Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 1086
In 2011 when I arrived in Hinsdale, I was struck by the strong sense of community endorsement of public education. As a certified educational planner and an independent educational consultantg who works with D86 teens, this was important to me. Over the last few years, I have been dismayed by the lack of vision and cohesiveness in D86. That is why I am supporting Asma Akhras, Kay Gallo and Catherine Greenspon for the D86 Board of Education elections on April 4. Asma is steeped in educational expertise and is a D86 parent,...
File this under things you never imagine happening next door. A person or investment group turning the unsold house next door into an unregulated hotel where up to four groups of people a week cycle through, leaving heaps of trash in their wake. Yes, Airbnb has come to Hinsdale and living next to one is uncomfortable at best and frightening at worst. I know short-term rentals are not allowed in residential districts, but the village needs to get more involved. I invite you to join me in urging the Village Board of Trustees an...
I wholeheartedly endorse Cat Greenspon for the D86 Board of Education. I have had the pleasure of working with Cat as part of the Hinsdale Central Music Parents Association for the past year and a half. In her role as president of the MPA she is engaged and organized. Her enthusiasm for the music program, and all students, is on full display. Coming out of the pandemic the organization had been largely dormant for over a year. With Cat’s leadership we have increased awareness and participation, improved fundraising, added f...
If you are a local music fan of a certain age, then you are aware of the recent passing of WXRT DJ Lin Brehmer. Sadly, Lin died of prostate cancer this past January at the age of 68. I have to tell you, this hit me quite hard. I have been a fan of XRT since my high school days, and Lin has been there almost the entire time. I didn't really know him personally, although he was a friend of my sister's, so I had the good fortune of meeting him a few times at concerts. Jovial, hea...
Someone other than D86 candidate Andrew Catton purchased a website and used it to share a letter that Catton emailed to the board of education last year. Distasteful political tactics aside, the contents of that email are alarming. Catton calls for the firing of those associated with D86 equity work and singles out the director of instruction equity, Dr. Payne. Catton writes, “The real risk from the DIE/ anti-racist agenda is that it has an active subculture of violence and is a proponent of it.” He goes on to ask, “Ho...
I am pleased to submit this endorsement letter in support of Kay Gallo for a seat on the District 86 Hinsdale Township High School Board to be elected in April. I recently served with her for two years — in 2015-17 — and came away impressed with her performance in many ways. With well over a decade as a local school board member in two different districts, I saw firsthand that she really knows the job, grasps local educational issues from A to Z and understands the commitment and considerable time and hard work that the job...
It might be an unpopular opinion, but I genuinely like snow. I'm not referring to the icy, slushy nonsense we've experienced thus far - I'm talking about that snowman-making, sled-racing, will-the-pool-parking-lot-be-usable-by-opening-day kind of snow. It's been noticeably absent this season and honestly, I'm kind of bummed. A winter without the white stuff is straight-up weird to me. I'm an East Coast kid, one who woke up at the crack of dawn and stared at the television...
I spent many years confused by Lent. I’d watch my Catholic friends and acquaintances give up something they either wanted to give up, like chocolate, or thought they needed to give up, like alcohol, only to indulge/over-indulge on Easter Sunday. Or I’d attend a fish fry scheduled on a Friday night during Lent, with platters of food and dessert tables that said anything but “abstinence.” It made no sense to me. I don’t know if I am older and wiser or the thinking around Le...
February is National Black History Month, a time to recognize the legacy of Black Americans who have helped make this country a more perfect union through their talents, sacrifice and inspiring leadership. The National Museum of African American History and Culture cites Carter Woodson as the annual observance’s originator, first creating Negro History Week in February 1926 “to ensure that school children be exposed to black history.” As only the second black American to receive a PhD in history from Harvard (after W.E.B. Du...
The board of trustees and the members of the Hinsdale Historical Society mourn the loss of Penny Bohnen, a great friend of the society, who time and again brought her energy, connections, experience, joy and resolve to needs, problems, special occasions and, above all, people, on behalf of the society and the Hinsdale community. With the society, Penny was hands-on with fund raising for the rehabilitation of Immanuel Hall and bringing programs and activities to its unique space, helping organize the popular annual Kitchen...
I used to think that when I got older, I would have more answers - to who I am, who I want to be, and just to life in general. Well, now that I am older, I can see that sentiment isn't entirely true. When I was a kid, I always knew what I wanted to do. I loved to read and I loved to write, so it made sense that I would go to school for journalism and study to become the best writer I could be. I was always told that writing was my talent, and I knew that you're supposed to...
February is a month dedicated to matters of the heart. For many, that meant making sure a special someone received a card and flowers on Tuesday. But February is also American Heart Month, a time to brush up on the signs of a heart attack and the steps necessary to avoid one. Heart attack symptoms include chest and/or upper body (arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach) discomfort and shortness of breath, according to the American Heart Association. Other signs can include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. If...
When my dad died almost 21 years ago, I had only a handful of friends who had lost a parent. My husband joined what I've heard described as "the club no one wants to be in" when his mom died in February 2017. We lost my mom in November 2020. And last week we said goodbye to my father-in-law, John. At 93, he outlived his wife and my parents by decades (my dad died at 67 and my mom and mother-in-law each lived to 79). We credit John's longevity to all the walking he did during...
Asma Akhras is a welcome breath of fresh air as a candidate for our District 86 high school board. She is uniquely qualified to foster a partnership between home and school as the mother of a current district student, an experienced education professional and a long-time community volunteer. Her professional credentials are particularly impressive, with her success in collaborating among stakeholders to implement rigorous curricula in different school systems across the country. As a taxpayer, I also appreciate Asma’s p...
Among my several pet peeves is perhaps the granddaddy of them all - loud music playing everywhere, all the time, yet no one is listening. "What music?" If no one is listening to it, then is it even playing? This is kind of like the tree falling in a forest and no one being there to hear it. Does it still make a "thud?" So, if no one is listening to this music that plays everywhere, all of the time, then what is its purpose? Here's my guess - the death of silence. Remember...
I've been thinking a lot about love lately - and not because Valentine's Day is only a few days away. I've been thinking about love because Dan Harris keeps bringing it up on 10 Percent Happier, one of my favorite apps. He's not a mushy guy, and he's not talking about sappy romantic love - or even sappy self-love, although self-love is an important part of his message. Here's what he has to say about it: "Self-love, properly understood, not as narcissism, but as having your ow...
Love is in the air with the approach of Valentine’s Day. The occasion affords us the perfect opportunity for heartful recognition of those who selflessly serve Hinsdale’s nonprofits and faith communities. The organizations hope you feel their love! • Wellness House volunteer Gabrielle Sirchio has truly made a difference since joining the Unique Boutique Salon crew last summer, using her skills and passion as a stylist to help patients navigate hair changes during and after cancer treatment. • Laura Wisniowski is appreci...
Whose idea was it to absolve the D86 superintendent of responsibility for last year’s alleged lapses in loyalty and ethics? Superintendent employment terms are not set by the superintendent, HR or counsel to D86. These are set by the D86 board. This unjustified change is nothing more than an expression of spite by departing board members. The community needs a real board, not a board of three, plus four who blindly follow the superintendent, wherever she points. — Creighton Meland, Hinsdale...
When songwriters Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz penned the country song “When You Say Nothing At All,” they didn’t mean keep your mouth shut when your loved one does something trivial that nonetheless annoys you. From the lyrics, it’s clear that we’re being told that a smile, a look or the “touch of your hand” says “I love you” just as clearly as speaking the words aloud. But I want to make the case that sometimes, keeping your mouth shut sings out how much you care. The din...
The District 86 School Board presented a master class in abuse of power and obfuscation at its Jan. 26 meeting, when the majority bloc (Erik Held, Kathleen Hirsman, Cynthia Hanson and Terri Walker) voted, with only 48-hours notice, to extend the employment contract of Superintendent Prentiss by a mere 31 days (to 7-31-24) without any clear explanation of how the extension served the interests of the district and with no analysis of the financial impact to taxpayers. Simultaneously, the majority amended Prentiss’ contract t...
For the first time in The Hinsdalean’s history, there is a single contested race on the spring ballot. Only Hinsdale High School District 86 has attracted more candidates than there are open seats in the Tuesday, April 4, election. Asma Akhras of Darien, Andrew Catton of Hinsdale, Kay Gallo of Clarendon Hills, Cat Greenspon of Burr Ridge and Debbie Willoughby of Westmont are seeking three open seats on the board. We typically begin covering the election in January so we have space for all of the articles we run on each of the...
Next week we will begin our coverage of the Tuesday, April 4, election. Unlike most years, we have a single contested race to cover — the Hinsdale High School District 86 board, in which five candidates are running for three open seats. Election season is one of my favorite times of the year. I firmly believe that helping readers learn more about the individuals who want to represent them in local government is one of the most important things community newspapers can do. Y...
I’ve read a few polls indicating Americans believe future generations will be worse off than the current one. That’s a sobering, depressing thought. The world seems on its heels in the face of COVID, racial unrest, political dysfunction, economic uncertainty and war. Reeling from the failures of our bedrock public and private institutions and those who lead them. We worry about our country’s youth — our children and grandchildren — and pray they’ve steeled themselves for the Herculean world challenges ahead. I have three chil...
I had every intention of getting my COVID booster. Really, I did. But I couldn't seem to find space in my schedule for a day-long recovery period - as I needed after my previous inoculations. Plus, COVID now is just a mild cold, right? And so I never scheduled the appointment. Ahhh, hindsight. I felt some very minor cold symptoms Jan. 15 and thought I should take a home test just to be on the safe side. Within three minutes, I could see a clearly defined positive line. An...
The time has come to stop kicking the full-day kindergarten can down the road. As evidenced at Monday night’s Community Consolidated Elemenatary District 181 Board meeting, both residents and district officials signaled a strong desire to see this long-shelved idea finally become reality. Count us firmly among the full-day fans, as well, with more than 83 percent of school districts within a 10-mile radius having already implemented it. Moving from half-day to full-day at the seven elementary schools could cost as much as $...
