COVER STORY

Town Meets Country: Local writer makes a name for herself in Nashville music scene

MARCH/APRIL 2025

HM_May-2024-Cover_KB-Version

Town 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…

Photo-1-Group

D181 students use foundation grants to help their community

By Anna Hughes Inside Ms. Ashley Kaumeyer’s class at Monroe School, 5th graders are learning about more than just reading and writing. Through the KIDS (Kids Initiating a Difference in Society) Grant program, she’s teaching them about kindness, hard work, attention to detail, and the impact that just one person can have on their community.…

Laura_Meyer_Photography_-5

HCHS 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,…

Laura_Meyer_Photography_0003

Chicago 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…

FAF-2023

Fine Art: Hinsdale’s popular art show returns to Burlington Park

By Anna Hughes This year marks the 51st annual Hinsdale Fine Arts Festival, one of the village’s most anticipated summer events. Over 85 artists will showcase their creations in booths throughout Burlington Park, allowing residents and visitors to experience a wide range of unique, classy, and fun fine art spanning a variety of mediums and…

wws-2024-committee-pic

Wine Women & Shoes raises $370,000 for Bridge Communities

By Anna Hughes | Photos by Karen Woolley It only takes one: One crisis, one painful diagnosis, one layoff. It only takes one life-altering event to watch bills collect on the table, witness your savings drain, and end up without a place to call home. This can happen to anybody at any time. Bridge Communities…

BEY

Josh 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.…

Laura_Meyer_Photography_-2

Hinsdale Kitchen Walk Luncheon

Photos by Laura Meyer Dozens of ladies from Hinsdale and surrounding communities gathered at Hinsdale Golf Club for the Hinsdale Kitchen Walk luncheon on March 7. The annual event hosted by the Hinsdale Historical Society Women’s Board featured a panel discussion including Mark D. Sikes of Mark D. Sikes Interiors, Paloma Contreras of Paloma Contreras…

Photo-1-Tablescape-2024-172-e1715542466551

Hinsdale 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…

IMG_4350-e1715541286966

Nazareth Academy Roadrunners return with hopes of defending their repeat state titles

By Anna Hughes It takes a lot to make a great baseball player: determination, grit, talent, and commitment. The Nazareth Academy varsity team has lots of those. They’re the back-to-back IHSA 3A state champions (2022 and 2023). With two trophies in just two years, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Led to victory by…

Rotary-GroveFest-Photo-by-Atticus-Fair-1-e1715536466229

Summer is right around the corner, and we’ve rounded up the best events of the summer including live music, fresh food, and family fun.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Paramount Theatre April 24-June 16 paramountaurora.com Enjoy an evening at one of Chicagoland’s most highly esteemed theatres for their production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. This Tony and Grammy-award-winning show tells the true story of King’s rise to fame, starting from her days dreaming of stardom in Brooklyn. Set…

guy-basabose-fUfGvucgNM-unsplash

Fostering Love: Two local families offer foster children a safe place to belong

By Maureen Callahan The second Sunday in May is the day we honor Mom. Hers is the first love we know in this world. There’s a special group of moms also recognized this month – foster moms. May is National Foster Care Awareness Month. Hinsdale Magazine Group takes its hat off to the foster moms…

2-Michael-Halkias1167-copy-e1715529845934

Dr. Michael Halkias – Naper Grove Vision Care

Tell us about yourself. I grew up here in the Western suburbs, and I have been an owner of Naper Grove Vision Care since 2008. Currently, I live in Hinsdale with my wife, Jessica, and three children. What is the formula for your success? Above all else…attitude. In my work life, success requires persistence, discipline,…

Roger-Bain_Photo-2-e1715528742214

Three local authors work themselves into three interesting and diverse book genres

By Maureen Callahan Kelly K. James – Downers Grove Ever wondered if you pushed the envelope too far at work? Worried you might get fired for saying what you think or for disagreeing with your boss? Not long ago, Downers Grove writer Kelly K. James found herself in the same position. Her upcoming memoir, The…

laura-tang-9AwSPN41C8U-unsplash

The Thrill of the Dill: The unexpected rise of Pickleball

By Cynthia Maquet For the third year in a row, Pickleball has earned the title of the fastest-growing sport in the nation. Is the pickleball phenomenon all that it’s cracked up to be? The rapid growth and increase in popularity seems to point in the direction of “YES.” But let’s get to know a little…

Untitled-1-e1715456166797

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…

DSC_4021

DuPage Pads

At this year’s Taste of Hope event in late February, DuPagePads once again proved the power of a community that believes everyone deserves a safe place to sleep and a way to journey back to a home of their own. The organization continues to break records, raising more than $340,000 this year. Funds will be…

E-EDITION

Noteworthy

HC-TEAM-e1736471567360

Disappointment, Then Elation – Hinsdale Central golfers win state

NAZ1

Three-Peat: Nazareth wins third straight Class 5A football championship

Photo-2-DuPage-Foundation

DuPage Foundation

Books-Brunch-7-e1736470683942

Assistance League Chicagoland West

IMG_99999_295

Clearing the Air: The American Lung Association and the local Fight for Air Climb

Vine-Academy

Snapshot: Vine Academy

Photo-1-Pierce-Downers-Homeexpandbwtest

The DuPage County Underground Railroad

Feature_NotreDameSchool

Snapshot: Notre Dame School

Photo-1-23DGIceFest-27

The Ice Thing about Downers Grove winters

Photo-1extend

State park and trail commemorate the 16th President of the United States

default

Snapshot: Nazareth Academy

image from Pexels

The Transformative Power of Live Performing Arts

Wedding-7

2025 Wedding Trends

Eric-Blaustein_2-USE-THIS-PHOTO-Have-approval

After the Ashes: Holocaust survivor Eric Blaustein

galina-n-AgWVcQz1bOA-unsplash-1

Beat the Winter Blues

galina-n-AgWVcQz1bOA-unsplash

Beat the Winter Blues

Timothy-Christian-Schools

Snapshot: Timothy Christian Schools

Vine-Academy

Snapshot: Avery Coonley School

HM_Nov-2024-Cover

Building Hope: The O’Brien School for the Maasai