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On Nov. 8, our community can choose to usher in reasonable, commonsense, high-energy leaders with policy ideas that will positively impact DuPage County for years to come. DuPage County has the opportunity to elect two such leaders to the DuPage County Board on Nov. 8: Greg Hart and Kari Galassi. Greg is running for DuPage County Board chairperson and Kari for DuPage County board member. I have known Greg and Kari for decades. They sincerely believe in community service and deeply desire to improve DuPage County. They...
I am the proud father of four Hinsdale Central High School graduates, two being Student Council presidents and all four deeply involved in HCHS activities. Recently I learned parents of Hinsdale Central High School students can opt their child out of the sex education unit. The author of this letter is strongly in favor of the choice to opt out. Out of Illinois’ 852 school districts, 520 have opted out of teaching the lessons, according to the DuPage Policy Journal. I want every parent in the district to be aware that d...
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month and Michael Brindley’s birthday month. Michael, a Hinsdale Central student, tragically died of SCA in 2016 at the age of 16. Michael loved all sports and wanted to pursue a career as a sports announcer or journalist. He created a blog called just1mike after the ESPN Mike and Mike sports show. After his death, Michael’s parents founded the just1mike foundation to honor his memory. As junior board members of just1mike, we work with the Brindley family to raise awareness abo...
Beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 20, residents interested in running for the D181 Board of Education may begin circulating signature petitions for the consolidated election to be held April 4, 2023. Candidates can file their signature petitions and other candidate documents beginning Dec. 12. The board plays an important governance role for D181, promoting academic excellence for our 3,600-plus students, maintaining our status as an employer of choice for educators and supporting staff, and investing D181 taxpayer funds...
We see examples of it every day. Far too many vulnerable populations cannot afford access to basic rights and justice. Low-income Americans cannot get legal help for 92% of their noncriminal legal problems, up from 86% in 2017. It’s not surprising that seeing so many people denied their rights and justice brings a sense of powerlessness to many of us. But we have reason to be hopeful. A pro bono lawyer can make that access to justice possible, often bringing dramatic change to the lives of their clients and bringing them a...
This is my first letter to the editor, which I wrote as soon as I arrived at my office downtown this morning. I am a longtime Hinsdale resident and commuter. I was running late this morning (Aug. 29) for the 7:52 and missed it, standing behind the east pedestrian gate on the north side of the tracks at Washington. As a few fellow late commuters and I watched the train stopped on the other side, my heart stopped as I noticed two young girls, perhaps 15 and 10, crossing the tracks, behind the stopped train from the south side....
April 21 was a good day for baseball. A crowd cheered both HC and LT players. Although there were strong plays on the field that Thursday, fabrications about this game has become the story. On April 28, a woman sent a letter to Superintendent Tammy Prentiss alleging that HC players and students (“more than one hundred”) repeatedly shouted racial slurs at LT players. These were reported in the Patch on May 27, 2022. On June 3, Patch reported that HC and LT (working together) interviewed players, coaches and others about the...
A wise woman once told me the best way to affect change in the country is at the local level. That amazing woman, Patti Bellock, diligently served as our state representative for 20 years and continues to take an active role in our community on boards and as a committee person. We need more elected officials like her, giving their time and talents to better our lives on the day-to-day level. Not many folks are willing to do this; either they are reticent to become involved or have no interest in a deep dive on local issues....
It was an honor to represent Hinsdale for more than two decades as your state senator and state representative. We learned a lot of lessons during our tenures — but one that stands out is that success as a representative of the people requires character, competence, energy and innovative ideas to make a difference. Many of the challenges we currently face — rising crime, skyrocketing cost of living and burdensome taxes — have occurred because our current elected officials lost sight of what is important to their commu...
You may have seen a special email from the Hinsdale Public Library in your inbox recently. The library has begun working on a new strategic plan to guide our work in the next few years, and we’re looking for your input. The email contains a link to a brief online survey that will give you a chance to tell us how you use the library. We’re eager to hear from as many Hinsdaleans as possible: our regular users, but also residents who haven’t been in the library for a while. We think this is a great time to take a look at what yo...
I am thrilled that Kari Galassi is throwing her hat into the ring for DuPage County Board. I have known Kari and her family for many years. I have always admired Kari’s deep involvement with her children and their many activities, while demonstrating a great capacity to get things done for her community. In 2019, Kari led the campaign to pass the District 86 referendum, which dramatically improved the already crumbling school infrastructure, allowing our district to maintain the excellence for which it has been known. In 2...
I am a proud mom of three young kids. My kids’ futures are the top consideration for every decision my husband and I make — whether that be where to live, where to send them to school or for whom to vote. We chose to live in Hinsdale and DuPage County because of low crime, school performance and a better quality of life for our children. We never had concerns previously about whether our kids would be safe at school or in their community, receive quality educations or have endless opportunity once they graduate. But with cri...
People shouldn’t have to fear for their lives when they go shopping, but that’s become an unfortunate reality in recent years. Smash and grabs have become a popular choice for criminal networks, who break into retail stores, take all the goods they like and resell them online. They then use the profits they make to fund other criminal activities. As a state senator for suburban Chicago, I couldn’t stand seeing our economies stunted and knowing there was a spillover effect on other crimes. That’s why I sponsored the Organiz...
I have known Kari Galassi and the Galassi family for over a decade as I’ve coached their sons in baseball for many years. Their family is such a blessing to the community of Hinsdale. They are always willing to come to the aid of others. When our school district and its students needed a helping hand, Kari led the effort to pass the D86 referendum. Passing the referendum ensured that the district’s sports programs were not eliminated, which I whole-heartedly supported knowing that being part of a team is so valuable to childr...
I was born in Canada and have played hockey most of my life. Hockey has given me the opportunity to live in many great places across Canada and the United States. When I retired from the NHL, my family and I chose to return to Hinsdale, having lived in this great little town while playing for the Blackhawks and believing it was the best choice for us. My wife and I have five children ranging in age from sixth grade to a junior in college. We felt strongly that the D86 referendum should be passed for the sake of all the...
We have lived in Hinsdale for most of our lives. We built our business here, raised our children here and now are overjoyed to see our kids raising our grandchildren here. We have also engaged civically over the years — whether that be through chairing the Historic Preservation Commission or founding the Hinsdale Kitchen Walk. Hinsdale is a community we love — and it is our mission to support people who love this community as much as we do. That is why we are supporting Greg Hart for DuPage County Board chairman and his run...
Could there be a simple solution to two problems, one facing District 181 and the other the village Of Hinsdale? Unacceptable proposals for the long vacant land at the intersection of Ogden and Adams, owned by IBLP (Institute of Basic Life Principles) have once again been withdrawn by Ryan Co., leaving the possibility of dividing that property and satisfying two needs at once. 1) The NW corner of the Ogden/Adams Intersection includes 7.5 acres with an already existing building on a parcel zoned IB (institutional building)...
Why move to DuPage County? This question, asked by many over the years, has been an easy one to answer: better schools, lower taxes, less crime. Now, the trend at many local schools has been to move away from common-sense curriculum often leaving parents with the feeling that they have been excluded from decisions regarding their children’s education. Taxes have reached unsustainable levels due to fiscal mismanagement by state politicians in Springfield. Violent crime from Cook County has spilled over to DuPage. Oakbrook C...
Fullers, please bring back Dips and Dogs for our children, please! The one place we truly had to walk to town with our children after dinner was Dips and Dogs. The excitement they always had when we told them they would get to go for a treat was unmatchable. And then the pandemic hit and everything closed. And when restaurants started opening again they had their hopes up that they would get “their place back.” We understand the restaurant makes more money for you. But every family we talk to in town wants it back. Do it for...
This past year it has been disheartening to see the District 86 BOE led by a board president who showed a lack of integrity to her campaign promises and abused her position to silence board member dialogue. What was even more disappointing was the silence from the other three board members that form the majority, when agenda items were voted off or voted on by a show of hands without full discussion. It seemed like they had reached consensus outside of open session. Ms. Walker clearly didn’t show respect for her position o...
We moved to Hinsdale five years ago from the city of Chicago. Like many young families, our move to the suburbs was driven by a desire for lower crime, excellent schools and a more favorable tax environment. We looked in many different suburbs for a place to put down our roots — but Hinsdale and DuPage County were obvious choices. DuPage maintains a balanced budget and fosters a friendly business climate. Elected leaders insist on following the rule of law, which creates safe communities. We have award-winning schools and g...
On April 19, 2001, my wife, Tracey, and I moved to the United States from Northern Ireland for what was meant to be a temporary work opportunity. Tracey was carrying our first baby, who became the first American citizen in our family. Becoming U.S. citizens ourselves took many years of waiting and trying, finally culminating at a swearing-in ceremony in Chicago. The first election we have the privilege to take part in hits close to home, as we know a candidate who’s running well and are ardent supporters of her cause. Kari G...
Superintendent Prentiss has now been revealed (FOIA 1099) to have met on Zoom with a group of local clergy leaders. In an email between Prentiss and a local pastor on Jan 27, the pastor discusses the need for “people with political skill sets” to be brought into their conversations. On Jan. 28, just one day after community members begin publicly calling for Prentiss’ resignation, Prentiss indicates her preference for meeting with a group of clergy because “I think we are at ICU level.” On Feb. 8, that meeting with local cle...
The recent events in Ukraine have been horrific. In just one week over 600,000 refugees have fled Ukraine, with that number potentially rising to 5 million over the coming weeks. These refugees were forced to leave their homes, jobs, family and friends behind, only taking their most important possessions, to then wait in multi-day long lines in freezing temperatures to escape Ukraine. Simultaneously hospitals in Ukraine are running dangerously low on medical supplies such as oxygen, yet continue to take care of the public...
I am a former board member (and president) of school District 86. I recently posted a petition on www.Change.org/StopPrentiss, which gathered over 800 signatures in a few days. It calls for the removal of Superintendent Prentiss because of board policies I believe she has failed to uphold and because she has broken the trust of our community. By contract, Superintendent Prentiss must abide by policies approved by the elected members of the BOE; however, she has failed to uphold this obligation. Policy 3:40 states:...
