Mend a Heart

Community Rallies Behind Local Foundation By Emma Wolf In 2007, Brian and Bridget O’Meara decided to start the Mend a Heart Foundation after their son, Liam, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which means that he is missing the left side of his heart. Congenital heart defects affect 1 in 100 babies in…

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Dick Portillo

An American Success Story By Larry Atseff Dick Portillo has met a lot of famous people during his 80 years. One he never met is Frank Sinatra. Frank’s gone, but one of his most memorable songs is “MY WAY”. Opening lyrics include these words: “My friend, I’ll make it clear I’ll state my case of…

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Restaurant Week Oak Brook

Oak Brook Restaurant Week April 22nd-30th A dining Mecca with nearly 60 Restaurants! Beatrix AMERICAN CUISINE 272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook 630 491 1415 California Pizza Kitchen AMERICAN CUISINE 551 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook 630 571 7800 Driftwood Grille AMERICAN 17W648 22ND St, Oakbrook terrace, Oak Brook 815 374 3893 J. Alexander AMERICAN 1410 16TH…

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Law and Order in DuPage County

By Scott Jonlich Up until this past holiday shopping season, most of us took law and order in DuPage County for granted. News about violent crime was focused more in Chicago and Cook County, only about 20 miles east. There were a couple of local incidents of “smash and run”, but then on the early…

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Rich’s Recipe for remarkable restaurants

The Story of Rich Melman’s “Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises” By Larry Atseff R.J. Grunts Started It All A little more than 50 years ago, on June 10th at 11:31 am, to be precise, Rich Melman and late, first partner, Jerry Orzoff, opened R.J. Grunts, a few steps from the Lincoln Park Zoo on Chicago’s near…

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Dreaming Big

For Hinsdale Hospital’s Most Vulnerable Patients By Larry Atseff For more than 100 years, Hinsdale Hospital has cared for generations of families from Hinsdale and the surrounding communities. The hospital has been a destination for women and children. Adam Maycock, President, and CEO, states “Our goal is to offer women and children exceptional care in…

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Type 1 Diabetes

Researcher & Surgeon Dr. Jose Oberholzer By Larry Atseff In our discussions with Dick Portillo and the success of his restaurant chain, we learned how important it was for Sharon, his childhood sweetheart and wife of 62 years, to be constantly by his side. We also learned that in 1997, it was discovered that she…

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Gopal Lalmalani

Oak Brook’s Village President By Chuck Fieldman Gopal Lalmalani has enjoyed practicing cardiology for more than 40 years. But the 72-year-old Oak Brook Village President has put much of his heart into serving the people of Oak Brook over the past 15 years. Lalmalani served five years on the village’s Plan Commission, before successfully running…

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Greg Summers

Oak Brook’s New Village Manager By Chuck Fieldman Kathy Maher, up until June 2021, was the President of the Oak Brook Historical Society. She has been a volunteer since 1978, shortly after the group began in 1975. Since being elected President in 2006, she has served as primary curator of the history of Oak Brook.…

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A History of the Oak Brook Historical Society

By Larry Atseff Kathy Maher, up until June 2021, was the President of the Oak Brook Historical Society. She has been a volunteer since 1978, shortly after the group began in 1975. Since being elected President in 2006, she has served as primary curator of the history of Oak Brook. Eventually, she is moving away,…

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