Beyond the Front Desk

Inside Hyatt Lodge’s Guest Experience Photos courtesy of Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Magazine caught up with Brent Hinton, Director of Sales & Marketing at Hyatt Lodge, to learn what sets the property apart and what it takes to deliver the guest experience behind the scenes. From its peaceful natural setting to the teamwork required to…

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Remembering 9/11

New York City native Adrienne Cirigliano reflects on witnessing history unfold and the lasting impact it left on her life By Sophia Schiappa | Photo by Jesse Mills As the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, schools teach students about the tragedy, parents share its history with their children, and survivors reflect on…

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Then & Now

The familiar places of Downers Grove, seen across generations By Julia Mazurek  | Photos courtesy of Greg Elisha, the Downers Grove Historical Society, the Downers Grove Park District and Michelle Lytle  It’s easy to forget that many Downers Grove streets have served as the backdrop for community life for well over a century.     …

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Reading Ready

Two former District 58 students turned teachers take literacy instruction to the next level By Valerie Hardy As students at Fairmount Elementary School, Beth Hatlen and Karla O’Brien learned to read together. Today, these childhood friends run a business that helps thousands of other students learn to read.        Hatlen and O’Brien co-founded…

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Home Court Advantage

DGN alum Charlie Rohlf connects passions for sports, technology, and statistics into a career with the NBA By Julia Mazurek  |  Photos courtesy of District 99 Downers Grove native Charlie Rohlf leads one of the National Basketball Association’s most important teams.           He’s not a coach, scout or general manager. Instead, as…

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From One Fire Truck to 8,000 Calls

Downers Grove Fire Department evolves to protect a growing community By Julia Mazurek  |  Photos courtesy of Downers Grove Fire Department Tucked inside the Downers Grove Museum sits a piece of local history: Engine 1, the fire department’s first motorized truck.  The 1920 pumper engine manufactured by the White Motor Company is a symbol of…

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Built to Last

How Andrew Carnegie’s vision helped shape the Downers Grove Public Library By Maureen Callahan A local library is something every community needs. Although it’s importance and relevance can sometimes be overlooked, it’s meant to be a place for everyone. The idea of steel and railroad billionaire Andrew Carnegie was to make education – at both…

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FLIGHT PLAN

Cleared for Takeoff BY EVELYN SAXTON The youngest student pilot at JWA Flight School is 13-years-old. Too young for a driver’s permit, too young to see a PG-13 movie alone, but old enough to take the controls of an airplane. That student isn’t an outlier. About 90 teenagers train at JWA. Roughly 20 of those…

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A Legacy of Love

Annual family run honors, celebrates Sean Richards By Anna Hughes Sean Richards left a lasting impression on everyone he met. In his 14 years, he embraced each day with a joyful spirit, a fervent faith, and a genuine love for others. He was known to be selfless, generous, friendly, kind, cheerful, and loyal. The Love…

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TWA Flight 529: Local Memories of a National Tragedy

The first of September marks 65 years since the night that shook the Western Suburbs By Maureen Callahan Milestones – even tragic ones -are worth commemorating. September 1st – just a few days ago – marked the 65th anniversary of the deadliest plane crash in American commercial aviation history, up to that date. TWA Flight…

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