Downers Grove Issue May-June 2025
Field of Dreams
Cooperstown marks milestone moments for youth baseball players Nicknamed “America’s Hometown,” Cooperstown is more than just a small village in Central New York: It’s a rite of passage for young baseball players across the country. Home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and one of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the sport, Cooperstown…
Read MoreTo-Dos
By Anna Hughes With summer break fast approaching, we’ve curated a list of local activities for the entire family to enjoy. Whether you’re looking for memorable musical performances or fun in the sun, we’ve got all that and more on this season’s selection of the best in the western suburbs. Cats Paramount Theatre Aurora April…
Read MoreSpringtime Selling in Chicagoland
BY CONTRIBUTING PARTNER MAINSTREET REALTORS As the ground thaws and Chicagoland’s yards begin to awaken, homeowners have a golden opportunity to transform their properties and capture the attention of potential buyers. Curb appeal isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a critical factor that can significantly impact your home’s marketability and final sale price, especially during the busy…
Read MoreLooking SHARP(ie)
Downers Grove Co-Op wins state gymnastics title using a little ink BY JEFF VORVA The ink didn’t lie. Heading into the postseason, the Downers Grove co-op gymnastics athletes put Sharpie to arms and wrote a word that would inspire them. “The girls picked a focus word and wrote it on their arm, and that’s what…
Read MoreDr. Rachael Mahmood finishes her term as Illinois Teacher of the Year
BY VALERIE HARDY Dr. Rachael Mahmood grew up in Downers Grove with parents who were both physicians at Good Samaritan Hospital. “Being the child of two doctors, I felt like I had no choice but to become a doctor,” she said. In fact, back when Mahmood was a teenager, her father told her he would…
Read MoreDowners Grove South freshman gets promoted to Eagle Scout
BY VALERIE HARDY When 15-year-old Millan Ananth set his sights on becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank within the Scouting America organization (formerly Boy Scouts of America), he knew exactly what he wanted to do as his service project: renovate the weight room at Lakeview Junior High School. Ananth, a 2024 Lakeview graduate, wanted…
Read MoreSECURING THE AREA
Sergeant Robert Jacobs has served nearly three decades with the Downers Grove Police Department BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN There’s something about being from a place, especially if you choose to stay in that place and raise your family—just ask Sergeant Robert Jacobs of the Downers Grove Police Department (DGPD). After having grown up in town and…
Read MoreModern Medicine
From data to diagnosis, AI is augmenting medical professionals’ training and practice by VALERIE HARDY Medical training programs and practices in Illinois are on the cutting edge when it comes to considering how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance patient care and physician functionality. For example, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Department of Bioengineering was…
Read MoreFrom Caddying to College
Local students are awarded the prestigious Evans Scholarship By Valerie Hardy Three local high school seniors shot for the green and made it. In this case, “the green” is not on the golf course but rather refers to money, which Downers Grove’s Colin Finn and Elmhurst’s Chloe Cummins and Matthew Hamblin have much more of…
Read MoreAn Icy Miracle
45 years later, Jack O’Callahan remembers Team USA’s Olympic victory and one of sports’ biggest upsets By Maureen Callahan “Do you believe in miracles?!!” Anyone who watched Team USA beat Team USSR – the world’s best hockey team at the time- remembers Olympic commentator Al Michaels deliriously shouting this question to viewers from their tube…
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