Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 268
The majority of the sales at Hinsdale's Sweet Ali's Gluten-Free Bakery have historically come from walk-in patrons. When COVID-19 altered that history two months ago, owner Ali Graeme knew her store had to adapt. "Most of our orders were not pre-orders," she said. "People were calling without a clear idea of what they want and didn't know what we had." With no display cases of goodies to steer their selection, phoning customers required significantly more staff time to...
For more than 50 years Hinsdaleans have turned to the experts at Vern Goers Greenhouse for their gardening needs. And while things are a bit different this time around, owner Phil Goers said he expects this year to be just as busy, if not busier, than every year before. While much of the world stood still in March and April, Goers and his staff were busy preparing for the months ahead by planting and growing seedlings and stocking the store with everything the at-home...
While businesses everywhere scramble to reinvent themselves in light of the COVID-19 lockdown, John Yurchak said it's pretty much business as usual at The Fruit Store in Hinsdale - and busier than ever. "We've always run a clean, tight ship," said Yurchak, co-owner of the family-owned business that has kept the people of Hinsdale supplied with fresh fruits and vegetables since 1982. He said delivering the best products with personal service has always been key. The result is a...
Just a few months ago, cycling was a way for Rick Johnson, co-owner of King Keyser in Hinsdale, to get outdoors and stay in shape. Now, it's become his business. Cycling and bike repair have long been in the wheelhouse of several members of the King Keyser team, who are avid cyclists and experienced bike mechanics. But until recently, they left the business of bike repairs to their neighbors at Hartley's Bike Shop. "This is an area of business we have not pursued out of...
Cafe la Fortuna owner Angela Lavelli said she didn't think her Hinsdale business would be able to continue operations when Illinois eateries were ordered to cease dine-in service last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I was thinking that I was going to be closing down," she said, noting the coffee house doesn't carry many food items. One month later, she's still brewing up a storm at her 46 Village Place shop. "I am really thankful," she said. "(Customers) from Hinsdale,...
Many Facebook pages are filled with inspirational messages or coronavirus jokes. Sean Chaudhry's reads like a promotional piece for Hinsdale businesses. Last week, he enjoyed burgers, nachos and banana bourbon pudding from Fuller House for dinner. The week before he encouraged friends to support Page's Restaurant when it opened for takeout the last weekend of March. He's thrown shout-outs to King Keyser's bike repair service, Cafe la Fortuna's coffee and The Salon by David &...
During this season of social distancing and sheltering in place, operating a small business has arguably never been more challenging. Paula Goss, owner and manager of Fuller's Home & Hardware, 35 E. First St., is grateful to just be open during the stringent COViD-19 restrictions. "We're lucky that we're considered essential," Goss remarked. She said the store experienced high demand for household and cleaning supplies at the outset of the pandemic, just as other area...
What is the goal of the American Nutrition Association? A healthy diet isn't one-size-fits-all. That's something that Michael Stroka learned the hard way. Despite eating what he believed to be a healthy, balanced diet, Stroka became so ill more than a decade ago, he couldn't go to work. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, he was desperate for a solution that would make him feel better. "That's when I started doing deep, therapeutic nutrition," Stroka said. He engaged in...
Larysa Domino's career as a real estate broker is a convergence of all the things she loves - people, her community, her family and finance. "It's been a great fit for me," said Domino, who entered the real estate world more than four years ago. She initially pursued a career in corporate finance before spending a few years as a stay-at-home mom. A Hinsdale native, Domino, like many, moved back to her hometown to raise a family. She loves the community for the same reasons...
How is the fire department responding to COVID-19? Residents reaching out to 911 with a health emergency during this time of heightened vigilance may be asked a number of questions. Please be patient and answer them, Hinsdale Fire Chief John Giannelli said. "A call comes in: 'My mom's sick.' OK, well has she been traveling? Does she have a fever or a cough? Those are all necessary questions that our dispatch will ask anybody to prepare us for when we get in there," he said....
What's the secret to speech team success? Last year's IHSA state speech final was triumphant for Hinsdale Central, which took home the first place trophy. But team member Daniel Leung said his nerves and lack of confidence hampered his individual humorous interpretation performance. This year, a self-assured Leung placed second in original comedy and third in humorous interpretation at the state meet Feb. 21-22 in helping lead Central to a third-place finish. "With the...
What has a hearing impairment taught you? Hinsdale's Kayleigh Excell doesn't communicate with sign language or have trouble verbalizing her thoughts. The Hinsdale Central senior's limited hearing in her right ear, however, does require the use of a hearing aid, concealed by her long hair. So when she asks others to repeat something or speak into her left ear, the response can be less than sympathetic. And the fact that her hearing aid is equipped with Bluetooth has been...
How can people care for their hearts? February is National Heart Month, a nudge for people to show some love to their cardiovascular system. Cardiologist and Hinsdale Central graduate Noura Dabbouseh said our blood pump works better when the whole body keeps pumping. "We've always known that exercise is good for you. It helps keep the heart's rhythm in check and controls blood pressures," said Dabbouseh, who practices at Amita Health's Hinsdale and La Grange hospitals. The...
Gabrielle Tufano loved painting and drawing, but as a college student, her hobby didn't have a place on her intended career path. Teaching art certainly never crossed the science major's mind. A single comment from an art professor at Illinois Benedictine University changed all that. "He told me that the world will always have enough doctors. What it needed was a great figure painter," Tufano said. That's when she turned her course of study from pre-med to painting. Tufano now...
What's it like being a school counselor? Lisa Hikes works in the "heart" of Hinsdale Central High School. That's how her former boss described the counseling department, anyway, where Hikes and her colleagues address student needs ranging from lunchroom anxiety to college admissions. She's been walking alongside Red Devils for 19 years, helping to shape their evolution from freshman to senior. "We're really the only people in the building that will have students for four...
Locks on steamer trunks don't last forever. That simple fact was the start of a family business that's been around for 100 years. Kaehler Luggage got its start when Walter Gustav Kaehler, a Chicago locksmith, saw potential in not just fixing the trunks commonly used by travelers in the early 1900s, but selling them. "He got the brilliant idea to start stocking steamer trunks and opened up a store in Evanston," said Buzz Kaehler, the founder's grandson and the business'...
How does the West Suburban Giving Circle work? Since 1985 the Chicago Foundation for Women has worked to improve the community through its support of organizations that benefit women and girls. That work spread to the western suburbs with the launch of the West Suburban Giving Circle a little more than four years ago. The West Suburban Giving Circle is one of six organizations that share and drive the Chicago Foundation for Women's mission to "invest in women and girls as...
What is the best way to start the new year off right? “My personal recommendation on how to improve your health is start small. If your goal is to lose weight, build muscle or just be healthier, start with small goals. Find a starting point — it could be just to move your body more — and go from there. “Once you have successfully built that habit, add on something else. Maybe it’s as small as to only eat dessert once a week or to take a multivitamin every day. With small goals, slowly adding as you go, it’s easier to f...
Saturday may be the Chinese New Year, but at Hinsdale's Wild Ginger Asian restaurant, owner Lisa Fang is celebrating her establishment's sixth year of serving dishes from China, Thailand, Japan and more. "We kind of do a little bit of everything," she said. "Some like the Thai food better, others like the hibachi." Both have been popular this winter at the 44 S. Washington St. eatery. The Thai seasoning packs a lot of heat, and foods grilled on the traditional Japanese...
What danger do coyotes present to people and pets? Even if you haven't seen one, chances are there are coyotes living in your neighborhood. Dan Thompson, ecologist with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, said he believes a majority of the Chicago area's coyote population lives not in protected places like the forest preserve, but in suburban and urban areas. "Just because you've never seen them doesn't mean they aren't there," he said. Coyote sightings and even encoun...
How can apps help people start 2020 off right? It's that special time in a year's infancy when people realize the new is lot like the old, and those best-laid resolutions are getting waylaid. Tools exist to help snatch self-improvement success from the jaws of defeat, however, right in one's palm. Mike Gershbein, founder of the tutoring firm Very Smart People, will impart apt apps for goal achievement at Change Your Life Online from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Hi...
What do citizens need to know about the legalization of marijuana? On Jan. 1, recreational marijuana use becomes legal in Illinois. The Hinsdalean asked Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King to shed light on some of the details the marijuana legalization law. Illinois residents age 21 and over to will be able to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, King said. Possession of more than 30 grams can earn someone anywhere from a misdemeanor (up to a year in prison and $2,500 fine) to a f...
When and where are Christmas worship services? From a 2 p.m. Christmas Eve live nativity service to a noon Catholic Mass Christmas Day, Hinsdale churches are offering a variety of worship opportunities. A mix of scripture, carols, children's programs, special music and Communion are sure to make these services special. • Grace Episcopal Church 120 E. First St. (630) 323-4900 https://www.gracehinsdale.org Dec. 24 4 p.m. - Holy Eucharist with children's program 10 p.m. - Holy E...
What are some end-of-year financial tips? Investors have a lot to celebrate in 2019, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up nearly 20 percent this year. But with big gains come the potential for considerable tax liability if those profits are not prudently managed. That's where Iris Sagrado and Glenn Stears of 360Blue Financial Strategies in Hinsdale come in. "Mutual fund companies have a lot to distribute in terms of capital gains, so the probability of people being hit (wi...
When the temperatures dip, activity at Hinsdale Furriers surges, whether its new purchases being made or longstanding clients collecting winter outerwear from summer storage. Store manager Melissa Waters relishes the familiar warmth that enfolds those customer connections. "I like knowing the customers, having that relationship with the customer, recognizing people when they come in and having them recognize me," said Waters, now the fourth generation of her family to oversee...
