Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 1086
Saanvi: To our entire Red Devil nation, thank you for joining us today to celebrate the Red Devil class of 2023. Fatimah: Honestly, none of it would be possible without the help of our parents, teachers and the D86 staff. Not to mention Google Translate, Photomath, Sparknotes and, our very new addition, ChatGPT. Saanvi: Are you forgetting something? Fatimah: Oh right! Both: The Devils Roast. Saanvi: We’ve had a good four years. Fatimah: Well, more like a good two years. You can’t forget when our two-week break turned into a w...
Can someone explain why the public water fountains in Hinsdale are off? I know during the pandemic public fountains in schools, office buildings, airports, parks, etc. were turned off. But those have been brought back into service. Except in Hinsdale. As a runner, walker, biker, I have relied on those fountains. I used to stop by the tennis courts in Robbins Park or the fountains on Washington Street or the pool. Those fountains are still turned off. I know many people carry a water bottle on their walks, but for me during...
They say dogs are man's best friend. I wonder who came up with that? A dog, of course. And why wouldn't they be, considering all we do for them. In fact, let's build two lists. First, what Man does for Dog. Then what Dog does for Man. Ready? Hold onto your leashes; it's going to be a sobering journey. Man 1. We feed them. 2. We shelter them. 3. We pick up their poop. 4. We take them for long walks at 5 in the morning in all kinds of weather. 5. We play catch with their...
By the time you read this - or soon after - I will officially be the parent of a high school student. I believe the technical term these days is "rising freshman," but I think that sounds weird. No matter what words you use, Ainsley's days as a middle schooler are over. She graduates tonight with a cheering section comprised of her father and I, my birth mom, and my birth dad and his wife. On Saturday, friends, family and neighbors will join us for a bigger celebration -...
The new board in Hinsdale High School District 86 has been busy. After almost 90 minutes in closed session at a special meeting May 24, board members voted 6-0 (Asma Akhras was absent) to affirm the “leave with pay” status of Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and designate of Chris Covino as acting superintendent. Prentiss’ leave was announced more than a week earlier on May 16, with no information available as to whether the leave was paid or unpaid or if board members had voted to place Prentiss on leave. Now we know they had n...
The question recently overhead in a Hinsdale boutique wasn't meant for me but I could have answered it. "When do you leave for Europe?" I didn't catch the answer because I was on a mission. My implausible dream: Find chic attire that could lead to my being mistaken for someone fluent in something other than a Southeast Missouri drawl while traveling in - yes - Europe. Given multiple news reports on the high demand for transatlantic flights, perhaps Hinsdale boutiques are...
In Flanders Fields In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky, The larks, still bravely singing, fly, Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not...
Recently, The Hinsdalean published an article about the musical “Urinetown” that was presented by Hinsdale Central High School this spring. Grace McGowan said “It’s the American Revolution with pee.” I can’t help but compare this musical with another play titled “Our Town.” Playwright Thornton Wilder received a Pulitzer Prize for this story. It’s about the circle of life, mortality, companionship, marriage and love. I encourage anyone interested in this play to go to the website www.twildersociety.org and read the full sum...
The oversized, fire engine red, old-style movie ticket hanging on the wall had my full attention. Whatever conversation was occurring around me melted away. I was fixated on the ticket. "One life. Limit (1) per person. Make it count." It was as if the ticket was saying, "Hey you, wake up! You're running out of time." I could feel my heart beat a bit faster like the after effect of that extra cup of coffee I really didn't need. The ticket was right. 100 percent right. It knew...
Today, May 18, in the commons at Hinsdale Central, the yearbook is coming. The 80th edition, to be precise, of El Diablo. I learned this from a very dramatic video, presumably made for Tik Tok and then re-posted on Facebook with the hope that Central parents and teachers (i.e. people too old for Tik Tok) would see it. Although we did not have Tik Tok when I was in high school (phones were still mounted on the wall and you could only walk as far as the cord attached to the rece...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We’ve certainly made progress as a society when it comes to awareness of mental health and our willingness to discuss the topic. Hinsdale Central is doing its part to promote the conversation by recognizing Mental Health Awareness Week in several fun ways. Students could pick up healthy snacks to help boost their mood; share messages of encouragement, motivation, inspiration and kindness with one another; and visit with Angel the Comfort Dog. The activities remind us all that there are l...
"When the student is ready the teacher appears. When the student is truly ready the teacher disappears." - Lao Tzu I love that quote. Aren't we all students making discoveries about ourselves and the world throughout our lives? We are if we're awake. I know I've learned a lot since becoming a parent some 23 years ago. I don't normally get all philosophical, but I was trying to think of ideas for this essay when I passed by Peirce Park and saw Little League season has begun....
Sunday we once again will celebrate the women we call Mom. Moms, it seems, do it all. They can soothe a crying baby and quiet the tantrums of a toddler. They can bandage a scraped knee and cook up just the right comfort food to heal hurt feelings. They are our caretakers, teachers, mentors, cheerleaders, friends and confidants. Mothers might work inside the home or outside the home or even find a way to do both at the same time when the need arises. They hold every kind of job, from PTO volunteer to CEO. Most moms are quick...
Each of us had a mother. Whether we knew that woman, loved - or even liked - her, still have her or lost her to death or estrangement, we all are born to a mother. Those of us who are very, very fortunate have multiple women who have offered some kind of mothering to us in our lives. I feel lucky to count myself in this group. First, of course, was my Mom. In a way, she was a study of opposites. She could be very emotional at times, but she also could be unbelievably strong....
Happy Sesquicentennial, Hinsdale! For those who don’t know me, I’m your new U.S. congressman, Jesús “Chuy” García. With new congressional districts in Illinois and across the country this year following the 2020 census, Illinois’ 4th District now includes Hinsdale and many other municipalities in the western suburbs of DuPage and Cook counties as well as the southwest side of Chicago. I have represented the 4th District since 2019, and before that I served as an alderman, Cook County commissioner, and state senator. I...
I appreciated your recent editorial on National Volunteer Month and the contributions of volunteers to our community organizations. As a former volunteer at the Hinsdale Humane Society, and for PTOs at The Lane School, Hinsdale Middle School and Hinsdale Central, I have been lucky enough to have a ground-level view of how much volunteers contribute, on so many levels. But you neglected to mention a set of volunteers who often aren’t treated as such: the elected officials of our local government. Here in Hinsdale, our s...
My mother immigrated to the United States from England by way of Greece just a few years before I was born. My British heritage meant my childhood was steeped in tea with a splash of milk and a generous amount of sugar. Sick, lonely, ordinary, celebratory and tearful days all called for a cup. This custom lent a stabilizing habit that followed me into motherhood. A few weeks after the birth of my first child, I called the doctor in a fit of new mother nerves, explaining in a q...
One of the things that has always impressed me about Hinsdale is how philanthropic its residents are - and I'm not just talking about adults. Kids at two District 181 schools are in the midst of fundraising drives this month. The Madison School Kids Care Club is holding its third annual summer camp supply drive, looking for markers, paint, paper and more to donate to the summer camp at Anne M. Jeans School in Willowbrook. And at The Lane, a group of fourth-graders is...
May is Preservation Month, and every year in observance the National Trust for Historic Preservation announces its Most Endangered Historic Places list. The list won’t be unveiled until May 9, but Hinsdaleans could probably come up with their own local roster. For years many in town have believed the village’s architectural heritage was under attack as redevelopment erased distinctive home after distinctive home in the pursuit of livability over legacy. But do they have to be mutually exclusive? This year’s Prese...
I had months to work on my very first column. The Doings had recently been purchased by Pioneer Press and we were reformatting the paper. Editors at other Pioneer titles wrote weekly columns. Jim Slonoff said I should write one, too. Fortunately, a guy named Tom Lauricella gave me all the material I needed when he penned a piece called "Deconstructing Hinsdale" for SmartMoney magazine's July 1999 issue. I still remember the headline, which remains one of my favorites -...
“There’s more to the story,” sounds like a criticism a dissatisfied reader might make to a newspaper reporter. But this week, the phrase has a different meaning. There’s More to the Story is the theme of National Library week, which runs through April 29. And in Hinsdale, there is a great story to tell. The library is an amazing place for people of all ages to read, learn, have fun and connect with other community members — often in unexpected ways. One example is a new event the library is hosting next month. HPL Con, slated...
Of all the columns I've written over the years, the ones that usually elicit the most feedback are the stories about my children. It's an easy one for me. I like to play the part of the proud father boasting about some recent accomplishment or reflecting on a life milestone for one of my daughters. So, as I wrap up my current columnist tenure with The Hinsdalean, I thought it would be appropriate to go back to what I do best. Bragging about my kids! The problem is, I'm not...
Here we are in April again, friends. The temperature is warming up (shhhh, this week doesn't count!), birds are nesting on my front porch and the Silberberg family calendar is bursting at the seams. Some entries are mine or my husband's but the majority belong to the 4-feet-and-under contingent of our crew. First there's education. Pretty standard, as times and locations have been unchanged since August. Add baseball, T-ball, soccer and basketball, all with games and...
When the District 181 Foundation sets out to celebrate writing, it doesn't cut corners. I was fortunate to be able to play a very small role in the foundation's Young Writers Night at Hinsdale Middle School last week, hosting one of the nine workshops offered. I enjoy my job and enjoy talking about writing, so those two 30-minute sessions were fun for me - and I hope for the students and parents who attended. The highlight of the night, though, was listening to the keynote...
Time to get your planetary party on! Saturday is Earth Day, an occasion to consider all that’s wonderful about this celestial orb we share, as well as how we can ensure its natural treasures are around to amaze and inspire countless future generations. Every time we take note of Hinsdale’s lovely tree-lined streets, sprawling green parks and its preserved ancestral prairie areas (you know about those, right?), we should give thanks. Each week we try to deliver information on ways to soak in the area’s natural ameni...
