mancini's house. "I love that," he said, saying it's not at all uncommon to run into a member of his family while out for a walk or driving to work. Mancini also continues to enjoy his work as an attorney...
The funeral business has changed in the century since Harry Sullivan made the transition from an accounting career. “The first location was really just a storefront, because they were still doing wakes and everything in homes,” funeral director Brian Sullivan said of the venture his great-grandfather launched in Chicago’s Marquette Manor neighborhood in 1924. For 100 years the Sullivan family has served grieving families, helping them navigate one of the most difficult episo...
