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My daughter Ainsley’s favorite Advent calendars are the ones you can find just about anywhere for $2.99. I’ve tried to substitute an upgraded chocolate calendar — whose windows contain more than a teeny tiny piece of the cheapest chocolate money can buy. But she wants the same kind of calendar her Gram and Papa, who are no longer with us, used to buy her. I love holiday traditions — some might even call me a stickler — and apparently I’ve passed on my passion/obs...
"No amount of regret changes the past. No amount of anxiety changes the future. Any amount of gratitude changes the present." - Ann Voskamp Canadian author and blogger Ann Voskamp might not celebrate Thanksgiving, but she knows a thing or two about gratitude. One of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions is offering a list of reasons Hinsdaleans have to be thankful for - one for each day of the month leading up to Turkey Day. Nov. 1 - those who will not be with us this holiday s...
Mark the holidays by making a life-impacting gift to a local nonprofit agency on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28. At the Hinsdale Humane Society, funds donated as part of #GivingTuesday2023 will help save animals’ lives by enabling the organization to offer the programs and services people and pets in more than a dozen area communities rely on. Contributions will be used to shelter strays, adopt out hundreds of homeless pets and provide veterinary care for animals in need. Visit www.hinsdalehumanesociety.org/donate. Gifts to Wellness...
Two-hundred and seven. That’s how many veterans are listed in our Veterans Day special section today. And it’s a record. The number of submissions we receive has grown each year since we ran our first pages in 2015 honoring 72 men and women who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Some of these men and women are neighbors here in town. Others are the parents, grandparents, children, aunts and uncles of Hinsdale residents. They are members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines who fought in the Civil War, World War I, World...
Help wanted: Hinsdale High School District 86 superintendent Qualifications: • Ability to help foster a healthy, constructive dynamic on the board of education that emphasizes respect and transparency along with a deft conflict resolution touch that dissuades elected members from resigning mid-term out of futility and frustration. The fresh case studies in quitting of Debbie Levinthal (Sept. 18) and Kay Gallo (Oct. 26), both capable and motivated but compelled to depart because of “toxic” practices on the part of board colle...
Perhaps one of the most frightening things to happen the week before Halloween is our annual enumeration of scary scenarios that we have imagined afflicting our fair village. As always, we offer the following words of caution to readers: Beware the sarcasm. • The village takes a closer look at the old, weathered copy of its articles of incorporation and discovers it is actually dated April 4, 1874, requiring officials to coordinate yet another year of sesquicentennial celebrations. • The Hinsdale High School District 86 Boa...
One in eight teenagers in the U.S. used an illicit substance in the last year. Sixty-two percent of high school seniors have abused alcohol and 50 percent of teens have misused a drug at least once, according to the National Center For Drug Abuse Statistics. Overdose deaths among 15- to 24-year-olds more than tripled from 1999 to 2017, climbing from 1,240 to 4,777. Statistics specific to Illinois are no more comforting. Almost 7 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds report using drugs in the last month and almost 9 percent drank...
Read any compelling stories recently? We hope so. After all, that’s what we aim to deliver every week. Whether it’s an update on a school board or village board activity, the latest exploit by a Red Devil sports team or a write-up to let patrons know of new arrivals to Hinsdale’s shopping and dining scene, The Hinsdalean is committed to providing news that informs, enlightens and enriches our readers’ experience as members of this community. This first week of October 2023 marks the 83rd celebration of National Newspap...
Before the April election, we hoped the addition of some new faces on the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board would create a more cohesive governing body with less dysfunction. How naive. The recent resignation of board member Debbie Levinthal highlights continuing problems on the school board. The argument could be made that Levinthal hasn’t been happy since Cat Greenspon became board president immediately after being newly elected. Levinthal clearly had hoped to be president herself and believed someone with e...
Eighty-one percent of crashes at public railroad grade crossings in Illinois occur where active warning devices, such as flashing lights, ringing bells and/or gates already exist, according to government statistics. During 2022, 129 vehicle crashes were reported at public highway-rail grade crossings, resulting in 30 fatalities and 39 personal injuries in Illinois. An additional 62 pedestrians trespassing on railroad rights-of-way were struck by passing trains, resulting in 39 fatalities and 23 personal injuries. Sept. 18-24...
September is Suicide Prevention Month and this week is National Suicide Prevention Week. This isn’t a topic most are eager to talk about. But talking is sometimes the one thing that can save someone’s life. Most people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way, according to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment. And hel...
Monday marks 22 years since the terrorist attacks that shook the nation and launched a global battle against Islamic extremism that continues today. Hinsdale residents Bob Rasmussen and Jeff Mladenik were among the 2,996 lives lost in those shocking acts of mass murder committed the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, searing images of both unspeakable horror and awe-inspiring heroism into our collective memory. More than 6,000 were injured. For those of us who can remember the horror of that day, the memory of the experience likely...
As students get acclimated to their class schedules, locker combinations and homework, adults also have some adjusting to do now that school is back in session. Traffic patterns have changed dramatically since the first day at Hinsdale Central Aug. 21 and District 181 schools Aug. 22. More students are heading to and from school on foot or on their bikes — or getting a ride from mom or dad or even a classmate. They might not be paying as much attention as they should be, so drivers need to be extra vigilant. To that end, w...
Hinsdale youth are back in class! Stepping up a grade means a higher level of academic rigor — and a greater need for effective study habits. Here are some tips from “The Princeton Review” to help make the year a success. 1. Have multiple study spaces. A quiet place at home is key, but variety can help, too. Libraries, parks or even just moving from the bedroom to the kitchen table can stimulate the brain to retain information better. 2. Keep a catch-all calendar. In addition to jotting down homework assignments, mark extra...
The beautiful historic buildings in the central business district, the Robbins Park subdivision and many other neighborhoods in Hinsdale. That delicious smell when you walk into Kramer Foods. The crowds that line the streets the morning of July 4, waiting for the parade to begin. These and so many other things make Hinsdale the wonderful town that it is. We celebrated almost a dozen of them in our summer series, Quintessential Hinsdale. It is not a coincidence that we chose this topic in 2023, the year the village is...
Those back-to-school emails and football season previews are coming fast and furious right about now. But that doesn’t mean we have to rush summer off the stage. Check out these seasonal attractions and activities — both in town and around the Hinsdale area — before the summer bids adieu. Tomorrow, Aug. 11, is the last of the village’s Movies in the Park series with a screening of “Despicable Me” in Robbins Park starting at dusk. Pack blankets and lawn chairs to watch the film under the stars while munching on the free (a...
We’ve written a number of editorials about areas of improvement for the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board. So we thought it only fair to highlight a handful of shining moments from the last regular board meeting July 27. 1. A 7-0 vote to hire School Exec Connect to help the board find a permanent replacement for Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, who is on paid leave through March 31. Two firms made presentations to the board July 20. All seven board members not only agreed on which firm to hire, they chose the firm The H...
Tuesday, Aug. 1, is National Night Out, an annual event designed to build bonds between neighbors and law enforcement, according to the National Association of Town Watch, which sponsors the event. “National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. F...
You might enjoy watching Falcon Football games at Brook Park in the fall, ice skating at Burns Field in the winter or taking a run through KLM in the spring. But summer is when the Hinsdale Parks and Recreation Department shines, so it seems fitting that July is Park and Recreation Month. And Hinsdaleans have plenty to celebrate. Residents can enjoy 122 acres of dedicated parkland at 18 sites, with opportunities for baseball, football, jogging, ice skating, tennis, pickleball, picnicking, platform tennis, soccer and...
The good news: the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board has finally announced the fate of Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, who has been on paid administrative leave since mid-May. The bad news: district taxpayers will foot the bill for essentially two superintendents during the 2023-24 school year. Board members last week voted 5-2 to continue to pay Prentiss, who earns $277,000 a year plus benefits, through March 2024. They’ve already paid Chris Covino $10,000 for his work as acting superintendent from May through June 3...
Just months after local residents were able to officially call their growing settlement the village of Hinsdale in April of 1873, they celebrated their first Independence Day as an incorporated community. Accounts of the initial Fourth of July festivities are not available, but some details of the second are (see story on Page 15). Bands, baseball and morale-boosting speeches highlighted the day. But the occasion really took off here in 1898, as Timothy Bakken chronicles in his book “Hinsdale.” The Spanish-American War was...
Eight days from today will be Chris Covino’s last day in Hinsdale High School District 86. The assistant superintendent for academics is leaving to become superintendent of a La Grange elementary school district. His replacement was hired in May and will officially step into the role July 1. So why is his last day worth noting on this page? He has been serving as acting superintendent since Superintendent Tammy Prentiss went on paid leave May 16. What will happen after he leaves? No one knows. The board did release a s...
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in 7 years.” — Mark Twain Fatherhood is ... That sentence could be completed in a multitude of ways. Ask a dozen people to fill in that blank, and the likely result is a dozen different replies. As we approach Father’s Day this Sunday, we reflect on the traits and qualities we associate with those being honored by the occasion. While each father is unique,...
Whether you celebrate meteorological summer, which began June 1, or wait for the June 21 solstice for the official kick-off, the fun that marks the season in Hinsdale has begun. The Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce held its first event of the season with the 50th annual Fine Arts Festival last weekend in Burlington Park, featuring works by 85 participating artists. Then, on Monday, the first chamber-sponsored Farmers Market took place on Chicago Avenue along Burlington Park. The market, featuring the produce of Midwest farmers...
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...
