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Earlier this week Hinsdale lost a rare person. The white ribbons around town are to honor and celebrate a woman who lived life beautifully and who taught me, just by being exactly who she was, how to be a better person. Monica Rincon Dooley’s life was a shining example of how to live life to the fullest. Here are a few things that I learned from Monica: Happiness — Monica had joy inside of her and wore it on her face. Her smile brightened every room. Warmth — She genuinely loved people. Her greetings were sincere and she w...
We want to express our most sincere thank yous to all the people who have been with us on this journey. The many flowers, dinners and donations were so greatly appreciated, as were the many hugs and expressions of sympathy, and the thoughtfulness and kindness of the police and officers of the court. It all meant so much. Thank you. — The family of Andrea Urban...
Dear neighbors — This week, I retire as executive director of HCS Family Services. It wouldn’t, however, be right to leave without sharing my deep thanks with our good-hearted community. Even in these days of social distancing, you’ve come together to make an impact right here in our own backyard. You’ve found many important ways to support local hunger relief. You’ve volunteered, made financial donations and organized food drives for our two food pantries. Please know that we couldn’t have responded to the surging dem...
On Tuesday night, the Hinsdale Plan Commission wisely voted 4-2 against imposing any type of moratorium on home demolitions. Even the two members in favor expressed doubts that the proposed six-month duration was actually necessary. Unfortunately, the plan commission is merely an advisory body and the village trustees, who have heard no public testimony, are free to disregard the commission’s vote. The top-down, hastily-conceived moratorium proposed by the board was sparked when current owners of three old homes in S...
I’m glad we’re starting to come out of Phase 2 into Phase 3 and soon Phase 4. But if what I saw at Fuller House on Thursday, June 11, is any indication — 10 people drinking at one table, no seating 6 feet apart (it was barely 2 feet) no masks and a total disregard for people walking by — the numbers in Illinois will spike and restaurants will be closed again. I’m all for the restaurants reopening, but who is going to police them? They want to make money and obviously at Fuller House, at any cost, including their patrons a...
We represent Redeemer Lutheran Church of Hinsdale and its ministry group called Church and Community. The mission of this small group is “to inspire (our) members to work in areas of important social concern.” The Black Lives Matter movement is undeniably one of the most important areas of social concern for all of America. Our members marched with other Hinsdaleans in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter message. We appreciate the students who organized the march and respect our local police officers. This was not a pro...
My family recently moved to this beautiful town filled with wonderful people and great businesses to raise our young family and plant roots. I am very disheartened to hear that the Verizon 5G rollout is still on track to install over 140 unsightly and potentially dangerous towers throughout our scenic town. The poles are expected to be 32-45 feet tall with a 6-foot tall humming power unit at the base. This will massively affect the aesthetics of our village and will surely decrease property values. More importantly, 5G...
I had a nice, safer-for-all pipe dream about a small Illinois suburban village whose citizens unanimously approved an overhead satellite that controlled and limited all non-emergency vehicles to the posted speed limit. And they all lived happier ever after. — Ralph Homann, Hinsdale...
The detailed official notice on the Hinsdale Plan Commission’s June 10 public hearing (7:30 p.m. via Zoom) to receive residents’ input on a proposed moratorium on demolitions of certain historic homes and other buildings is on the village website’s home page at https://www.villageofhinsdale.org, under Featured News. Importantly, the notice references and provides a link to the 1999 “Hinsdale Reconnaissance Survey,” prepared by Historic Certification Consultants at the direction of the village to do the groundwork for more rig...
This is the worst letter to the editor I ever saw (John Salidas letter of May 21). This guy sure is a sweetheart. Maybe we should have masks that look like him and ring his bell on Halloween. I feel that Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot are trying to keep Illinois people safe. — Joe Legner, Hinsdale...
Two recent experiences in the last 10 days seem worth sharing. Last week on one of the warm days I was leaving the hardware store in Clarendon Hills. A small group of young children with several moms was at the ice cream store while practicing social distancing. When I walked by, a girl about 7 years old said very kindly to me, “Have a good day.” I thanked her. It was my most pleasant experience of the day. Yesterday while leaving the Walgreens in Hinsdale, a woman who like me would be eligible to shop during senior hou...
Dr. J. Richard Spatafora passed away suddenly on May 24. We are going forward with love, strength, tenderness and togetherness. He loved his family enough to last a lifetime and then some. We will miss our Rick desperately; a devoted, thoughtful, patient, deeply decent man. He would hope, with all of his heart, that we carry him with us in the form of a generous spirit, an open heart and a peaceful mind. To keep him alive and present within you, within this community he cared for enormously, within all of us, tell your...
If this interminable COVID lockdown nightmare extends into October the children of the Prairie State should take a stand against the scary monsters who rule over Illinois. On Halloween children can choose the appropriate mask and mock the monsters who took away our rights and freedom. Ring all the doorbells you can then shout “tricked!” The brainwashed adults who support eternal subjugation will be spooked when they answer the door and see those frightening faces of Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot staring back at them. The...
I’ve always loved writing Shakespearean sonnets as an English major so I decided to write one about our current time in quarantine. The Ides of March befalls our precious world, As children say goodbye to days at school, They carry books and plants with tendrils furled, To shelter them under domestic rule. “We’ll make the best of it” we daily say, With music, baking, walks, and riding bikes, We’ll garden, dance, and read throughout the day, And spy a turtle on our nature hikes. We keep our frontline workers in our hearts, C...
I wanted to make you aware of an idea that the village board of trustees discussed at last Tuesday’s meeting that has received some media coverage. Now that Gov. JB Pritzker has put into effect a phased plan for re-opening various businesses in our state, we want to explore how we could enhance our downtown area for our residents and allow for businesses to prosper in new ways. Following social distancing guidelines set by the state, restaurants will need more space for seating. We discussed the idea of closing down p...
On Friday afternoon, May 1, it was a beautiful spring day and I was riding my bicycle near the West Hinsdale Train Station. While trying to stay out of the path of an oncoming car and practice social distancing, I found myself on the wrong side of the road. My bike tire caught the edge of a curb and down I went. There happened to be two boys on bikes nearby. Without hesitation, they came over, asked if I needed help and proceeded to move my bike out of the street. I assured them I was all right and just needed a minute to sit...
My husband and I own the Orland Bassett house on Sixth Street. We are restoring this incredible home after a terrible fire because we consider ourselves custodians of history and beauty as well as titleholders of a personal property. Owning and maintaining an older home obviously requires a special commitment of time and attention. However, we take seriously the responsibility of living in a historic district and felt an obligation to rebuild as one of many families that have stewarded the Bassett house through the decades....
While we have been dealing with a worldwide pandemic, Verizon has been busy moving forward with their plans to install 4G/5G towers throughout Hinsdale. In a March letter to the village of Hinsdale, Verizon announced that they will begin submitting permit applications for new antenna towers. Although the new 5G technology may sound great, it is certainly not worth being a test community and having our front yard parkways filled with almost 150 unsightly cell towers soaring up to 45 feet tall with a refrigerator-sized power...
Dear friends, Like no other time in HCS Family Services’ 83-year history, this past month has reminded us just how valuable our volunteers are. As we’ve had to limit the number of volunteers at our food pantries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are missing the smiles, passion and camaraderie of the nearly 100 community members who, in normal times, make our operation work so effectively each week. With only two part-time and three full-time staff members, our organization is dependent upon our volunteers to provide nut...
Although I really enjoy my daily walk at the Fullersburg Forest Preserve, it would benefit from the following improvements. Instead of prohibiting cars from other counties to park there, charge all drivers a fee, with a higher rate for cars from other counties. The additional revenues can be used to: A. Buy a train like the ones at the Brookfield Zoo and give tours with narrations. B. Add many more signs describing plants and animals, as did the Chicago Botanic Garden. C. Keep all toilets open and sanitized year-round as do...
I would like to thank the children of Hinsdale for their artistic expressions. As I walk or run (at a socially responsible distance) through town, I see your efforts: the chalk drawings and mosaics on the driveway or sidewalk, the painted ‘kindness’ rocks you left at the base of trees with positive messages or the drawings you put up in your windows. All of these have made me smile. Thank you for brightening my day and the whole town; your efforts have not gone un-noticed. Please keep up the good work. We all need this rig...
The village’s website proudly declares that it is “strongly committed to the preservation of its community character and historic past.” The historic Dean house begs to differ. It is slated to be torn down with little more than a collective yawn from the village board. Another local developer, when complimented on her recent purchase of a historically significant home, declared, “This one is going down.” In the 15 years since the New York Times deemed Hinsdale the epicenter of the teardown trend, all that we have to show f...
As we all deal with the many changes to our lives, it occurred to me that we could show our support for everyone by flying our American flags. Our family is ex-military and know our flag to be the most visible symbol of the USA and what it represents in peacetime and war. We’re in this fight together. Let’s show our solidarity, Hinsdale. — Marie Trader, Hinsdale...
This has been a very stressful time for our front line first responders and medical staff. The Hinsdale Police and Fire departments are in need of N-95 masks and Chlorox wipes. They can be dropped off at the police or fire department at 121 Symonds Drive. A note, card or even a video offering thanks and encouragement would certainly go a long way in this difficult time. Notes can be mailed to either department at 121 Symonds Drive, Hinsdale, IL 60521. Or send cards to Hinsdale Hospital, 120 N Oak St., 60521, and they can...
These are times that try men’s souls. Someone said that before me, I’m sure. But we are all facing a monstrous challenge. We take different routes in making it through the day. One friend is turning to the grape, happy to drink any wine whose date starts with a 1 or 2. Here’s how I cope. I think of a 20-year-old Sudanese mother who buries her 4-year-old daughter who has died of starvation, weighing 19 pounds at death. I think of the Syrian families whose houses are burned down and who are given one hour to pack all their...
