Oak Brook Issue May-June 2024
Center Stage: Dan Aykroyd at Oakbrook Center’s Wonderverse
By Larry Atseff There is absolutely no substitute for talent. And there is no substitute for being a genuinely nice guy. That is Dan Aykroyd in a nutshell. His oeuvre as a comedian, actor, writer and director speaks for itself. Think about all the laughs you have had watching him on Saturday Night Live and…
Read MoreA Page Out of History: Downers Grove’s Baseball History
BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN I PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOWNERS GROVE MUSEUM Baseball. It’s the American game. Not only is it the country’s earliest seriously organized sport (there were cricket leagues before it), but, as Civil War and baseball historian Bruce Allardice points out, the game helped heal a fractured country after a war. The Downers Grove…
Read MoreHCHS student shares musical talent with local retirement communities
By Anna Hughes | Photos by Laura Meyer On a sunny Saturday afternoon in March, many high school students are spending time with friends, relaxing from the hectic week prior, or enjoying the slightly warmer weather. Charlie Russ, on the other hand, spent his day a little differently. Russ, a Hinsdale Central High School junior,…
Read MoreChicago Storm Special Hockey is truly special
By Larry Atseff | Photos Laura Meyer When you visit the Chicago Storm Special Hockey website, the first headline that greets you asks the question: “Want to be part of something AWESOME?” According to Michelle Willard, who co-chairs the group with her husband Wayne, the organization exists so that over 100 children and adults with…
Read MoreTown Meets Country: Local writer makes a name for herself in Nashville music scene
By Anna Hughes | Photo by Victor Hilitski Alison Bonaguro had always known she wanted to be a writer. With a degree in journalism and 15 years of experience in ad copywriting, she decided to chase a dream that combined her passion for storytelling with her love for country music. Bonaguro and her husband have…
Read MoreJosh Bey goes all out to set state records after a tough go in world competition
By Jeff Vorva | Photos by Jeff Vorva Here’s how good Hinsdale Central’s Josh Bey is. He finished sixth in the world – THE WORLD – in the 200-yard breast stroke with a time of 2 minutes 14.56 seconds in September in Netanya, Israel at the World Junior Swimming Championships. And he was emotionally crushed.…
Read MoreA Lesson in History: Fullersburg Historic District
By Larry Atseff On Sunday, May 19, at 2 pm, at the Oak Brook Public Library, three local historians will share why Fullersburg from 1832-1862 was so pivotal to the area’s history, which today includes Hinsdale and Oak Brook. Lecturers include Sue Devick, Elizabeth Arts, and Don Fuller. This was a period when the Fuller…
Read MoreHinsdale Infant Welfare Society
More than 400 guests packed the Drake Oak Brook Hotel in early March for the Hinsdale Infant Welfare Society’s Tablescapes Ooh La La event for an afternoon of shopping, bidding and dining. All proceeds benefit the Angel Harvey Family Health Center located in Logan Square in downtown Chicago. The center provides high-quality medical dental, vision…
Read MorePets, Parades and Prizes, Oh My!
Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst and Spring Road Business Association gear up for the 31st annual Pet Parade By Anna Hughes The Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst has been serving the local community for 92 years. Their group is part of Kiwanis International, an organization dedicated to changing the world – one community and one child at…
Read MoreNew Northwestern Medicine Outpatient Center opens in Oak Brook
By Larry Atseff | Photos by Victor Hilitski Northwestern Medicine’s Outpatient Center, at 1001 Commerce Drive, Oak Brook, parallel to 31st Street, is now open. “This beautiful, 80,000 square foot outpatient center bridges the gap between Northwestern Memorial Hospital downtown and Northwestern’s hospitals in the western suburbs,” says Patrick Towne, MD, president of Northwestern Medicine…
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