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Who are the Senior Jammers? Superstar songstress Taylor Swift regularly tops today's Billboard charts. Her hit-making predecessors a century ago had names like Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, similarly transcendent talents that helped compose the soundtrack of an era. The Great American Songbook, as it's known, will serve as the playlist for the Hinsdale-based Senior Jammers as they take listeners on a musical journey back to the early 20th century...
Families who choose to live in Hinsdale stay because of the schools, the walkability and what @ Properties real estate agent Gary Lee calls "an almost 1950s charm." But there's something else far less visible that's keeping homeowners not only in the village, but in their current homes. "Currently 86 percent of residential mortgages are under 5 percent," he said, with about half of those at 3.5 percent or less. But new mortgages come with rates higher than 7 percent, which is...
What does being a nurse mean to you? Rose Mannina worked one year as a certified nursing assistant at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale Hospital before her first day as registered nurse - in March of 2020. "I had a patient bleeding out in one room, and I had a patient in hospice," Mannina recalled, as the COVID-19 outbreak was threatening to overrun health systems. "I just remember feeling extremely overwhelmed. I was sitting there wondering, 'Why did I do this to...
How has your job changed over the past 30 years? The school day at Hinsdale Middle School begins at 8:25 a.m., but Gail Vescovi typically arrives hours earlier to walk the halls, get a little exercise and take in the quiet before 700 children and dozens of teachers and staff fill the building at Garfield Avenue and First Street. Vescovi will walk the halls for the last time when school ends this year. After 30 years in District 181, she has chosen to retire. Vescovi began...
What has your teaching career taught you? Growing up in Willowbrook, Barbara Dawes was familiar with many of the schools in neighboring Hinsdale. But her childhood bike rides never reached The Lane School, so getting there for a job interview in the pre-GPS era proved a challenging assignment. "I almost passed it by," Dawes confessed. That was 34 years ago. On June 2, Dawes will dismiss her first-grade class for the final time, thankful for her "hidden gem" of a workplace and...
How does the need to achieve affect teens? Being a teenager can be tough. Being a teenager in Hinsdale can be especially challenging, said Megan Cannon, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Back to Balance Counseling. "There's been a steady shift into this idea of perfectionism" said Cannon, one of five counselors offering help at the Hinsdale clinic. Cannon said she and her fellow therapists too often see young people who believe they need to take every Advanced...
How should people plan for retirement? James Flanagan, owner of Bentron Financial Group in Downers Grove, identifies three main categories when it comes to retirement readiness. "Nearly 60 percent of people don't plan at all," he said. "Less than 10 percent are navigators who have managed their finances for future outcomes. The majority of the rest are troubleshooters who have been able to plan because they've overcome hardship like divorce or job loss." Flanagan will provide...
What is the musical 'Urinetown' about? The plot of Hinsdale Central High School's spring musical isn't easy to explain, but junior Grace McGowan summed it up in a single sentence. "It's the American revolution, but with pee," said McGowan, who plays Little Sally in "Urinetown," coming to the Central stage April 21 and 22 (see Page 18 for details). "Urinetown" takes a satirical look at the nation's legal system, capitalism, bureaucracy and local politics. It also makes fun of...
What should we know about climate change? When Mike Zanillo began giving climate change presentations as community outreach coordinator for Citizens' Climate Education seven years ago, skepticism and even hostility from listeners was not unusual. "I've been outwardly accused of being a socialist and a communist," Zanillo related. To his encouragement, audiences today seem to be more receptive. "The awareness level has increased, and people are more alarmed about the crisis today," he said. To mark Earth Day next week,...
Everyone is familiar with the phrase about making lemonade when life hands you lemons. When the housing market was handed a proverbial lemon in the mid-2000s, home builder Cathy Walsh turned it into a new career in real estate. "That was an impetus," Walsh said of her transition from general contractor and designer to full-time real estate agent. "Real estate is now my primary focus," said Walsh, a Hinsdale resident and broker with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty. She's...
Why did you launch a concierge practice? While attending to injuries and acute illnesses, emergency department physician Tom Caraballo said he also sees the department waiting room filled with people with less-than-urgent needs. Emergency medicine has become primary care for many people, Caraballo said, due to difficulty in getting appointments, access to doctors and access to care in general. As the founder of Fashioned Health, the Hinsdale resident is offering a solution....
Hinsdale Central junior Jackie Vogel is fully aware that women can excel in the world of computer science. Her own mother works in the field. Yet it wasn't until Vogel attended a Girls Who Code summer camp that she ever considered studying the science herself. "I never would have considered coding if I hadn't gone to that camp," she said. The camp provided a comfortable environment in which she could realize her potential. She returned so excited about coding that she was determined to find a way to share her experience with...
Why is it important to support forest preserves? David Stang's relationship with the DuPage County Forest Preserve District began as he used the trails at Fullersburg Woods for his outdoor fitness endeavors. "It's an area I've used for years for walking, running, biking and so forth," he said. After volunteering at a workday at Fullersburg in December 2021, Stang said he learned of the need for a volunteer site steward - someone to coordinate regular efforts to keep the area...
Why did you invent FlagGuard? Erin McLaughlin's life changed the day her daughter was nearly hit by a personal watercraft while tubing in the lake at her family's summer getaway. While her daughter escaped injury, McLaughlin was haunted by the thought of what could have happened. The relief of knowing her own daughter was OK wasn't enough for McLaughlin. In the months following the incident, she began working on a device that would make children more visible in the water. Her goal was to prevent others from suffering a simila...
How can meditation relieve stress? One of the biggest misconceptions about meditation, said Stephanie Frantz, is that you have to stop your thoughts. "We have anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day, so that's unlikely to happen," the meditation instructor said. "It's about turning your attention away from them." Frantz will lead a 50-minute workshop on mindfulness meditation and breathing techniques at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 at The Community House (see Page XX for...
Bea Wolfe already was familiar with at least five languages when she moved to the United States from Europe three years ago. She quickly learned yet another - the language of the U.S. Realtor. "I had to learn to understand everything," said Wolfe, who despite her extensive background in the field was unfamiliar with the terminology and laws of her new home. Originally from Hungary, Wolfe began her real estate career in 2003 before taking on a series of positions that put to...
How can people protect themselves from identity theft? Statistics reveal that fraud and identity theft claim a new victim every 22 seconds. Just when many think all the scams have been played out, sophisticated criminals come up with a new way to separate the unsuspecting from their money. "They'll pivot on a dime. If it doesn't work today, they'll switch tomorrow. They're much more agile than the general public, who tend to be creatures of habit," said Lana Thompson, vice...
The 2021-22 Illinois Report Card lists Hinsdale Central High School's student population at 2,490. Of those students, only 62 identified as Black. Early this school year, three of those students approached their counselor, Gia Maniscalco, in hopes of starting an organization that would give Black students at Central a safe place to share experiences and build community. In December, they received approval to launch the Hinsdale Central Black Student Union. "We felt it was very...
What should parents know about teens and their emotions? Consider emotions like a member of one's personal board of directors, advised psychologist and author Dr. Lisa Damour, borrowing a colleague's metaphor. "Emotions help inform our decision-making and how we want to live," she explained. "They're very important to helping us navigate our lives, but very rarely are the ones calling the shots." Adolescents, however, can often seem at the mercy of their emotions. Damour will...
For decades, fans of college sports could only support their favorite players through cheers and applause. But adoption of the NCAA Name Image Likeness policy in 2021 opened up a new world of opportunity for fans to support players, and for players to profit from their work as athletes. It also opened up opportunities for entrepreneurs like father-son team Steve and Ryan Thayer. Steve, a longtime former Hinsdale resident, and Ryan, a current resident of Chicago and a graduate...
How can art help illuminate the world of science? Artist Lindsay Olson had tried her best to steer clear of math and science subjects. Then about a decade ago, while canoing down the Cal Sag Channel with her husband, she was struck by the sight of a sweeping engineered waterfall. "Finding out who built this structure and why led me to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District," Olson recounted. After about a year and a half of "patient pestering," she said, MWRD officials...
What is the new law regarding smoke alarms? Homeowners might have more than one reason why a smoke alarm isn't working. "They go dead maybe when you're on vacation, so you don't hear the chirps," said Deputy Chief Jon Carlson of the Hinsdale Fire Department. "You don't test it, so you don't know it doesn't have a useful battery in it." Or a homeowner might take the battery out of a beeping detector, intending to replace it, and then forget. A law passed in 2017 addresses...
How can we promote mental health in the new year? Physical improvement goals tend to dominate January resolution lists. But one's mental health deserves just as much attention, according to psychologist Kelly Ryan, who said gathering with others plays a big role. "One of the most important things that we can do to maintain our mental well-being is to connect in meaningful ways with those around us," said Kelly, service line director at Edward-Elmhurst Health's Linden Oaks Beha...
What are some choices for NYE toasts? For centuries, the sparkling wine known as Champagne has been used to celebrate birthdays, promotions, marriages and of course, the arrival of a new year. And according to Angel Rangel, assistant manager at Il Poggiolo in Hinsdale, it's not something to be messed with. "Champagne you want to keep the way it is," said Rangel. While Rangel believes Champagne is best enjoyed on its own, it is not the only way to mark a special occasion....
How can holiday trash be kept out of landfills? From the dazzling displays of decorations to the parties teeming with presents and plates of goodies, the holidays are not exactly a time of moderation. Amidst this celebratory crescendo of consumption, we can offer a gift to Mother Nature by making recycling and repurposing seasonal traditions as well. While the holidays come and go in a wink of St. Nick's eye, the garbage left behind in landfills leaves an impact on the...
