COVER STORY
MARCH/APRIL 2025
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…
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.…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
